We'll just have to agree to disagree on that.
It is theft and needs to be defined as such as we move further and further into an electronic world where many physical products are replaced entirely by digital ones.
And I'll do what I can in my capacity as a criminologist and a person who regularly writes my elected officials to see that it's defined as such. And to see that the bulk of government actions are focused on educating that it is theft, is a crime etc., and that penalties aren't absurdly disproportionate to the crime like so many are in our CJ system, or in our civil system with the absurd awards given to record labels etc.
It's a minor offense, and should be treated as such. But it's still theft in nature, and should be defined as a minor misdemeanor crime.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ben Thornton
They're making unauthorised copies, which is wrong in my view - but it's not legally stealing, and for good reason.
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But on that, I can't just disagree as that's flatly wrong.
You CANNOT make a copy--legally or illegally--of something you don't already have a copy of. If you download something you do not own, you are not making a copy.
The person that put the file online illegally made a copy. You did not. You obtained something without paying for it, which is theft in my book.