One quarter of IT professionals admit being software pirates

One in four IT professionals think it is ethical to copy software for their private use, according to a survey released this week by the Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS).

Most of the respondents were from senior IT positions, adding clout to IMIS' claims yesterday that it is the licensing laws, not the software pirates, who are at fault.

Dr Ben Fairweather from De Montfort University, who conducted the research for IMIS, said: "The survey shows that IS professionals believe copying software can be ethical in some circumstances where it is currently not allowed. It is no longer appropriate for large companies to raise lots of money from their copyrights."

The survey found that the most ethical IT professionals were freelancers, aged over 40.

Mary Prior, from the University of Northampton, who presented the IMIS findings, said: "People in the 25 to 40 bracket were more likely to work on a project they didn't agree with, than older people. We think they are more prepared to compromise, because they want to further their careers."

While around half the respondents would refuse to work on a project that they considered to be unethical - most of these were over 50.

IMIS is recommending that organisations set up a compulsory code of conduct for their employees, which covers issues ranging from electronic surveillance to the use of company's intellectual property in subsequent employment.