DIGITAL PIRACY AND CULTURAL DEMOCRATIZATION

This paper analyzes digital piracy as a contemporary phenomenon that, despite being legally illicit, plays an ambiguous role while challenging copyright and contributing to the democratization of cultural access in contexts of social inequality. The problem investigated is to understand how digital piracy interferes in the democratization of access to culture by low-income people. The main objective is to identify the social, economic and educational impacts of this practice, considering both its negative effects, such as the damage to the cultural industry, and the positive ones, especially the inclusion of marginalized groups in cultural and educational spaces. The present study is characterized by being an integrative review of the literature (Souza, Silva and Carvalho, 2010). This type of study consists of the broadest methodological approach regarding reviews because it allows the inclusion of experimental and non-experimental studies for the complete understanding of a given phenomenon of interest. The relevance of the research lies in demystifying the view of piracy only as a criminal practice, also recognizing it as a reflection of the structural barriers to access to culture in Brazil, which gives originality to the study. It is concluded that public policies that reconcile the protection of copyright with the social function of culture are essential to face the problem in a balanced way, avoiding the criminalization of low-income consumers and expanding legitimate access to culture.