Quote:
Originally Posted by Phogg
....To exactly the same degree that the yellow pages is promoting the fencing of stolen goods, and the medical practice of unlicensed physicians.
Which has not been refuted in this thread, nor is there sufficient evidence to so so.
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The yellow pages provides phone numbers, addresses, and advertising for legitimate businesses. This isn't even remotely analogous to Rapidshare's facilitation of pirated books.
Rapidshare is far closer in character to the pawn shop. Rapidshare claims they are not providing stolen goods, and instead it was the evil person using their service that did it, and Rapidshare knew nothing about it <wink><wink>. This is just like the pawn shop that says "Honest your honor, I didn't know that stuff was stolen. It is all the fault of the thief who sold it to me."
Pawn shop owners that knowingly sell stolen goods go to jail. To protect themselves they record your ID and the goods you are selling them into their records. Many pawn shops, such as those in Florida, provide this information to the police on a routine basis, and others will certainly provide it if asked. [Edit: If you don't provide an ID they throw you out of the store.] Pawn shops also serve a legitimate purpose. They provide short term loans and quick cash for people who need the money but can't get credit elsewhere. Any pawn shop owner who had a business where 95% of the stuff he sold was stolen would soon find himself in prison.