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P2P filesharing. Ethical or not?

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tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

There is a huge difference. You're not making any duplication of the product. That's like saying someone can't sit down on your computer and check their e-mail because they don't own that copy of Windows XP.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Programmers get paid the same regardless, as do actors and producers and everything. It is the distributors who lose out - but only because they have a flawed business model.

Hah! That one is my favorite. :D You actually make it THEIR fault! :D

Oh man. Wow.

I don't make it anything. Imagine trying to sell broadcast radio stations - people would just pick them up for free, that's the nature of radio. That's why they advertise on the radio - it's an appropriate business model.

BTW - I buy software. I'm also a developer, and whenever I can, I give my work away for free.

Yes, imagine someone trying to sell broadcast radio stations... imagine...
Imagine
Imagine

If you meant to refer only to AM and FM radio stations, you misunderstand what the word "broadcast" means.

Who are you to dictate what "business model" a company has to use? :confused: The one they use now is perfectly fine. The law makes it illegal to duplicate copyrighted material for a reason. To justify it because it's so easy to do is idiotic. Why do you feel the need to justify it anyway? Just admit you don't want to spend money on something that you can get for free illegally.

I try not to get involved in these threads about copyright anymore, but the things you are saying are so blatantly stupid it's hard to hold back. But hey, whatever lets you sleep at night.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

Copyright.

^
Bolded the part that you don't seem to understand.
 

iversonyin

Diamond Member
Aug 12, 2004
3,303
0
76
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

Copyright.

^
Bolded the part that you don't seem to understand.


What if you bought the movie file from the distributor?
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: iversonyin
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

Copyright.

^
Bolded the part that you don't seem to understand.


What if you bought the movie file from the distributor?

It would be the same type of distributor that has the rights to make DVD copies. WTF is your point?

It would be like properly purchasing digital music from authorized resellers, which is legal.
 

Atheus

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2005
7,313
2
0
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Programmers get paid the same regardless, as do actors and producers and everything. It is the distributors who lose out - but only because they have a flawed business model.

Hah! That one is my favorite. :D You actually make it THEIR fault! :D

Oh man. Wow.

I don't make it anything. Imagine trying to sell broadcast radio stations - people would just pick them up for free, that's the nature of radio. That's why they advertise on the radio - it's an appropriate business model.

BTW - I buy software. I'm also a developer, and whenever I can, I give my work away for free.

Yes, imagine someone trying to sell broadcast radio stations... imagine...
Imagine
Imagine

If you meant to refer only to AM and FM radio stations, you misunderstand what the word "broadcast" means.

OK, I have never heard of that before, must be an American thing. It doubt it will last.

Who are you to dictate what "business model" a company has to use?

I don't. The free market will dictate the appropriate model.

:confused: The one they use now is perfectly fine. The law makes it illegal to duplicate copyrighted material for a reason. To justify it because it's so easy to do is idiotic. Why do you feel the need to justify it anyway? Just admit you don't want to spend money on something that you can get for free illegally.

I have plenty of money and I buy my software.

I try not to get involved in these threads about copyright anymore, but the things you are saying are so blatantly stupid it's hard to hold back.

There are many more extreme opinions here than mine, why pick mine as 'stupid'? My point is that it is unworkable in the long term to sell something that is infintely re-creatable. Agree or don't agree, but don't be so insulting.

But hey, whatever lets you sleep at night.

You did read where I said I buy my software right?


 

iversonyin

Diamond Member
Aug 12, 2004
3,303
0
76
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: iversonyin
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

Copyright.

^
Bolded the part that you don't seem to understand.


What if you bought the movie file from the distributor?

It would be the same type of distributor that has the rights to make DVD copies. WTF is your point?

It would be like properly purchasing digital music from authorized resellers, which is legal.

My effing point is, genius. Its to support virtualgames0 argurment that there is little difference between lending a friend a DVD or sharing file that you bought.

As long as the media is obtain through a legal way.

People who download movies/mp3s illegally are unlikely to buy them the first place.

 

iversonyin

Diamond Member
Aug 12, 2004
3,303
0
76
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Programmers get paid the same regardless, as do actors and producers and everything. It is the distributors who lose out - but only because they have a flawed business model.

Hah! That one is my favorite. :D You actually make it THEIR fault! :D

Oh man. Wow.

I don't make it anything. Imagine trying to sell broadcast radio stations - people would just pick them up for free, that's the nature of radio. That's why they advertise on the radio - it's an appropriate business model.

BTW - I buy software. I'm also a developer, and whenever I can, I give my work away for free.

