Cybernorms group

Cybernorms began officially on March 1, 2009 as research project and the department of sociology of law, and was started by Dr Måns Svensson, Stefan Larsson, and Professor Håkan Hydén and is administrated the Sociology of Law department at the University of Lund.^[1] The group researches how real-world norms interact with laws concerning file-sharing.^[2] The group is currently led by head researcher Måns Svensson.^[3] The group is exploring the rift between traditional society’s rules and the social norms that are generated from today's internet culture.^[4] The group also maintains the blog Cybernormer, launched in March 2009, is to create a venue for knowledge and discussions around how Internet creates new norms in society. Social norms that spontanily grow within different net cultures, but also norms in the shape of legislation aiming to regulate and control activities on the internet. The blog covers the groups research within this field. Occasionally guests are invited to write on the blog.

Research

Surveys

In 2009, the group's first survey findings research findings were published in a paper Social Norms and Intellectual Property. ^[5][6] The researchers came to the conclusion that there are "no social norms that hinder illegal file sharing. The surrounding imposes no moral or normative obstruction for the respondents file sharing of copyrighted content."^[7]

The group conducted a second survey, a comparison to the first survey, and an analysis of the effects of the implementation of the IPR enforcement directive in Swedish law, generally called ”the IPRED-law” is under preparation in an article on April 14, 2010. Preliminary results were released on the blog, and statements were made to national press when the IPRED law celebrated its first year in force.^[8]

Collaboration with Pirate Bay

On April 18, 2011, the torrent site Pirate Bay renamed itself to "Research Bay," a display of their collaboration with the Cybernorms group. The Pirate Bay is encouraging its users to take a sociological survey about file-sharing related issues. Private information will not be released.^[9] The survey, powered by Questback inquired participants about what media they are most likely to share, what sources they use to download besides The Pirate Bay, about uploading practices to P2P networks and how much they use free streaming media services to watch TV, films and listen to music.^[8] The survey itself had Understanding online norms and values is essential to developing relevant and effective laws and policies. The purpose of this survey is to help researchers to better understand habits and norms within the file-sharing community." ^[10]

Publicity

The Research group made the news in March 2009 it found that millions of file-sharers hid their identities online. It's research showed that 10 percent of all Swedes between the age 15 and 25 were taking measures to protect themselves against the increasing online surveillance.^[11] They also made news in their collaborative survey with Pirate Bay. The Pirate Bay has been a partner from the start but that this is the first time the site’s users are being asked to participate.^[12]

Funding

The project receives funding from KK-stiftelsen from May 1, 2009, until April 2013. The four-year-project focuses on an array of topics, including illegal file sharing and its applicable legal norms, to online pictures usage, and gaming for monetary reasons, likely focusing online poker and its normative structures (and issues). ^[13]

References

1. ^ "Cybernorms research explained". http://cybernormer.se/2010/04/14/cybernorms-%E2%80%93-processes-of-norm-creation-in-young-web-cultures/. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
2. ^ Anderson, Nate. "Pirate Bay becomes "Research Bay" to aid P2P researchers". Ars Technica. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/pirate-bay-becomes-research-bay-to-aid-p2p-researchers.ars. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
3. ^ "The Pirate Bay Joins Academic Cybernorms Research Group". TorrentFreak. http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-joins-academic-cybernorms-research-group-110418/. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
4. ^ "About Cybernorms". Cybernorms Group. http://cybernormer.se/about/. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
5. ^ "Research Explained". Cybernorms Group. http://cybernormer.se/2010/04/14/cybernorms-%E2%80%93-processes-of-norm-creation-in-young-web-cultures/. 
6. ^ "Research Paper". http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func=downloadFile&recordOId=1510388&fileOId=1515776. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
7. ^ "Social Norms and Intellectual Property". http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/04/pirate-bay-becomes-research-bay-to-aid-p2p-researchers.ars. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "Survey Explained". http://cybernormer.se/2010/04/14/cybernorms-%E2%80%93-processes-of-norm-creation-in-young-web-cultures/. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
9. ^ "Cybernorms Survey". Cybernorms. http://www.easyresearch.se/s.asp?WID=810542&Pwd=54772895&key=86158,05. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
10. ^ "Survey Page". http://www.easyresearch.se/s.asp?WID=810542&Pwd=54772895&key=86158,05%7C. Retrieved 20 April 2011. 
11. ^ "Millions of File-Sharers Hide their Identities Online". Torrent Freak. http://torrentfreak.com/millions-of-file-sharers-hide-their-identities-online-091103/. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
12. ^ "Pirate Bay joins forces with Cybernorms Research Group". Torrent Freak. http://torrentfreak.com/the-pirate-bay-joins-academic-cybernorms-research-group-110418/. Retrieved 19 April 2011. 
13. ^ "Processes of Norm Creation in young cultures". http://cybernormer.se/2010/04/14/cybernorms-%E2%80%93-processes-of-norm-creation-in-young-web-cultures/. Retrieved 26 April 2011. 

External links

• Cybernorms Blog
• Survey Page in collaboration with "Research Bay"