Is downloading a movie worse than stealing it from the store?

[Skiguy411]

Inspired by another thread.

Which is worse? Stealing a movie from the store such as Best Buy or downloading it illegally?

 

[hevnsnt]

Stealing it from the store

 

[FoBoT]

being a pirate is worse than being a shoplifter

 

[her209]

Stealing it from the store.

 

[Anubis]

d) neither

 

[illustri]

store
but you don't get sued for $4k when you steal from a store

now, stealing from the store, distributing it, and selling it on the streets

thats gold

 

[Siva]

I would say downloading is not as bad, since it doesn't cost the manufacturer money on the DVD and case and all that. Its just much harder to track downloading, so I guess that's why the punishment is much more severe (at least in the case of the $4k settlement).

So in essence, the punishment > the crime. What a surprise.

 

[BentValve]

Stealing from the store is more exciting.

 

[Schrodinger]

Downloading it is worse.

You are effectively depriving the use of the cablemodem to the rest of the neighborhood. When you steal it from a store no one is actually deprived since a company is an entity and not a person.

Being the liberal that I am, I would say that companies should have less rights than people. I would hope that is mutually agreeable amongst the forum members. Therefore downloading is the wurstest!!!1111

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: Schrodinger
Downloading it is worse.

You are effectively depriving the use of the cablemodem to the rest of the neighborhood. When you steal it from a store no one is actually deprived since a company is an entity and not a person.

Being the liberal that I am, I would say that companies should have less rights than people. I would hope that is mutually agreeable amongst the forum members. Therefore downloading is the wurstest!!!1111

thats if your on a poorly run cable modem, dsl, and other users have no effect on the other users really.

MIKE

 

[artikk]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
being a pirate is worse than being a shoplifter

I don't see your proof for this statement.Shoplifing and pirating movies are basically the same thing. However, shoplifting can be easily spotted(you see someone taking a dvd on the camera) and is more rigorously regulated. That's why I bet most of you said that shoplifitng was worse than pirating. Pirating is just something we all did once, and we don't want to think that we did anything illegal. Pirating is not persecuted as a crime as frequenly as shoplifting is, so most of think that pirating is okay also because of that reason.

 

[Stark]

how about download, then buy from store

i did that with napoleon dynamite (the dvd rip was on bt before it was in the stores)

 

[notfred]

Shoplifting costs the producer printing, packaging, shipping, etc costs. Downloading does not. Therefore, shoplifting is worse.

 

[Schadenfroh]

it costs more money to the store and the MPAA when the physical product is stolen.

 

[artikk]

Originally posted by: notfred
Shoplifting costs the producer printing, packaging, shipping, etc costs. Downloading does not. Therefore, shoplifting is worse.

Downloading ,theoratically, reduces customers and ,therefore, money for the producers, because now having seen the movie pirates wouldn't have to buy it from the store.

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: russianpower

Originally posted by: notfred
Shoplifting costs the producer printing, packaging, shipping, etc costs. Downloading does not. Therefore, shoplifting is worse.

Downloading ,theoratically, reduces customers and ,therefore, money for the producers, because now having seen the movie pirates wouldn't have to buy it from the store.

Not necessarily, because I wouldn't see about 99% of the movies I download if I couldn't get them for free. Therefore my downloading isn't depriving them of anything and, if I really like the movie, I frequently go ahead and buy it. So downloading can actually increase sails, or have no effect on them.

 

[artikk]

Originally posted by: BlinderBomber

Originally posted by: russianpower

Originally posted by: notfred
Shoplifting costs the producer printing, packaging, shipping, etc costs. Downloading does not. Therefore, shoplifting is worse.

Downloading ,theoratically, reduces customers and ,therefore, money for the producers, because now having seen the movie pirates wouldn't have to buy it from the store.

Not necessarily, because I wouldn't see about 99% of the movies I download if I couldn't get them for free. Therefore my downloading isn't depriving them of anything and, if I really like the movie, I frequently go ahead and buy it. So downloading can actually increase sails, or have no effect on them.

Agreed, I guess downloading can be looked as a wildcard then. It can effect the entertainment industry both negatively and positively.

 

[rh71]

they're both bad, one just requires more balls.

 

[meltdown75]

i got caught shoplifting was i was younger and dumber. plainclothes shoppers stopped a friend and i after we had loaded CDs into our coats at "The Bay". As we left the store we were surrounded by 5 plainclothes peeps and told to "follow that man immediately". We did and they showed us scoffing the 'wares' on video. they let us go with a warning, but it was teh sux0rz.

Thinking back, that stands out as an actual crime to me, whereas the CD holders bulging with illegally leeched movies & games that people have is just an afterthought. I think we all assume having a computer = having SOME warez. Very few of us think much of it because we grew up in a fresh digital age where every bit and byte your 1200 baud modem could get its grip on was considered fair game. It's only now that the law is starting to catch up with the unlucky few... it seems that the theory of cyberspace being impossible to police *could* be crumbling, but I don't fear it. Only the unlucky few will be prosecuted and it sucks to be them... like M4H said in the other thread... move to Canada, it'll take at least another 5-10 years before we have similar law enforcement here.

Cliff notes: stealing at the store is worse IMHO

 

[lavagirl669]

Originally posted by: hevnsnt
Stealing it from the store

 

[villageidiot111]

Both are stealing, both are illegal, both are bad. It doesn't matter which is worse.

 

[meltdown75]

bad warez! bad!

 

[Zim Hosein]

Originally posted by: rh71
they're both bad, one just requires more balls.

I concur :beer:

 

[TwiceOver]

Worse, no. The probably hold the same moral liability. Ya know, at least pay the rental fee and steal it yourself.

 

[gabemcg]

Not that eaither is OK, but I believe stealing it from the store is worse, because you not only take $ away from the Producers/Distributors for the film, you also hurt the store