Is this theft?

[kantus12]

Hi all,

The computer mouse I’m currently using was given to me by someone else, who knew that I needed one. She said she got it from her workplace. She didn’t ask if she could take it, but it was being thrown away. Essentially, I was wondering whether or not the throwing-away of the mouse constitutes a surrender of ownership, which would determine whether or not the act was theft, and whether or not I should throw it away and not use it (since I don’t want to be complicit in sin).

P.S. No, I didn’t ask her to get a mouse for me, she offered it to me after I revealed to her that I was in need of one.

Thank you all,
kantus

 

[CB_Catholic]

Hi all,

The computer mouse I’m currently using was given to me by someone else, who knew that I needed one. She said she got it from her workplace. She didn’t ask if she could take it, but it was being thrown away. Essentially, I was wondering whether or not the throwing-away of the mouse constitutes a surrender of ownership, which would determine whether or not the act was theft, and whether or not I should throw it away and not use it (since I don’t want to be complicit in sin).

P.S. No, I didn’t ask her to get a mouse for me, she offered it to me after I revealed to her that I was in need of one.

Thank you all,
kantus

I put stuff out to the trash all the time and sometimes people will take it home (old furniture, etc. that I don’t think is fit to donate) and I don’t consider it theft. I also have taken someone else’s stuff that they put out (although I’m not a “dumpster diver”) and never considered it theft. A lot of times I put stuff on the curb that I don’t want any more and don’t want to load up to donate, and it’s usually gone in an hour. I don’t consider that theft.

If you trash it, you relinquish it.

 

[Beryllos]

Companies often replace, upgrade, or decommission computer equipment. If this is a quite ordinary, inexpensive mouse, there is no reason to doubt your friend’s assurance that it was being thrown away. If it was being thrown away, one can presume that the intent was merely to remove it from the place of business, not to prevent the mouse from ever again being used.

This is distinct from cases where companies legitimately need to destroy items to prevent them from being misused or resold.

 

[MaryT777]

I agree with the above; no worries about the mouse; Enjoy it.
Mary.

 

[ClearWater]

Sounds like you’re okay.

I had my computer taken in for an evaluation, paid for that to only be told my computer would cost more to fix than to buy a new one. I brought it to another for a free evaluation, and I was told it COULD be fixed. In the process, seemed my internal mouse had been stolen out of my computer during the previous evaluation! That, I consider theft. If someone put one in the garbage, I think it’s generally considered safe game.

However, I’ve heard recycling is a different case, that people can get into trouble for taking someone’s recycling!

 

[Catholic1954]

Once it goes into the trash, it is abandoned property and free to anyone who wants it.