Theft on the internet

[Oscarthecat]

Ok a hypothetical question. … I download Bob Seger and the Last Heard’s song Heavy Music. It’s been out of print for many years. Oh yes I forgot its the long version too!. I don’t think I’m stealing because there is no other way to get it other than downloading.

If the copyright has expired, then you are not stealing, because the artist has effectively chosen to release legal control over his art.

But if the copyright is still valid, then you are stealing.

Think about it…if you’re not stealing, then what exactly are you doing?

The bottom line is that you have stolen from the person who created the product you downloaded by denying them a fair price for the benefit of their work. Just because they can’t or won’t sell you something you want doesn’t give you the right to take it- even if you’re only taking a copy.

There are several CD’s I have lost over the years which are now out of print. I can’t find them anywhere, and I know I could download them online. I could try to convince myself that I have the right to download them for free because I have already paid for the right to have a copy. But I would be deluding myself, because I can’t overlook the fact that I paid for the right to have the copy that I purchased- not for the right to download a copy from someone else who may or may not have purchased it. Not only would I be stealing, I would also be willingly participating in a system that encourages theft.

That being said, I am fairly certain that you could do a little bit of legwork to call or email the record producer, start calling used record places even if they’re out of your area and see if the have a copy they can ship to you, or, failing that, write some emails to the artist or the artist’s manager, or even their “fanclub,” if they have one, and see if anyone can help you obtain a legal copy.

I know that there are several companies that specialize in selling out of print books and records…

If worse comes to worst, you could also just do without.

 

[JoshR]

Priest told me in confession today it is stealing if it is copyrighted.

 

[aspawloski4th]

As someone who works in the media, it’s part of my job to keep track of it daily. Thanks to so-called “file sharing” sites, legalized theft is occurring on the internet.

Movies. At a convention not long ago, I was there when the FBI raided booths where pirated movies were being sold and confiscated everything. At the table where I was standing, a stranger walked up to me and said, “What are they doing this for? I can download movies for free off the internet. They should mind their own business.”

Mind their own business? Now while some of you consult your own mental lists of why movie studios should not attempt to fight piracy, consider the very real fact that people are stealing what doesn’t belong to them and trying to make money off of it.

Music. The music industry is shrinking at the rate of 20% per year due to illegal downloads. Bottom line: no one has a right to steal anything.

Now here are some of the supposed justifications for this behavior:

I don’t have any money.
Unless you are starving or need a place to get out of the cold and rain, you can do without.

Hey, my buddy sent me a song to listen to. What’s the big deal? Are you going to buy it now that you already have a copy?

It’s promotion, man. People get a taste and then they’ll want to get it.
Right. Now that they have a free copy downloaded, they’ll run out and buy one or spend a buck to download it again?

Soon. There will be no reason to spend money if you can download it for free. The answer will be laws that shut down such file sharing sites even if they are located in Uzbehkistan. Marvel Comics came to a less than good agreement with one file sharing company. DC Comics followed suit. The movie companies, and giants like Viacom, are pulling material from youtube. More legislation should follow.

In book publishing, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books were immediately pirated. Stephen King was asked to write an exclusive short story for internet only distribution. The security code was cracked and little money was made. Mr. King decided against being involved with any more experiments.

A book published by the company I work for appeared on a file sharing site less than 30 days after publication. Imagine if it were your book.

In the near future, new bands will make no significant money off of the internet. They will have to get other work There will be no record companies to sign them.

Fewer movies will be made unless additional laws are passed to deal with pirates on a global basis.

Books will be published, but e-books will die since, although the technology is there, little, if any, money can be made in the first place.

Do not steal.

God bless,
Ed

Howabout it is long out of print?