Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Hmmm. Should the law really be based on whether the cost of enforcement exceeds the economic benefit? That strikes me as the wrong way to look at it. Surely the law should exist because it's wrong to download stuff without paying for it, shouldn't it?
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For such a petty crime, the overall economic benefit definitely needs to exceed the enforcement costs. Especially when it negatively impacts other (home-grown) industries.
Laws already existed to enable content creators to prosecute unauthorised downloaders, so shifting the burden of paying for that from the corporations most likely to benefit from a reduction in piracy to ordinary tax payers is just plain wrong. All you are doing is subsidising those corporations at the expense of smaller local businesses. (Like with the Tesco Value Workers.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
So we shouldn't prosecute criminals because, as a result of their crimes, they have more disposable income?  |
It depends on the seriousness of the crime, how much it would cost to enforce it, and how it negatively impacts other people or oganisations. Some are worth prosecuting, some aren't. There needs to be a net benefit for society as a whole, otherwise it's just a waste of money.