Quote:
Originally Posted by tompe
Why is it not reasonable?
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Because of what happens when you turn the issue around from the point of the consumer.
As others have pointed out, copyright infringement is not generally a criminal offense. So for practical purposes, the cost of the illegal behavior is exactly the payment of the fines specified by law.
If I park on the street and and don't pay the meter, I may get a ticket. The cost to me only extends to paying the fine, and then I can go on my merry way, from a legal perspective. I knew someone who never paid meters, and every month he would write a check for $100 or so to pay the fines. And he happily did so, knowing that he was saving about 25% on his meter fees.
So, now, as a consumer, suppose I buy two books a week at Amazon.com for $15 each (about $1500/year). Or I can torrent them for free, and risk a fine of (say) 25% of the MSRP.
From a financial standpoint, why would I ever choose to pay for books again? If I don't get caught, they are free. If I do get caught,
it's still cheaper. And since it isn't a criminal offense, payment of the fine puts me right in the eyes of the law.
The
only reason not to is "copyright infringement is wrong/illegal". And for people who are willing to infringe copyright to start with, that argument has zero weight.