Quote:
Originally Posted by Nate the great
In copying a file I've "taken" nothing. The person who has the rights to the file (its owner) still has it. I may have violated his copyright, but so long as he has the original nothing has been "taken" becuase he still has it.
There is also a flaw in your statement. Making a copy does not steal the intellectual property. The IP is not each individual copy, it is a government granted monopoly on copying and distribution. I cannot steal the IP by making a copy; I can only steal it by using some underhanded manner to get myself registered as the owner of the copyright.
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It is very simple --- if the file is not copied without consent, then the original file is worth a lot of money, because the author can sell it. If you distribute the file the original becomes worthless. You stole the value of that original file, not the file itself. Your actions made the file worthless.
Just like pouring poison into someone's drink. Oh no, you still have that drink, I didn't do anything!