Discussing the incident with students can help them gain an appreciation for the implications of intellectual property theft. For instance, posting an unauthorized version of a book could mean fewer people buy the book. If sales suffer considerably, some people could lose their jobs. Lost sales of one book could also force publishers to push up the price of other books in order to recover their losses. This would directly affect the students’ ability to buy books in the future. And what if the unauthorized version is just plain wrong? How does that affect readers?

The economic implications of intellectual property theft also can be explored. Teachers can help students understand how royalty payments work. They can emphasize how the purchase price of a book must cover the costs of paper, printing, packaging and shipping, advertising, and the salaries of people who work at the publishing houses—from the highest paid executive down to the lowly copyright intern. Teachers and students can discuss the time and effort involved in writing a book, and how the money the author earns sometimes compensates for months or years without a regular paycheck. All of this can help students better equate the theft of intellectual property with the theft of tangible property, something they know is wrong.