Thread: A serious topic
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Old 03-23-2009, 10:51 AM   #35
Elsi
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
That's called "Social DRM", Elsi. I personally see no harm in it, but there are those who assert that it violates their "right to privacy".
If a pirated copy of a book contains information identifying the person who downloaded it, then either:
* The person uploaded it in violation of copyright and license
* The files were stolen from their computer and uploaded

I am one who contends that a crook has no right of privacy for the illegal act. So in the first case, there should be no right of privacy asserted at all. In the second case, the original purchaser is now a victim of a crime. While it would be inappropriate for his identity to be made public, his right to privacy should not trump the right of the rights-holder to pursue and prosecute whomever pirated the files.

As in all aspects of life, it's an issue of balancing the rights of the various "interested parties".
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