Video piracy is a global criminal activity that has branched out from digital piracy of copyrighted software, music, and videos. It involves the illegal recording and distribution of movies, and has resulted in estimated losses of $18 billion for the movie industry annually. There are two main types: bootlegging through recording movies in theaters, and illegal copying from DVDs or other sources. While many measures have been taken to stop piracy through legislation and lawsuits, it remains difficult to control due to ongoing battles between the industry and consumers over copyright laws. Social learning theory has been used to explain why people engage in piracy through observing and imitating the behavior of others.

1. Video Piracy
• Global crime
• Branches out from digital piracy which is
defined as “the illegal copying and/or
downloading of copyrighted software (such as
Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and
other copyrighted programs), music, video, or
other digital material (MP3s, Hollywood
movies, and digital audio books among
others) (Al-Rafee & Cronan, p.249)”.

2. Video Piracy
• Ponte (2008) explains that “in recent years,
the movie industry seems to be producing yet
another disaster film-Global Movie Piracy,
starring menacing theater cammers, devious
downloaders, and corrupt optical disc
manufacturers (p.331-32)”.
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPA)
has estimated losses of about $18 billion
dollars (Ponte, 2008).

3. Bootleggers vs. Illegal Copying
• Bootleggers are those who record live movies
in an actual theatre which may or may not
include the assistance of a cinema employee
and later sending it to 2nd and/or 3rd party that
will reproduce onto a disc and distribute it to
various points (Ponte, 2008).
• Illegal copying consists of copying movies
straight from a DVD, VHS, and/or video CD
(Ponte, 2008).

4. Video Piracy
• Being that video piracy has become a lucrative
business, numerous measures have been
taken into account to stop the illegal
production and distribution of movies from
legislative action to law suits yet the constant
battles between the movie industry and
honest consumers make it difficult to establish
laws against this cybercrime.

5. Social Learning Theory & Video Piracy
• Akers’ social learning theory is used to explain the
reasons why people commit crimes such as video
piracy.
• The basic argument presented here is the fact
that in order for video piracy and other
cybercrimes to occur, people have to learn how
to use a computer (Morris, 2012).
• The process of learning according to Akers (Akers
et al., 1979), includes the process of observing,
imitating, modeling, and having the behavior
reinforced. From this point on, behaviors will
continue to occur depending on the positive or
negative reinforcements they may have.

6. References
• Akers, R.L., Krohn, M.D., Lanza-Kaduce, L., &
Radosevich, M. (1979). Social learning and deviant
behavior: A specific test of a general theory. American
Sociological Review, 44(4), 636-655.
• Al-Rafee, S., Cronan, T.P.(2006). Digital piracy: Factors
that influence attitude toward behavior. Journal of
Business Ethics, 63, 237-259.
• Ponte, L.M. (2008). Coming attractions: Opportunities
and challenges in thwarting global movie piracy.
American Business Law Journal, 45(2), 331-369.