How Serious is it to Violate Copyright?

[mdgspencer]

When someone creates something like music or a book, the law recognizes that it is owned by the creator. By his sweat and ingenuity he has the right to have some recompense, if he wants, when someone else puts it to use. Similarly, the law recognizes that we own our car. Someone we don’t know can’t come along and use our car when we aren’t looking.
The copyright law has some leeway and I doubt that someone recording a game to see later when they are busy is a violation of the copyright law. However, I think that violation of someone’s right to ownership of what he has created is a form of theft. I don’t think that as a rule it is a serious sin, but it is a small sin, though the culpability of this act may be absent if the person involved hasn’t given proper consideration of what he is doing.

 

[down_under]

And your point is?

okay maybe I was unclear. the system is so convoluted you cannot know what is legal and what is not. basically the powers that be tell you what is legal and that changes with the weather. so if you are going to stress over this you never going to get to the bottom of it.

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

If you do any thing knowing it is wrong and still do it with the excuse everyone else is doing it, what is what? If you go to my website and steal my pictures just because “everybody” else does it excuse YOU? Sin is personal. Stealing is stealing. It is one of those 10 commandments, remember?

 

[Cristiano]

okay maybe I was unclear. the system is so convoluted you cannot know what is legal and what is not. basically the powers that be tell you what is legal and that changes with the weather. so if you are going to stress over this you never going to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks now I understand what you meant.

 

[jmcrae]

If you do any thing knowing it is wrong and still do it with the excuse everyone else is doing it, what is what? If you go to my website and steal my pictures just because “everybody” else does it excuse YOU? Sin is personal. Stealing is stealing. It is one of those 10 commandments, remember?

I think the bottom line is, if you’re not sure whether you’re allowed to use something for a particular purpose, get in touch with the owner and ask. The worst they can do is say “No.”

 

[RachelsAlumni]

I am an artist and I would be harmed if someone were to copy my art even if they only copied it for their own personal use. It would then add insult to injury if they were to copy my work and then sell it for profit, basically doubling the injury. Not only did they steal from me by copying my art without compensating me for my time & talent, but they are now stealing from me by sharing my art and causing others not to compensate me. So the injury compounds itself. What might initially be seen as a minor offense (monetarily) when multiplied exponentially becomes a very grave offense.

The Bible says “Thou Shalt Not Steal”. If someone takes and copies my art without my expressed permission then they are stealing from me.