Quote:
Originally Posted by Iphinome
scveteran I believe the argument is nothing was taken because the person claiming theft hasn't lost any property. If I take a photo of your car you still have the car, if i build an identical car you still have your car, if I have a magical matter duplicator that copies your car all the way down to every single atom get into the newly made car and drive off you still have your car. I wouldn't have even violated any patents since what I build for my own personal use that never passes to anyone else won't apply. But I would have committed copyright infringement when i made an atom for atom copy of the owner's manual in your glove box. But you yourself lost nothing, not stealing, copying which is not a crime it is a civil matter.
I see a lot of this in these threads, whatever you think of unauthorized copies on a moral level making one is a civil matter.
Repeat after me, civil not criminal, civil not criminal, civil not criminal.
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You really need to read some more and educate yourself on the subject. Many times the cases are handled in civil courts. This is because the owner of the copyright doesn't really benefit from you going to jail. However, the act is illegal and does carry criminal penalties.
The maximum penality for a first time offense is a fine of $500,000 dollars and 5 years imprisonment.
If you can go to jail for it, it certainly is a criminal matter and not just civil.
I will say again, most of the time, this can and will be handled in the civil courts. That does not mean that it is not a crime and that you can't go to jail for it.