Internet software piracy in China: a user analysis of resistance to global software copyright enforcement

Article


Lu, Jia and Weber, Ian. 2009. "Internet software piracy in China: a user analysis of resistance to global software copyright enforcement." Journal of International and Intercultural Communication. 2 (4), pp. 298-317. https://doi.org/10.1080/17513050903177300
Article Title

Internet software piracy in China: a user analysis of resistance to global software copyright enforcement

ERA Journal ID34648
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsLu, Jia (Author) and Weber, Ian (Author)
Journal TitleJournal of International and Intercultural Communication
Journal Citation2 (4), pp. 298-317
Number of Pages19
Year2009
Place of PublicationPhiladelphia, PA. United States
ISSN1751-3057
1751-3065
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/17513050903177300
Web Address (URL)http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t777186829
Abstract

China's entry into the global networked society has raised considerable debate over what is derived from the development and expansion of information and communication
technologies (ICTs). One of the hotly debated issues is Internet copyright piracy, which is critical to the credibility and stability of China's membership to the global networked society. This paper examines Chinese users' online discussion about Internet software piracy as local resistance to global copyright enforcement exercised through globalization processes. The study uses Mittelman and Chin's (2005) framework of Polanyi's (1957)
counter-hegemony and Gramsci's (1971) counter-movements as a heuristic device to conceptualize the resistance points to globalization located within the dominant discourse
on intellectual property rights, specifically Internet software piracy, by Chinese Internet users. Gee's (2002) discourse analysis framework is applied to produce seven recurring themes within online postings: cost, convenience, software companies, foreign developed countries, China's development, Chinese culture, and moral dilemma. The analysis on these dominant themes illustrates the cultural models held by Chinese users towards the issues of Internet software piracy: Internet as a public domain, socialist market economy, patriotism, and Chinese culture. These cultural models represent different types of resistance in Mittelman and Chin's (2005) framework. Meanwhile, these resistance positions are integrated under the notion of Chinese nationalism to constitute a complete set of counter-discourses to global software copyright enforcement.

Keywordsinternet; software piracy; China; globalization; local resistance
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020480603. Intellectual property law
440701. Communications and media policy
461002. Human information behaviour
Public Notes

File reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher/author.

Byline AffiliationsTsinghua University, China
Learning and Teaching Support Unit
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