Quote:
Originally Posted by shalym
Hmm...does it, actually? Is it infringement just to have the item in your possession, or does the infringement occur because of the distribution? If somebody gives me a copy of a book on a thumb drive or dvd, it's in my possession, but I didn't copy it in any way. However, by your definition, I can be liable for a life-crippling fine just because I have it in my possession.
What about people who buy unauthorized copies without realizing that they aren't legitimate? Are they subject to fines? They have the unauthorized copies in their possession, don't they? My point is that you are seeing this in black and white, and it's not a black and white issue.
Shari
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Of course it's not a black and white issue, and I'm not saying that it is. That's why we have "due process", and court cases, to allow those who have a valid defence to have their day in court and present their arguments. I'm certainly not proposing any weakening of anyone's legal rights - simply that those who deliberately download copyrighted material knowing damned well what they are doing should pay a reasonable penalty for their actions. Being fined $100 for downloading $1000 of books is not a reasonable penalty; in fact it's not a penalty at all.