Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
I agree entirely, Steve. It's the fact that anyone could not consider it wrong to take someone else's property without paying for it that should be our concern. That indicates to me a serious breakdown of basic morality.
|
I think the key there is the idea of "intellectual" property. There are those who have participated in the other piracy discussions who don't see why there should be protections for IP... "If you want to keep it for yourself, don't tell anyone," or comments along that line. In other words, in the case of a book, or any idea, once it's out, it's a free-for-all.
Add to that the idea that "electrons are free," as I said earlier, plus the groupshare culture inspired by YouTube, etc, and you have the current situation.
Personally, I choose to believe that most people do not set out to intentionally hurt others. This is why I think the disconnect is in the (lack of) mutual understanding of the elements involved. For instance:
- What is the sanctity of an idea?
- Is an idea more or less valid, or protected, depending on the media on which it is recorded?
- Are electronic files considered physical things?
- Does the unprecedented ease of manipulation, duplication, transmission, etc, of an electronic file equate with its being "essentially worthless"?
Some of these questions seem to run afoul of cultural dissimilarities that are related to their political background... but not all of them.