Help Save The Internet

[dniMretsaM]

I'm not knocking you, but I have a problem with this argument. Using property theft as an analogue for intellectual copyright theft is a common argument used by proponents of illegal downloading, but it is, at best, mistaken. All movies, music and books come with a copyright notice stating something to the effect that the media in question cannot be redistributed by any means without prior consent of the publisher. This is because the content is equally if not more valuable to its producers than the physical media it is sold on. This is true of the consumers too. When you buy a CD or download an mp3, you're not after a blank CD or a certain number of megabytes. Therefore, by choosing to download a movie (or even choosing to upload a movie) you are violating the terms by which it is available, and so taking part in an illegal act.

The rebuttal to this is usually something like "but what about second-hand sales? Lol, am i a criminal if I give a CD to a friend?" In this case, while the record, film and publishing industries might have wanted to go after such exchanges in the past, they have long since accepted that it has some advantages; it spreads awareness of products, for example, and may produce more purchasers for sequels or new works from the same creators.

However, illegal file sharing is a problem of a whole different magnitude. At least with the second-hand trade, the stuff being sold was originally bought at full price. With torrents, one bought product could be distributed again to a potentially endless number of downloaders, the only real limit being how many people are aware of its existence and the bandwidth of the site it is hosted on. This is why the industries involved have pursued online copyright theft so aggressively.

Don't take me for some sort of industry cheerleader; for the past decade or so, the industries concerned have made a number of crucial mistakes that may mean the situation is unrecoverable for them, even if this bill goes through. However, I think it's instructive to look at it from both sides. Some people justify their illegal downloading by pointing to the conduct of the industries without seeing that they are acting as bad or even worse as the people they are complaining about. And you know who is getting caught in the middle? The people who actually produce the things people enjoy.

This entire post is based on the assumption that illegal downloading is the biggest problem since the holocaust. Although I do agree that second hand sales are mostly different.

[dniMretsaM]

In the United States...

It is legal to make a mix tape with various songs, and give it away to a friend or family member.
It is legal to buy a CD/DVD, and then give it away later whether friend, family or stranger.
It is legal to play music at a house party you are having.
It is legal to have friends or a family over to watch a movie.
It is legal to let your friend or family member borrow a music CD, a game or movie (VHS, DVD, Bluray).

But should someone download a single song off the internet, that person gets fined for millions of dollars and most likely ends up doing time in prison for X years.

And even with millions and millions of people pirating music, movies/TV and games every single minute of every single day...the corporations and artists still pull massive revenues, they still live in mansions, they still drive their $500,000 luxury cars and they are richer than any average person in the US could ever hope to achieve in multiple lifetimes.

Sadly, this is very true. Although you can only go to prison for distributing, not just downloading.

[matt_symes]

Yes you did. You said "anything else is theft." (unless I'm misunderstanding you, which is entirely possible) And how big of a problem is it really? Again, read Free Culture. Specifically this section relates to my point.

Taken slight out of context..

I am all for people paying for what they use if what they use requires a tariff. Anything else is theft. There is no way around this.

But i can understand how what i said may be misconstrued.

Until theft of copyrighted material stops then the companies will try to stop any copying of media and using any means possible.

That's just the way is it.

Like i said, i don't like the proposed law but i can understand any person, company, government wanting to protect something they spent time and money creating. My main concern is extensions and amendments to the law over time.

As the Internet is the main distribution channel for this, it is this they are targeting, ostensibly to protect their investment.

I'm not saying it's right, however that is the reality of it.

[ubupirate]

Sadly, this is very true. Although you can only go to prison for distributing, not just downloading.

I believe it was a few years ago, I read that an 18 year old female was facing prison time and a multi-million dollar lawsuit for 5 songs she downloaded off the internet when she was 13 or so.

[Larkspur]

This entire post is based on the assumption that illegal downloading is the biggest problem since the holocaust. Although I do agree that second hand sales are mostly different.

Oh, did I have to list all the problems I thought were greater than illegal downloading before I could talk about it? I thought my post was long enough as it is.

Yes, there are many greater problems than that. In fact, there are even some greater problems than google having to restructure their sites and hire more people.

[dniMretsaM]

I believe it was a few years ago, I read that an 18 year old female was facing prison time and a multi-million dollar lawsuit for 5 songs she downloaded off the internet when she was 13 or so.

BitTorrent (which is probably what she used) uploads (distributes) the content while downloading. So it's just kind of a technicality. However, the law could have changed, but I don't think so (I've been wrong before though). But either way, it's still ridiculous. The RIAA can go die in a hole for all I care.

[dniMretsaM]

Oh, did I have to list all the problems I thought were greater than illegal downloading before I could talk about it? I thought my post was long enough as it is.

Yes, there are many greater problems than that. In fact, there are even some greater problems than google having to restructure their sites and hire more people.

No. You simply should realize that "piracy" isn't that huge of a deal. See the link I posted a few posts before yours.

[prodigy_]

Still thinking that the US is a democracy? Think again. ;)

P.S. Sorry for bringing politics into a political thread.

[dniMretsaM]

Still thinking that the US is a democracy? Think again.

P.S. Sorry for bringing politics into a political thread.

It's funny because tools that pro-democracy groups use in places like China and Iran (such as TOR) will be blocked in the USA.

[KiwiNZ]

This thread has drifted into general Politics.

"Politics and Religion: These two topics have caused serious problems in the past and are now forbidden topics in the forums. Please find another venue to exercise your freedom of speech on these topics."

Thread closed