Tibby Made Me a Cool Present!

[Autumnlicious]

It's still stealing. Also, I never suggested that I haven't downloaded stuff without paying for it, so I'm not sure where you got that idea. However, just because I may have downloaded something without paying for it, does not mean that it is somehow not stealing.

Indeed it is a form of theft. However, despite the myriad unsubstantiated claims of damage from the music, film industry, there is little evidence to assert their claims to be true.

That said, unless the laws are updated to contain different interpretations/definitions, currently downloading content without having paid for it is theft.

However, the issues of intellectual property go deeper than that, like situations where one friend lets another use their content. That context, while generally held to be allowed, is very similar (and some argue legalistically indeterminate from the file sharing case). This makes very convoluted case law, which is very expensive.

It is no surprise then that those who have the most cash can continue to fight up to the bitter end (or victory).

If you download something without paying for it, you are stealing.

Wrong. Absolutely wrong.

You fail to account for all the free files on the internet.

But really, if you can afford whatever you're stealing, buy it. And if you want to make a difference, buy from local merchants and support your local economy.

Also, I don't download songs illegally; I pay Spotify a small monthly fee and get as many songs as I want.

I use Spotify and pay for it -- it fits my niche appropriately and does not hold me hostage to simply selling the lowest common denominator. That is a service worth paying for. And many people agree.

However, I do not begrudge someone with an internet connection and a barely filled wallet. In these cases, buying something like Photoshop is ruinous and onerous; expecting them to get by on GIMP is patently ridiculous (that's like being expected to code an iOS specific app while only being allowed a Windows box and the Android-equivalent IDE -- it can only be done by experts, not newbs).

Illegal downloading has it's place -- allowing people who'd previously be ruined, harmed financially can experience products and services the working world takes for granted.

Now, true, you may be upset that some broke sonuvabitch is getting something for nothing....

To that -- tough shit. Come up with a solution to make them a productive, self-sufficient member of society (on their own terms) and you'll have a paying customer.

Of course, there will always be ardent pirates. It's a fact of life.