Yes, imagine someone trying to sell broadcast radio stations... imagine...
Imagine
Imagine

If you meant to refer only to AM and FM radio stations, you misunderstand what the word "broadcast" means.

Who are you to dictate what "business model" a company has to use? :confused: The one they use now is perfectly fine. The law makes it illegal to duplicate copyrighted material for a reason. To justify it because it's so easy to do is idiotic. Why do you feel the need to justify it anyway? Just admit you don't want to spend money on something that you can get for free illegally.

I try not to get involved in these threads about copyright anymore, but the things you are saying are so blatantly stupid it's hard to hold back. But hey, whatever lets you sleep at night.


Everything comes down to money. I'm not saying sharing illegal files is right. But the guy has a point.

Record companies and movie makers are paying actors/actresses, singers, rappers too much money to begin with. The production cost is wayyyy high because of the high salary. So if your movie/ CD doesn't sell enough to cover the cost, who is there to blame?

You think people who download MP3s and movie would buy DVD if they cant download?
 

JackBurton

Lifer
Jul 18, 2000
15,993
14
81
Originally posted by: FFactory0x
What are your feelings on P2P filesharing?? Is it ethical or not? Why?

(Doing a study how individuals feel on the issue)
Another question you should add to your study is, do you care?

 

So

Lifer
Jul 2, 2001
25,923
17
81
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

Legally, I'd say the consensus is going to be essentially with you. Morally, however, there is definitely a middle ground. A middle ground that was legal until 1998, in fact. ;)
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: iversonyin
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: iversonyin
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

Copyright.

^
Bolded the part that you don't seem to understand.


What if you bought the movie file from the distributor?

It would be the same type of distributor that has the rights to make DVD copies. WTF is your point?

It would be like properly purchasing digital music from authorized resellers, which is legal.

My effing point is, genius. Its to support virtualgames0 argurment that there is little difference between lending a friend a DVD or sharing file that you bought.

As long as the media is obtain through a legal way.

People who download movies/mp3s illegally are unlikely to buy them the first place.

When you share a digital file, you are duplicating the content of that file, and not sharing it, but giving it away. It is not returned. It's the same as burning a copy of the DVD media and giving it to a friend, which is illegal.

Like the example I gave above, if lending the actual DVD to a friend is illegal, it should be illegal for a friend to sit at your computer and use your copy of Windows to check his e-mail because he didn't purchase that license for it. It follows the same principles, and look how ridiculous that sounds.

Based off of your argument, Best Buy and Circuit City should have major lawsuits laid down against them because they pop in a copyrighted DVD movie into the player and play it for customers to display the TV. The customers don't own that DVD! They should cover their eyes or risk imprisonment! :roll:
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Ethical AND Moral.

Murdering ragheads to give them peace and forcing freedom down their throats is immoral and unethical.

Interestingly enough, the folks who support such activities are also trying to kill the internet and squash free thought of all kind.

Hmmmmmmmmmm..............


(In case people are thinking "WTF?" I just wanted to get some free speech and thinking started here on ATOT. I know what a challenge that can be. ;) )
 

Sunner

Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
11,641
0
76
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

There is a huge difference. You're not making any duplication of the product. That's like saying someone can't sit down on your computer and check their e-mail because they don't own that copy of Windows XP.

Not gonna get involved in the main agrument, I just thought of a silly thing...
What if you use SMB(Windows file sharing, whatever) and map up your friend's movie directory with read/write rights, then cut instead of copy the movie?
Would that classify as borrowing it instead of copying it? :)

No, there is no point to my question at all, at least not related to the morality of copying movies/music, it's just a random useless thought :)
 

JackBurton

Lifer
Jul 18, 2000
15,993
14
81
Originally posted by: Sunner
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: virtualgames0
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

So is it illegal to let your friend borrow your DVD's?
There's little difference from sending your friend a copy of a movie over the net and lending your friend a DVD.

There is a huge difference. You're not making any duplication of the product. That's like saying someone can't sit down on your computer and check their e-mail because they don't own that copy of Windows XP.

Not gonna get involved in the main agrument, I just thought of a silly thing...
What if you use SMB(Windows file sharing, whatever) and map up your friend's movie directory with read/write rights, then cut instead of copy the movie?
Would that classify as borrowing it instead of copying it? :)

No, there is no point to my question at all, at least not related to the morality of copying movies/music, it's just a random useless thought :)

As long as you CUT instead of COPY, you're ok. ;) Copying is the devil's work.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: Amplifier
It's stealing plain and simple. But the government steals a good chunk of my capital gains and wastes it on lazy people so fvck morality :)

It's illegal and unethical to download copyrighted material that is not otherwise freely available (or has the blessing of the producer), but it's not technically "stealing".
 

