Quote:
Originally Posted by stonetools
This oft-repeated argument is really complete nonsense. Lets substitute another item to see if the logic works.
" If I steal a diamond ring from a jeweler that I would never have purchased, how have I harmed the jeweler? If I enjoyed the work and tell others about it, who subsequently buy, have I benefited the jeweler? " Well, of course you haven't .
Just because products are "digital" on and the Internet doesn't mean that thje prperty laws and thje laws of economics cease to operate.
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That comparison is irrelevant. There's a reason why, legally, copyright does not equal theft; downloading a file does not deprive the owner of the file. A more apt comparison would be you have a car parked on the road and I walk by, make an exact duplicate of the car and then drive the duplicate away.
Theft is legally distinct from copyright infringement and it's intellectually dishonest (and non-productive) to equate the two.