Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Despite your protestations to the contrary, I believe that most people do know the difference between right and wrong, and think that taking things without paying is wrong.
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I can say pretty much everyone I know wouldn't dream of taking any physical item from a shop or someone else's home. I'd be lying if I said the same for digital items. Right and wrong is quite easy for things like shoplifting, there's a clear loss involved, with digital it's much harder for people to see the loss/harm.
It's why those anti-piracy adverts are so laughable. They're trying to equate piracy to stealing and because people won't steal, you won't pirate right? Well, that's fine except a good chunk of people just don't see piracy in the same way as stealing and neither does the law because it isn't the same.
For example "you wouldn't steal a car" is often met by "no I wouldn't, but if I could download the specs of the pirate bay and 3d print it, hell yes" (paraphrased of course
There's still a loss of income to the IP owner as some of those who pirate would have bought it, but as far as many are concerned that pirate, they're not directly depriving the owner of their property, they're just making more. Which is true, still wrong, but true. It's why i think the anti-piracy ads are laughable, annoying, ineffective and potentially doing more harm than good, they're not educating they're annoying legitimate customers and been mocked by pirates.
PS that's how I see other peoples views in general on the matter. Don't take the above to mean I'm pro piracy, I'm not. I just see why many think it's ok.