Software firms want copyright law rewrite

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Devil's advocate response...

I believe that the response to your statement;

To those who justify downloading software with "well, I wouldn't have bought it anyway", I would ask if that attitude justifies shoplifting a chocolate bar.

would be that, like most analogies, this one can only be carried so far. Software has at least one essential difference: it is not a discrete, zero-sum prduct; that is, if you illegally install software, it is not at all a certainty that you are depriving the seller of anything. In the case of software that one would not have purchased, you are certainly not depriving them of anything. In the case of the stolen chocolate bar, the seller is deprived of the bar. The fact that you have it means that they do not, and it means that they cannot sell it. They are deprived of the product in question. In the case of software, that is not true. If I pirate a copy of Photoshop, Adobe is not deprived of their copy of it, nor are they deprived of their ability to sell it.

Of course, in the case of a person who steals software they would have bought, the company is deprived of potential profit. In the case of a person who steals what they would not have bought, there is not potential profit, and so the company is deprived of nothing.

Honestly, my personal opinion on this whole mess is largely unformed. I believe that there are flawed arguments on both sides, but that there are also valid concerns. I tend to distrust those that automatically start shouting about a bribed, bought government or the filthy thieves of software. I look forward to reading the arguments and legal proposals.

Posted by: Martin Marvinski   Posted on: 01/07/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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