Counterfeit Software Is Sold in Retail Stores and Online Auctions

question 54

Essay

Counterfeit software is sold in retail stores and online auctions. Often the packaging looks so authentic that buyers have no idea they have purchased illegal goods. Your friend lets you borrow the distribution disks to install Microsoft Word 2007 on your PC. He has a single-user license, and the software is installed on his personal computer. Is your copy legal? Why?

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Definitions:

Authority

The legitimate or socially accepted use of power, often conferred by a position in a hierarchical structure.

Functionalist View

A sociological perspective that interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability and functioning of the whole society.

Conflict Theory

A sociological perspective that views social life as a competition, focusing on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn and internalize the values, beliefs, and norms of their society or social group.