Quote:
Originally Posted by DMB
I am a granny (eldest grandchild 23). I also favour intellectual property rights. IMO to say that making an unauthorised digital copy is not stealing is simplistic. I used to be in the software business and know how much money, time and effort had to go into creating products. I don't see why the creators should then be expected to give away the fruits of their investment and labours any more than any other workers. Sometimes the people who are downloading the free copies are capable of paying for them and may be much better off than the producers who are trying to make a living through their work. They're not doing it because they're poor but because they have a sense of entitlement.
Having said that, I'm not sure exactly what constitutes ebook "piracy" (a rather silly term if you think about it). If, say, I buy an ebook in ePub format, strip its DRM and then convert it for reading on my Kindle, is that piracy? I imagine it might be illegal, but if I paid for the book and am not giving away copies of it, I would feel justified.
How about if a book is unavailable in eformat in one country but does not exist in another? If I pay for it, whom am I defrauding?
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Actually, so is Intellectual Property. It's not property, it's a legally granted limited monopoly. But Intellectual Monopoly wouldn't sound nearly as nice...and make people start to ask questions...
"Piracy" is anything that prevents an intermediary from getting the profit off of a potentail sale. (In their minds, any use is a potential sale, it's the "Hollywood buy a ticket, each time you watch mindset".