Amen!!. As an author myself, stealing my work deprives me of the funds necessary to pay the editors, printers, website, website support, shipping and handling costs, taxes, business license costs, and a host of other costs. Not to mention the other authors who I will purchase freelance work from. The disclaimer on commercially available DVDs states that copyright infringement is a federal offense. Up to five years and $250,000.00. Your friend better watch out that he/she doesn’t get a visit from the FBI. I know if the damage were great enough, I’d be on the horn to the Feds. And if the work he/she is stealing is from a larger publishing house, bet the ranch a visit from Seeley Booth will be in the works.
To the OP. As a poster above said, it is theft - stealing. I think there is a commandment? in that regard. If he steals the works and it is worth say $500.00, I think that is stealing. Knowing that and thoughtfully and willfully choosing to do it,might get his/her in trouble with someone bigger than the FBI.
I’m in the book business. I’m in the middle of all that. It’s sad to see our work on a pirate site. We send takedown notices regularly. But on a physical medium you can pass out to people? We have the right of control over how our IPs are distributed.Amen!!. As an author myself, stealing my work deprives me of the funds necessary to pay the editors, printers, website, website support, shipping and handling costs, taxes, business license costs, and a host of other costs. Not to mention the other authors who I will purchase freelance work from. The disclaimer on commercially available DVDs states that copyright infringement is a federal offense. Up to five years and $250,000.00. Your friend better watch out that he/she doesn’t get a visit from the FBI. I know if the damage were great enough, I’d be on the horn to the Feds. And if the work he/she is stealing is from a larger publishing house, bet the ranch a visit from Seeley Booth will be in the works.
Just sayin ! (P.S. Seeley Booth is a fictional FBI agent on a popular TV show) - just in case you didn’t get the cultural reference
I feel your pain!. Don’t want to hijack the thread, but unless the law is enforced, why bother to write,and the loss of talented authors will slow to a trickle if not dry up completely. Publishing a book (even if self-published) is an expensive process. But I don’t have to tell you that.
It’s stealing. It’s a sin.
Not necessarily. What about newlyweds who give out mix CD’s for souvenirs at wedding receptions? Those are duplicated 100x a pop in some cases, per wedding, per day. Are you suggesting that those wedding gift mix CD’s are illegal?
Not really. Its something that he probably shouldn’t do but since he isn’t making anything off of it, then one can’t really say that he is committing “theft.” And as far as it being a sin…uh, no.
Oh, but many will say that you can’t do that (I always reply with, “sure I can; you just put a blank CD in this little try, click this button and presto!”).
rolleyes.I can’t begin to count the number of bands I first heard about because someone gave me a mix tape with them on it – including U2 (who are still regarded as a “Christian” band), way before “Joshua Tree” and way before anyone had heard of them. Was anybody selling these to me? No. They were sharing it with me. Nobody’s copyright was being violated.Oh, but many will say that you can’t do that (I always reply with, “sure I can; you just put a blank CD in this little try, click this button and presto!”).
Personally, if I have a CD that I want to make a copy and give it to a friend, I’ll do it with a clean conscience. If I can’t do that, then I can’t loan a book, movie, cd, or even check anything out from the library because I’m not paying for it and that’s “stealing”
Now, would I mass produce something and sell it for $5 a pop? No, that would not be ethically right but this craziness of not being able to copy things that you own is insane to me. “Theft” is taking something that belongs to someone else. If I copy a CD that I own, then what have I taken and from whom have I taken it?
Oh, I agree. Same story here. When peer to peer downloading was the big thing I discovered artists that I would have never heard of before and bought many CDs of theirs.
I think there is quite a gray area here. To copy for oneself a tv show or even an old movie (I have High Noon & Music Man on my computer) is one thing, but to make multiple copies & give them away is different. In the case of the OP’s friend, he’s copying Catholic materials. The Catholics who make & sell the originals aren’t getting rich. They may need that money to keep their ministries going. We know a family that has a ministry that includes selling dvds of their performances. They are far from wealthy. If I knew someone was copying & giving away their dvds, I’d give that person a dressing down & probably report him.
Not to many people here, it isn’t. They will tell you that it is stealing.
He may be breaking the law but I doubt he is committing a sin…he’s not charging for them & doing a good work.
Yes, the copyright was violated. That doesn’t mean the law is just or wise. I completely agree that bands would be foolish to want strictly enforce copyright law. Also in computing we see that having specific copyrights that allow the free distribution and modification of software has been great for humanity.