Police raid 13 shops in Lucky Plaza - 13 views

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  #1 Paul Melissa on 24 Aug 09

   

  http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,209251,00.html
  
  1) Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) raided 13 shops in Lucky Plaza and arrested 27 men and one woman, aged between 19 and 55 years old, for offenses relating to copyright and trademark infringements. Over 794 items were seized for investigation. They include intellectual property infringing accessories, desktop computers, laptops, and external hard disks and memory sticks. The items have an estimated street value of $60,000.
  
  2) While the raids took place, neighboring tenants remain tight-lip. When the New Paper approached them, many refuse to comment fearing that those arrested might seek revenge. One tenant reasoned that their silence was due to them being neighbors.
  
  Ethical Issues:
  1) Firstly, it was already unethical for the shops to be transacting and profiting from pirated articles. For how long has this been going on for and why is it only now that they are being caught? Were neighboring tenants aware? Were there being tight-lipped and ignorant? This brings up the issue of social citizen responsibility. Are they equally as accountable for the illegal activities taking place? Being aware of illegal activities but not reporting them can also be said to be unethical. This is equivalent to witnessing a murder and keeping quiet just because the murderer was a neighbor.
  In my opinion, following the deontological approach, neighboring tenants did not perform their duty towards society. They were unethical in not following the golden rule of reporting illegal activities to the police.
  According to the teleological approach, it can be said the the neighboring tenants were egoistic is creating good just for themselves. Nothing was done for the benefit of the whole society (utilitarian ethics).
  
  2) From the customer viewpoint, was it ethical for them to keep these illegal shops in business by purchasing their goods? Is being oblivious to the law a convenient excuse?
  By contributing to the illegal pirate economy, they are not being morally an socially responsible to the community resulting in some communitarian ethical issues.
  
  3) What role do landlords play in ensuring that their tenants do not engage in illegal activities? Do they have a strong role? Or is it left to the moral individual responsibility of the tenants?
  

   

  <div class="cArrow"> </div><div class="cContentInner"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,209251,00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,209251,00.html</a> <br /> <br /> 1) Officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) raided 13 shops in Lucky Plaza and arrested 27 men and one woman, aged between 19 and 55 years old, for offenses relating to copyright and trademark infringements. Over 794 items were seized for investigation. They include intellectual property infringing accessories, desktop computers, laptops, and external hard disks and memory sticks. The items have an estimated street value of $60,000. <br /> <br /> 2) While the raids took place, neighboring tenants remain tight-lip. When the New Paper approached them, many refuse to comment fearing that those arrested might seek revenge. One tenant reasoned that their silence was due to them being neighbors. <br /> <br /> Ethical Issues: <br /> 1) Firstly, it was already unethical for the shops to be transacting and profiting from pirated articles. For how long has this been going on for and why is it only now that they are being caught? Were neighboring tenants aware? Were there being tight-lipped and ignorant? This brings up the issue of social citizen responsibility. Are they equally as accountable for the illegal activities taking place? Being aware of illegal activities but not reporting them can also be said to be unethical. This is equivalent to witnessing a murder and keeping quiet just because the murderer was a neighbor. <br /> In my opinion, following the deontological approach, neighboring tenants did not perform their duty towards society. They were unethical in not following the golden rule of reporting illegal activities to the police. <br /> According to the teleological approach, it can be said the the neighboring tenants were egoistic is creating good just for themselves. Nothing was done for the benefit of the whole society (utilitarian ethics). <br /> <br /> 2) From the customer viewpoint, was it ethical for them to keep these illegal shops in business by purchasing their goods? Is being oblivious to the law a convenient excuse? <br /> By contributing to the illegal pirate economy, they are not being morally an socially responsible to the community resulting in some communitarian ethical issues. <br /> <br /> 3) What role do landlords play in ensuring that their tenants do not engage in illegal activities? Do they have a strong role? Or is it left to the moral individual responsibility of the tenants? <br /> </div>

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