ABSTRACT
One of the most common forms of cybercrime is the downloading of digital media, such as music, movies, and software, over the Internet, which is known as digital piracy. Digital piracy may be the most commonly committed form of cybercrime, with estimates suggesting that up to 86 percent of college students commit piracy at some point in their lives. The greatest contribution that criminologists have made and will continue to make to the study of digital piracy is the application of its theories and understanding of how humans interact with their environment. The chapter focuses on the criminological theories meant to explain individual-level behavior, including deterrence, the general theory of crime, social learning theory, and techniques of neutralization. It concludes with suggestions on how to move the field forward, including collecting samples of non-college aged adults, studying piracy through a life-course perspective, modifying criminological theories, and evaluating policies and legislation that can decrease digital piracy.
