The use of obscene, racist or sexist language, for example, clearly violates the ethical standards of the UCSD community, and is as inappropriate for computer-mediated communications as for other forms of University discourse. Intellectual Property Rights - Obeying Copyright Laws Software piracy is indistinguishable from shoplifting or theft. It is against the law to copy software that is protected by copyright, licenses and other contractual agreements, and which has not been placed in the public domain or distributed as freeware. Software piracy, copying a protected software product, injures all of us. It reduces the incentives for the software industry to invest in new software projects, it substantially reduces the willingness of vendors to support computing at UCSD through donations, attractive discount programs, and the like.
Software piracy is morally wrong.
That the theft takes place behind a computer screen makes the thief no less morally culpable. Responsible computing demands that one is sensitive to the needs of all who seek to use UCSD's resources, and that one limit one's use of computing resources to performing only the most essential academic tasks during periods of peak demand. Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgment, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner and terms of publication and distribution.