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Dirty pirate scum: 0, Righteous pirate fighters: 1

Hygro said:
The MPAA and the RIAA are parasites.
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Sums it up.
The whole anti-piracy frenzy is 95 % about brainwashing people into believing that everything can and should be copyrighted and that they should pay for everything in life so majors can fill their pocket, and 5 % about actually protecting people who needs it.

The simple fact that US copyrigh law makes it possible for an author to have his rights to his creation bought makes the entire concept a farce.

And more importantly, much more importantly than simple piracy, the creeping ability and attempt of big companies to monetize all possible informations on the Internet should ring all sort of alarm. Someone who want to control what information you have access to... well, it's about "control", clearly not righteousness.
 
Camikaze said:
Moderator Action: Thread reopened. Discussions about the topic of piracy can take place, but saying positive things about piracy (and thus promoting or advocating it) is contrary to the forum rules, so avoid doing that please.
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But talking about Hitler in a positive light is okay? Not disputing anything, just wondering? Disclaimer: I in no way endorse piracy of the Kim Dotcom or Captain Kidd types.

Moderator Action: As stated on the previous page, if you seek clarification on a moderator action, do so via PM.
Please read the forum rules: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=422889
 
It's a liability issue, not a morality one. But it kinda defeats the point of being able to talk about piracy if we can't be honest with our political view on the topic.
 
I don't know what makes this such a contentious issue.

I suppose it may be because this is a gaming site. And the gaming industry has suffered from piracy in the past.

I've always* paid for stuff in the past. If I couldn't afford it I wouldn't bother trying to steal it. Just do without it.

*Well, mostly. I did make off with one or two pens and pencils from work, at one stage. Oh, and I've a lever arch file that I stole from work about 15 years ago still sitting on my shelf looking at me now. But downloading copyrighted things from the internet never really appealed.

Still... now it comes to it, I realize I could easily say something on this very subject that would contravene any close observation of the forum rules.
 
But that's contrary to the "I deserve it and deserve it for free and deserve it now" generation. The internet has basically created a couple of generations now of people who think they should get whatever they want when they want it because hey, it's all about me.
 
Piracy is a form of theft. It is as simple as that.
 
Well, it isn't that simple at all.

What is it that they're stealing?

And I ask to be informed. This in no way constitutes an endorsement of piracy.

edit: it's not the same as stealing an apple is it? when the thief deprives someone else of an apple. Piracy is like stealing the idea of an apple from someone. They've still got the idea.
 
Intellectual property is still property. Using it without the owner's specific permission is theft.

FBI: Intellectual Property Theft

It’s an age-old crime: stealing.

But it’s not about picking a pocket or holding up a bank. It’s robbing people of their ideas, inventions, and creative expressions—what’s called intellectual property—everything from trade secrets and proprietary products and parts to movies and music and software.

It’s a growing threat—especially with the rise of digital technologies and Internet file sharing networks. And much of the theft takes place overseas, where laws are often lax and enforcement more difficult. All told, intellectual property theft costs U.S. businesses billions of dollars a year and robs the nation of jobs and lost tax revenues.

Preventing intellectual property theft is a priority of the FBI’s criminal investigative program. We specifically focus on the theft of trade secrets and infringements on products that can impact consumers’ health and safety, such as counterfeit aircraft, car, and electronic parts. Key to our success is linking the considerable resources and efforts of the private sector with law enforcement partners on local, state, federal, and international levels.
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So yes, it is as simple as that.
 
Stealing is certainly an age-old problem.

But intellectual property theft isn't. Copyright law didn't begin until the C17th, iirc.

And what, exactly, is being stolen?

edit: I'm not asking to be difficult. You see, stealing is (or can be) defined as the intention to deliberately deprive someone of something. Who is being deprived, and of what, by piracy?

I can only, so far, make rather vague attempts at an answer. The potential to charge paying customers for something? But then, as has been remarked in this thread already, those liable to download pirated stuff aren't going to be paying for it instead, or are they? I suppose a few might.
 
Like rounded corners are property? Or music is property? Or is that reproduction of property? What do you expend in making that reproduction? Just electricity? And you charge how much for that? And did you pay for the duplicating method to the owners of that intellectual property? Silly? I agree completely.
 
VRWCAgent said:
But that's contrary to the "I deserve it and deserve it for free and deserve it now" generation. The internet has basically created a couple of generations now of people who think they should get whatever they want when they want it because hey, it's all about me.
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I'm still waiting on that Scarlett Johansson I wanted ten years ago.

Piracy is more complicated than the theft of intellectual property. Take abandonware, extended copyright, and other issues I'm not informed enough to comment about, for instance. Still, not a fan overall. It does help fight global warming though.
 
VRWCAgent said:
But that's contrary to the "I deserve it and deserve it for free and deserve it now" generation. The internet has basically created a couple of generations now of people who think they should get whatever they want when they want it because hey, it's all about me.
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No reason to punish young people for what you couldn't have.

We're destined for a post-scarcity society. (Or the collapse of civilization.)

Formaldehyde said:
Intellectual property is still property. Using it without the owner's specific permission is theft.
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Big media and the American government doesn't have the moral authority to define ownership to the rest of the world, as evidenced by "Happy Birthday to You".

I can lay claim to own lots of stuff, but it doesn't make it so.
 
Borachio said:
And what, exactly, is being stolen?
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Piracy robs a person of the right to profit from their creative work, the right to determine a price for their work, and the right to display their work in the manner in which they determine.



Zelig said:
No reason to punish young people for what you couldn't have.
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No reason not to punish people for illegal activity, either.
 
BvBPL said:
Piracy robs a person of the right to profit from their creative work, the right to determine a price for their work, and the right to display their work in the manner in which they determine.
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Those aren't rights, and even if they were, they're hardly relevant to Disney and Tolkien.

BvBPL said:
No reason not to punish people for illegal activity, either.
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It's
a) often not illegal, depending on details and jurisdiction.
b) generally illegal (in those circumstances where it is illegal) because of lobbying and conflicts of interest.
 
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