That's very worrying. We have a similar fight here in the UK, the Government has labelled it "extreme porn" and wants to criminalise even possession of the material, even though it's between consenting adults (and evenif simulated) ... see http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/frank_fisher/2006/08/see_no_evil.html and http://www.backlash-uk.org.uk/ .
What is the most harmless "crime"?
- Thread starter CCA
- Start date
By "more similar", you mean "not the same"? People (not me) would argue that you can't consent if someone is underage.
By "closer to harmful", that's a roundabout way to admitting "not harmful"?
This thread is about harm, not rights.
It is harmful to our free market capitalistic system to have someone steal an item that the law recognizes as belonging to somebody else.
Xanikk999
History junkie
Downloading child porn. If you arent making it, you are harming nobody.
If you are paying to download it, then you are funding its production.
That's pretty tenuous, and is basically what you or somebody said earlier and I already responded to. There is nothing about the law that is intrinsic to free market capitalism, and you could make that claim about _any_ law presented - "it causes harm to have someone do something which is against the law".
And if they didn't pay for it? (I presume that is what was meant.)
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
There's no supply without demand.
madviking
north american scum
Downloading music.
It's like one guy buying something giving it to his friends to copy and giving it back and giving it again. Whats the difference with that and just copying it and giving it to people that way? Buying something means you can do any non-commercial thing with it, so hows that 'stealing'?
It's like one guy buying something giving it to his friends to copy and giving it back and giving it again. Whats the difference with that and just copying it and giving it to people that way? Buying something means you can do any non-commercial thing with it, so hows that 'stealing'?
Bamspeedy
CheeseBob
The owner can, but what if you invite me over for a beer and I sneak into your room and tear off the tag of your mattress?
To add to the list of 'harmless crimes' I would have to add:
1. Alternate side parking when there is absolutely no snow on the ground.
2. Not getting your pet licensed with the city (rabies shots, etc. is still important)
Giving a a friend something to copy probably violates intellectual property rights also. So there is no difference
With intellectual property, you are paying for your fair use of that property - which i generally the copy you purchased plus a back-up copy for disaster recovery purposes. You are not purchasing the right to be a mass distributor.
Well here's another one: Copying a CD that you've bought onto your own mp3 player to listen to.
At least, my understanding is that we don't have the concept of "fair use" covering this in the UK (though the Government has suggested it is looking into changing this).
Example for the US: Buying a DVD and then either using software to play it on Linux, or if it's a region-encoded DVD for the wrong region, using software to get round that. Not to mention the source code to a programme which could do either of those.
At least, my understanding is that we don't have the concept of "fair use" covering this in the UK (though the Government has suggested it is looking into changing this).
Example for the US: Buying a DVD and then either using software to play it on Linux, or if it's a region-encoded DVD for the wrong region, using software to get round that. Not to mention the source code to a programme which could do either of those.
I would agree that is harmless. I know of no cases where anyone has been prosecuted or sued for it.
Maimonides
Emperor
I'm so annoyed. I had brilliant comments & responses all typed out & lost the whole thing by accidentally right clicking.
I give up.
LucyDuke, I think you misunderstand me. I do not blame an animal for it's actions. I blame it's owner if they are irresponsible.
I give up.LucyDuke, I think you misunderstand me. I do not blame an animal for it's actions. I blame it's owner if they are irresponsible.
7ronin
海軍少佐
Yes, but in those situations you aren't being charged with the original infraction of say jaywalking, you're being charged under a new and different statute: that of being a scofflaw (or something similar, depending on the jurisdiction) which is a usually a misdemeanor.
In the larger cities of the U.S., it's pretty hard to get arrested for most misdemeanors and almost impossible for infractions. District attorney's don't want to bother because it's mostly a waste of time and they have bigger fish to fry (serious crime). Additionally and generally, a peace officer can arrest someone for a misdemeanor only if the offense was committed in the officer's presence; otherwise he needs a warrant from a judge. That's another reason not a whole lot of attention is paid to misdemeanors.
Disgustipated
Deity
most harmless crime is any crime I committ.
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
I'm so annoyed. I had brilliant comments & responses all typed out & lost the whole thing by accidentally right clicking.
LucyDuke, I think you misunderstand me. I do not blame an animal for it's actions. I blame it's owner if they are irresponsible.
I understand that, the thing that bugged me was that you used the pit bull as the example. To me that's on par with, say, someone talking about how people should be allowed to do X and you say "even if it's a black guy?"
To stay on topic, here's another harmless crime: owning a "pit bull" in a place where they've been banned.
