Answer for Assgmt Week 8

Question 1

Many cell phones now come equipped with cameras. Managers of health clubs are concerned that people in locker rooms may be secretly photographed by other members carrying small cell phones. What do you think about this? Discuss your answer based on one ethical principle of your choice.

Capture the picture secretly without permission others was an act that not moral. This act although not known by others but it is still wrong and not respect the privacy of others and as a consequence of the use of sophisticated tools such as small cell phones. The managers of health clubs are concerned that people in locker rooms maybe secretly photographed by other members carrying small cell phones. If the health clubs' method of banning cellular phones probably decreases the chance of having a picture taken of you while you are working out, there are problems to this solution.  

Firstly, it punishes many for the actions of few.  For every person that has used a cell phone to take pictures in a health club of someone who is unaware, there are hundreds that now cannot bring their phone into the gym, causing them to potentially miss calls. Secondly, this measure will not completely eliminate the problem. Presumably, the people taking the pictures were covert and tried to avoid being caught taking the pictures. It would be hard to identify and stop someone from bringing in a cell phone if he was determined to bring it in. Finally, health clubs are private organizations with members that choose to go there.  This allows the health clubs to create rules that ban cell phones.  Health clubs that do impose this rule can even use it to help market their gym since people that are concerned about privacy might enjoy having the protection of the ban while they are working out.  

However, there are many other places where people would probably not want to be photographed that cannot adopt a cell phone ban just because they are concerned about the privacy threat imposed by the cameras.  Many high schools require that students take a number of PE classes in which the students must dress out in the locker rooms.  

Judging from our own experience, a large majority of high school students have their own cell phones, and it is impractical for the school to place a ban on them.  Students need them in order to contact their parents or friends to arrange for a ride home or to coordinate other activities.  Perhaps a better solution than an all out ban on cell phones in certain areas is to impose a rule against taking pictures in the area with the promise of a strict punishment if the rule is broken.  While a ban on cell phones might be impractical in a high school, how many students would risk expulsion or a fine just to take a picture of a classmate?

Laws banning the use of cellular phones are taking away freedom. When private organizations create rules banning cell phones it is acceptable because citizens can choose whether or not they want to patronize the organization.  However, when a government organization, like a high school, bans cell phones the citizens have no choice but to loose their freedom.  

The responsibility of policy makers is to determine if the threat to personal privacy because of the possibility of a picture being taken is worth the loss of freedom.  As we have pointed out above, there are alternatives to banning cell phones that emphasize strict punishment for actual privacy violators and allow greater freedom for the average citizen. Another possible way to intrude on someone's privacy is through auditory eavesdropping. Indeed, a lot of the fancy technology employed by government agencies to monitor and spy on people is sound equipment.  Whether it is hidden microphones in The Italian Job, parabolic sonar dishes in Enemy of the State or even lasers that can read the vibrations of windows to record a conversation, popular culture and the real world are filled with methods to listen in on other peoples' conversations   (  “Listening in on Block Talk”).   One thing that is important to note about eavesdropping is that most of the complaints and problems with it more tangible than the problems with pictures and video. The most common problem people seem to have with being photographed or video taped without their knowledge is a loss of dignity, because they might be photographed doing something embarrassing, they could be in a compromising position, or their body could be exposed to someone whom they did not wish to see it.  

However, the effects of listening in on somebody's conversations can be much more serious.  For instance, if there is an information leak to the media, the informant's identity could be compromised by audio wiretapping.  The right of the press to not reveal its informants' identities has long been an important value in America. Without these informants, politicians would be able to get away with scandalous behavior because there would not be anyone on the inside passing information to the press and the voters.  One such example is William Felt, otherwise known as Deep Throat, who was Woodward and Bernstein's informant during the Watergate scandal.  It is possible that without the cover of secrecy, Felt and other such informants would not have cooperated with the press and leaked sensitive information.  


Question 3


Refer to the lecture slide for this week on Intellectual Property.  Explain with example the following:


Copyrights is a statutory right to stop others copying or exploiting authors’ works in various other ways without permission. Copyright provides owner with five rights which are reproduction, distribution, public display, public performance and production of derivative works. The length of the protection is defined by copyright laws.

Patents is a document issued by the government office which describes the invention and creates a legal situation in which the patented invention can normally only be made, used, sold, imported by or with the authorization of the patentee.

Trademarks is A distinctive word, phrase, symbol, or design that identifies a product and is legally owned by its manufacturer or inventor. Abbreviation, TM.

Trade secrets may consist of any formula, pattern, device or compilation of information which is used in a business, and which may give an advantage over competitors who do not know the trade secret. A trade secret may be a formula for a chemical compound, a process of manufacturing, treating or preserving materials, a pattern for a machine or other device, or even a list of customers. Trade secrets are different from other business secrets. For example, the amount or other terms of a secret bid for a contract or the salary of certain employees, or the security investments made or contemplated, or the date fixed for the announcement of a new policy or for bringing out a new model.

Question 4

Discuss software duplicating from the perspectives of act utilitarianism.

Act utilirianism :

If the majority are happy and the benefits are higher, it is considered ethical regardless the consequences.

Software duplication :

Software duplication is a process that take a copy of software and insert into disk or any hard drive that can act as a storage without any legal consent.

Pros:

-everyone can use the software for free and without having to pay high price.

-easy to disseminate among community.

-easy to modified based on users' needs.

Cons:

-loses in term of financial to the company.

-the competitors and people can easily modify and make profit for it self.

-someone might claim the software to be his own.

-company will lost their customers' trust.

-unable to remain competitive in the market.

Therefore, according to act utilirialism, software duplication is unethical.