How about the virtual good known as money - it has no 'true' value in its cotton fibres. If I were to borrow a $100.00 bill and create a perfect counterfeit then return your bill, it doesn't cost you a thing, yet I recieve the full benefit of the bill. Now lets say I couldn't obtain the bill legitmately anyway, so everything should be cool...er...right?

There is a slight difference.. that $100 dollar bill has a huge power behind it, while software someone pirated has only the ability to entertain or improve your experience while using PC. You can't use it to buy a car, a gun, a whore or whatever else that comes on your mind... well exept if you sell that same software that you pirated... Now, that IS a genuine theft, since your costumers would be willing to pay for the software and represent real potential costumers, and money they give you for pirated copy is money stolen from the creators.

I'd like to add something that is not directly connected to the subject, but its still quite intriguing.. I was surfing one private torrent tracker, and I saw pirated version of ToA there.. anyway, what amazed me is that 1/2 of the comments made for that torrent were from people who actually bought the game and recommended the rest of the people that wanted to illegally download the game to buy the game if they like it, because it and its creators deserve it... Now, remember that we are talking here about private tracker, so most of the people there are genuine pirates, and most of them hardly have any piece of original software in their possession.
Point that I made out of this story is: Yes, piracy is a problem, and it will always remain, but it is also fact that people respect quality and originality, and are willing to reward it, if able.

I think the real problem is being missed.   Copyright/intellectual property laws are the problem the are out of control and need to be changed.  There is some merit to some of the laws but even most of those are taken way to far.

This is great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo

 

What if you were banned from the internet for the cracks, which are technically illegal in the US?

That said, I believe this law is completely unenforceable, especially in Europe, where they're more concerned about "hate speech" then Muslims beating defenseless women.

(sorry if some of my disdain for European government is showing, but I think it's well-deserved)

That is a very clever video - it kinda sailed a little close to the wire towards the end, no doubt what he intended. Original and funny, yet at the same time actually puts across the basics of the law on it - albeit its clear he dont like it

Great Stuff ....

Regards
Zy

One point, it did say a person had to be caught three times pirating. Generally, you get caught once you're unlucky, getting caught three times is stupid.

That said, if piracy was impossible, I'd probably not take any chances on games ever again, which would kill much of the industry. Why risk paying $50+ for crap?

This is the reason, even though I own a console, I have bought a grand total of one non-download game as of this time (will be two at end of month)

Yeah I really enjoyed it, the guy has good reason to not like the law.  I mean why does and why should copyright last the creators lifetime plus 70 years!  That is just plain absurd and really only there for corporate intrest.  Can you imagine not ever having Shakespear or countless other items from other greats in the public domain?  Unacceptable!

To provide for relatives and family. To go second generation after death would be stretching the point a little too much, but life + 70yrs is fair enough. The majority like to provide for their immediate family. To take to extremes to illustrate, why should the world benefit from a freebie, and their family live on the breadline.

Regards
Zy

Kill one family benifits a million LOL

I guess I don't agree or even see that as a valid reason.  Somehow up until 1972 everyone was perfectly happy with I do believe 20 years total, I could be wrong will have to look it up when i have a chance.  So are we saying somehow those individuals were screwed?  I think not I would bet that the main reason that even changed was due to corporate intrest.  Not only that but I also believe that music, movies, art, and so on are no different than any other product once you sell them you no longer own it.  I mean would you be ok with the car dealership dictating to you after purchase how you can use or even if you can use your car, sell it, or trade it in?  Or how would you like the builder to do the same with your house.  Why don't we pay a continued royalty to Thomas Edisons family or Henery Ford's for the continued use of their inventions? I mean it hasn't been 70 years since Fords death and it has barely been 70 years since Edisons?  That brings up another issue why are movies, art, music, and the light anymore important than a patent which only gets 20 years? 

Be wary of a knee jerk "Corporate Interest". In UK 95% of personal employment is outside the Corporate sector in small and medium sized companies. I dont know the US figures, but even given the common practice over there of Incorporation even by small one man bands, I'll bet its over 80% of employment is outside the classic big Corporate sector.

