Study: Most don't see downloading movies as 'very serious'

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copying is not stealing

Who has never used a VCR?

This is the same discussion, if you've ever recorded something on VHS then you've illegally copied copyrighted material and that is all that these people are doing as well. Does that compare to stealing from a store....give me a break. Have you recorded songs off of the radio onto tape? Same thing. The organizations that are trying to "educate" you into thinking digital copying is stealing are the same organizations that fought the VCR in the US supreme court for the very same reason.

I think that most reasonable people realize that stealing is taking something away from someone else that isn't yours, so they no longer have it. Illegal copying is just that, making another copy that never previously existed. Nothing is being taken away or stolen from anyone. The only argument that can be made is that original owner is possibly being denied money they might have been able to "earn" from you if they could have prevented you from copying and instead sold you a copy they made. The copy is still being made and you are still getting the copy, the only thing that makes you copying it illegal instead of them is a law that they helped pass. There is nothing wrong with the act of copying itself, unlike stealing. That is it. Illegal copying is a far cry different from stealing and I think they lose the message by trying to make it into something much worse then it is.

We've made laws against killing, stealing, violence, etc. because the majority of people see them as wrong and having such laws protects the majority. That is the point of laws, for the greater good.

Despite the TREMENDOUS amount of money being spent by the RIAA and MPAA to "educate" users that copying and sharing is stealing, people still don't feel it is. They also typically do not feel that these highly anti-consumer laws benefit the majority people, only the rich few. These aren't pirates and thieves, but rather children, elderly, your neighbors, everybody.

Remember the concept of IP (Intellectual Property) didn't even exist more then 150 years ago (1845), and there is much controversy as to whether the relatively new concept of IP hurts the general population more then it helps. Many of the original reasons it was put into place, like encouraging innovation, are now the exact thing it hinders. In many ways these twisted laws have the opposite effect of their original intentions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property#Controversy

We do need to encourage artists and media produces, but the laws that support them need to be reformed, fair, and not at the expense of the general public. Support copyright reform.

Just a thought.
Cheers.

Posted by: jjarman   Posted on: 01/26/07 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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