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

Fyron · #1 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 · #2 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 · #3 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 · #4 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 · #5 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 · #6 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

David E. Gervais · #7 November 28th, 2003, 01:13 PM

hmmm, interesting debate going on here..

Does "Software Piracy" = 'stealing'?

Well, if it is then 'technically' speaking "Software Pirates" are only guilty of pety theft, and the law is quite lienient in their punishment of 'Pety Theft'. (Heck, the fine for pety theft is lower than the cost many games in some places, in fact if you can't pay the fine they will give you a place to sleep and feed you a few meals for your crime.

)

"Software Piracy" is IMHO 'Copyright infringement' and involves the illegal use of intillectual property. 'Piracy' not only hurts the person who owns the copyright, but also hurts the game development industry. It also affects the tax dollar and therefore means that the government is also a victim which in turn means that society suffers the burden. Again, IMHO "Software Piracy" is NOT 'Stealing', It's much worse. There is no justification for "Software Piracy" period.

Nuf said, Cheers!