Piracy...your take?

[Eilonnwy]

If my friend plays a CD for me to show me a hot new song, is that stealing?

Nope.

If my friend just clues me into that song and I download it, is that stealing?

Yes.

If I buy a used CD with that song on it, is that stealing?

Nope, the same way you can buy a vase and then sell it in a garage sale. When you purchase an item you buy the rights to use that item within a specific purview and that includes giving it to someone else or reselling it as used. However, ripping it and putting it out there for people to take for free violates terms of use and copyright laws, for good reason because it cuts into someone's profits.

As far as the record company and the artist are concerned, those three actions are the same. The laws are fucked up, the copyright supporters' motives are fucked up, and if it were up to them you'd pay every time you listen to a song.

No they're not the same, and I have yet to hear any record company claim hearing a song is stealing. That's ridiculous. Artists don't want to make you pay for every time you hear their songs, they just want to make a living. While I may agree that record companies don't have the best practices, they still have a right to make money on the product they are selling. It's tricky, I know, because unlike a vase, technology exists to make duplications and then things get sketchy. However I think the current laws are reasonable.

I think the laws, in general, are reasonable. Sorry they don't let you have anything you want for free, but if you were on the other side of the coin you would appreciate how these laws protect artists of all types. People have the right to produce something and sell it, this how people make a living regardless of whether they are rich, or merely get by month to month.

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I think the bottom line to this whole issue of piracy is this:

There is no stopping it. Illegal downloading of music, software and movies are ongoing every day, every minute, every second. You can be as "anti-piracy" as you want but its not gonna change the situation. You'd be doing the right thing and you'd have good conscience as well, no doubt about it, but it is not even going to make a dent. While you stand firm in your righteous actions, people are still enjoying the latest music albums and movies at no cost. lol

It's definitely good to support the cause for helping musicians and the likes, but I just think this is an issue that isn't going to ever end.

So claiming there's no stopping it makes it okay? I don't think so. Saying there's no stopping murder because people do it every day and people often get away with it, doesn't make it any less wrong.

You are justified in doing what you can to mitigate the instances, preventing murder whenever possible as well as preventing piracy. Your argument is a perfect solution fallacy. Just because people are still going to steal, does not make it right or legal and if you get caught, you should pay the consequences.