Potential Moral Conflict or Being Scrupulous?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Driver_8
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Driver_8

Guest
About 4 years ago or so I was watching a video on youtube featuring a collage of photographs set to a song I really liked. In one of the photos one of the band members was wearing a really cool outfit that I almost immediately wanted to have. Shortly thereafter I acquired the clothes necessary to assemble the outfit and I still love it to this day.

Here’s where the moral conflict comes in. The video was not an official music vid (it was uploaded by a youtube user), the photograph in question might not have been covered under “fair use”, used legally, etc. and the song was a bootleg recording. I’m suddenly starting to think that I cannot in good conscience continue to wear and keep the outfit given the circumstances surrounding how I came to discover and purchase it. I should note that the clothes were acquired through morally acceptable means (it was purchased from a reputable outfitter).

Do we, as Catholics, have any moral obligation to dispose of/get rid of anything that may have been acquired (even by morally acceptable means) as a result of an illegal/immoral action? Another (and probably simpler) example of this would be seeing a movie for free illegally on the internet and then buying the DVD later on.
 
I think you are being scrupulous. If you stole the clothes that would be different. Now, when it comes to listening to music on YouTube it is tricky. Most of the time the artist is not profiting off of their music being posted, and there are too many songs up for copyright laws to be fully enforced. I think if you like listening to a song on YT, purchase the mp3. Then your conscience will be clear. You have nothing to worry about in regards to your outfit.
 
Being scrupulous. Only the music is copyrighted, not the cloths.
 
First off, the laws of Humans, and the Laws of God are not always in agreement.

Second, you did not participate, or facilitate any illegal actions, so you have done no wrong.

Stealing is against Gods Law, but you did not steal anything. You saw some clothes you liked, and legally purchased them. It doesn’t matter what the other people were doing. That’s their problem.

As far as listening to YouTube music, they will deal with copyright issues. Actually, according to the First Sale Doctrine, once a copy has been legally purchased, you are free to share it, resell it, give it away, or even publicly post it. This has been a legal standard for several hundred years. Only recently have unscrupulous, and greedy publishers tried to circumvent it by lobbying for restrictive laws. In any case, that is a legal issue, and not a moral one. You have no way of knowing whether a YouTube video is legal or not, and it is not your responsibility to enforce the policies…

It’s not being scrupulous. It’s being…well…a little silly. Don’t look for problems where there are none. It’ll drive you crazy. Enjoy your clothes…and don’t sweat the little stuff so much.

If it really bugs you, then pray about it, and let God tell how to proceed,.
 
Thank you for all of your responses! I’ll take into account what you’ve all posted. I suppose what really makes me wonder about this is the fact that the song in the video was a bootleg from a recording session (which i knew beforehand) and the song itself has never been officially released and, therefore, is stolen property. But nevertheless thank you again!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top