Smartazz

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2005
6,128
0
76
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

Plenty of grey, legal and moral.

How can a product which is infinitely re-creatable for free be 'sold'? If your car was re-created every time it was driven out of the garage, would you mind if someone stole it? I wouldn't, I'd encourage it, I'd have a sign saying 'infinite cars!'

lol, how do people come up with posts like this?
 

Eeezee

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2005
9,922
0
76
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Artist: The producer takes all of the money from sales :(
Artist 2: File sharing made my band popular, I'm glad that people listen to my music
Software Programmer: The publisher takes all of the money from sales :(
Producer: I couldn't buy my kid a convertible for her birthday because of file sharing, she got a different car instead

There, I've put myself in their place.

If file sharing really fvcked over music/movies/software, then why are they still generating massive profits (with the exception of music, which is suffering a drop in profits in some areas because they keep hiking CD prices for no reason and don't have a good business model anymore).

File sharing takes much less than people are willing to admit. There are three lines of reversal here that every RIAA lawyer refuses to bring to court

1) Try before you buy
2) Enjoyment of something you wouldn't buy anyway
3) Enjoyment of something you thought you didn't want, but now you are going to go out and buy it
 

UglyCasanova

Lifer
Mar 25, 2001
19,275
1,361
126
Originally posted by: Smartazz
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: EagleKeeper
Filesharing of any type if one does not have permission to redistribute such information is wrong and illegal.

No gray area about it.

Plenty of grey, legal and moral.

How can a product which is infinitely re-creatable for free be 'sold'? If your car was re-created every time it was driven out of the garage, would you mind if someone stole it? I wouldn't, I'd encourage it, I'd have a sign saying 'infinite cars!'

lol, how do people come up with posts like this?

Lol, anything to justify it. :p

I download copyrighted material, but I make no excuses about it. I am stealing intellectual property, but it's like crack. A habit that is hard to stop. But no, I don't come up with crazy justifications like the above, nor do I pass it off as "sticking it to the man". Stealing is stealing, and I'm a theif. :)
 

Eeezee

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2005
9,922
0
76
Originally posted by: mugs
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Programmers get paid the same regardless, as do actors and producers and everything. It is the distributors who lose out - but only because they have a flawed business model.

Hah! That one is my favorite. :D You actually make it THEIR fault! :D

Oh man. Wow.

In many ways, the RIAA is struggling against change. If they accepted that the internet is now a much more desirable mode of distribution, they could profit heavily. Despite major strides in this area, most distributors are clinging to the old ways and are being hurt because of it.

To be good in business, you must be able to change with the times. Physical media has been around forever, and the ones in charge have not adapted well to virtual distribution methods. There is a long way to go before these people will completely accept it.
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
I download copyrighted material, but I make no excuses about it. I am stealing intellectual property, but it's like crack. A habit that is hard to stop. But no, I don't come up with crazy justifications like the above, nor do I pass it off as "sticking it to the man". Stealing is stealing, and I'm a theif. :)

Once again, in the interest of proper semantics, copying is not stealing. It's illegal, but it's not the same thing as physically TAKING something from someone, therefore depriving them of said item.
 

Eeezee

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2005
9,922
0
76
Originally posted by: Tab
Originally posted by: Atheus
Originally posted by: Tab
Absolutely not, it's not only illegal but immoral. Put yourself in the place of the artist/software/moive producer - you're fvcking themover.

Programmers get paid the same regardless, as do actors and producers and everything. It is the distributors who lose out - but only because they have a flawed business model.

If the progammers product doesn't sell because everyone's getting it for free - the distributers and programmers both get ******.

If you could give me one instance of when this has happened, that would be lovely. $50 says you can't. I guess random, thoughtless conjecture is enough for you to make a reply though :disgust:
 

UglyCasanova

Lifer
Mar 25, 2001
19,275
1,361
126
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: UglyCasanova
I download copyrighted material, but I make no excuses about it. I am stealing intellectual property, but it's like crack. A habit that is hard to stop. But no, I don't come up with crazy justifications like the above, nor do I pass it off as "sticking it to the man". Stealing is stealing, and I'm a theif. :)

Once again, in the interest of proper semantics, copying is not stealing. It's illegal, but it's not the same thing as physically TAKING something from someone, therefore depriving them of said item.

You (I) are depriving them of their income from their product, which they are most certainly entitled to. That lost revenue is most certainly physically depriving them of something. Thus, stealing.

And I don't care if you wouldn't have bought the thing anyways, that doesn't justify it.