There is also very large differences in the principles behind copywrite US & UK which does not help the issue in this Age of Globalisation.

re car dealer - no because its not theirs to dictate those terms, they did not design it.

Builder - does not apply because I own the land freehold, and I contract the builder to make it for me, so its irrelevant.

Thomas Edison died in 1931, seventy seven years ago. In UK at least - dont know US law - thats over the 70 year limit. He held over a thousand US patents so I guess his relatives did well for a while.

Henry Ford - no idea about the US legal position, but I doubt he had a copywrite on the cars, he didnt invent the car, just built them. Dont know the position re patents. In UK that would shortly run out anyway, as he died 61 years ago - nine years time, null and void in UK.

Movies etc, not the faintest idea, dont know the actual legal position & facts for the US.

Regards
Zy

I find it interesting that in a society like ours "corporate interest" can be used as a curse word.

If I may quote:

"and therefore it's bad".

I wouldn't argue that the bulk of personal employment is not corporate, however there are very very few independent movie or music companies.  In fact the MPAA and RIAA pretty much control it all and that the problem when I say corporate intrest that is what I am refering to.  So my point still stands.

True and I am speaking from the US stand point not overly familiar with UKs copyright.

Ok regardless should I have to get permission from the cars designer?  No, in fact is it just like myself in the IT business I create scripts, queries, and programs on a daily basis that will be used and are being used after I have left a company.  Should the company pay me royalties on those or rewrite them?  No way, as I said once you sell it or in my case agree to produce it for said company it is no longer mine.

As for the builder example yes you own the land but I also own the CD Player,  Computer, or whatever else device is requried to use the work that I 'purchased' from said artist.  I don't see how that is any different?

In regards to Edison that is exactly my point, patents which I see no differently than copyrights are only good for 20 years!  So again I don't see why someone who rights a song should have more protection than someone that invented the lightbulb, and am arguing that they don't.

As for Ford I am sure he didn't have a copyright but he sure as heck had patents, and again I am using as an example of the disparity between patents and copyrights and why if it is good enough for patents and no one is up in arms why is it not good enough for copyrights?

Nice to actually have a civil conversation about this and not be called a name or labled as a pirate which I am not, just don't agree with the current laws.

Copyright and IP is perhaps the most convoluted piece of law today.

Thiose who say you should go to jail for Copyright Infringement and Piracy... Well go down to the police station and turn yourselves in because YOU ALL HAVE VIOLATED COPYRIGHT! If you've used the internet you've violated copyrights right left and center... Type in a google search for Mickey Mouse... hope you have 100 million dollars lying around because thats probably the amount you'll pay in fines if the laws were enforced... And YES IT IS JUST AS BAD AS STEALING A PIECE OF MUSIC OR A GAME! At least in the eyes of the law.

Ever copy/pasted a news article from CNN. Well get out your checkbook. That News article is just as protected as any piece of software/music/picture... Get out your checkbook and pay Reuters/AP $250G's because you sure as heck never got their permission!

Ever looked at an AMV on youtube... Well get out your checkbook and turn yourself in! You've just violated not one but at least two people's copyrights!

The law as it is is disgusting. It's designed for big corporate incidences of piracy like Warner Bros using Mickey Mouse w/o paying Disney and they've bolted that onto personal. And seriously WTF is with the whole IP owners getting all the cash. If this was REAL THEFT it would be the govn't prosecuting with all the rules aka BEYOND A REASONABLE DOUBT not the BS is is now where there are thousand dollar shakedowns. No instead of this crap you should have a company lodge a criminal complaint just as a 7/11 would if I lifted a bag of chips. All the fines should be to the govn't as well and then and only then do we have restitution....

If we are going to pretend IP is the same as tangible property and treat its 'theft' as the same well I want my day in court with my lawyer vs a govn't paid prosecutor (and not some corporate suit) who has to prove to a jury of my peers that I 'stole' beyond a reasonable doubt not the BS 'preponderance of the evidence 50.1%' civil trials it is now. And then I want all of the rest of you who have ever copy/pasted anything copyrighted or ever done anything illegal wrt copyright (look at the statues, I think you'll find them quite enlightening and those of you who protest that they never steal or infringe well... ignorance of the law is no defense) in jail next to me.