OT: Which is better: XP or 2000? > Another Piracy Discussion

JayBdey · #1 November 28th, 2003, 08:05 AM

It's not my definition, it's the US's legal system's definition.

Fyron · #2 November 28th, 2003, 08:08 AM

Regardless of what technical term is used for the crime commited, software piracy is still theft. Wrongfully taking another's intellectual property is stealing it. Copyright infringement is stealing whatever the item is.

JayBdey · #3 November 28th, 2003, 08:09 AM

I guess so. In the same way murder is stealing. I mean, you are taking something from them, their life.

But we don't call it stealing so it isn't.

Fyron · #4 November 28th, 2003, 08:12 AM

No, murder is not stealing in any sense of the word. You do not gain the person's life when you kill him/her.

JayBdey · #5 November 28th, 2003, 08:13 AM

But your taking it from them. If murder isn't stealing then copyright infringement isn't. Anyway, this will have to continue later. I have to be going.

[ November 28, 2003, 06:14: Message edited by: JayBdey ]

Fyron · #6 November 28th, 2003, 08:25 AM

That is a horrible line of logic... copyright infringement is taking their intellectual property from them AND getting it for yourself. That is what stealing is, taking something from someone AND getting it for yourself (even if you give it to someone else...). Murdering someone is (in a gross misuse of the word take) "taking" someone's life, but you do not get their life in the process, just end it. So, it can not even possibly be considered to be any form of stealing.

SpaceBadger · #7 November 28th, 2003, 08:26 AM

Over the years I have been in this same (or very similar) argument many times in many venues. Always those who want to take something intangible that they did not create (software, artwork, fiction, etc) and use it (or redistribute it, or sell it) without paying for it (or beyond the scope of the creator's permission if the creator distributed it for free) want to say that what they are doing is not stealing. Always those who actually create such things take a somewhat different view. Gee, I wonder why?

Spacebadger