Your views on file sharing and piracy

[Nadril]

You arn't stealing since someone did buy the original copy. If you make yourself a copy of the CD, then you are stealing.

 

 

 

By your logic than if someone bought the original game and put it up on a file sharing site than that would be legal, right? Considering it's the same exact thing only on a larger scale.

 

 

 

And stop using the word steal. It's seriously annoying me.

[depresins]

Piracy is unacceptable. You are stealing the game, movie, or music. If you own the game, movie, or music yourself, but download a digital copy, it's another story.

 

 

 

But you don't own the game, movie or music. You never do. You have the rights to watch/listen/play it yourself in a private setting.

 

 

 

The way I see it is pretty simple. Let's say I found out Russell Crowe released a new album with rave reviews. I'll download a few tracks to see if I like it. If I like it, I'll buy the album, buy the merch, go to concerts. If I don't, then I'll delete the tracks and that's that. I wouldn't have bought the music, merch or concert tickets if hadn't heard the music.

 

 

 

Now, in my scenario, am I hurting the industry? No, quite the opposite. That is a sale they wouldn't have made without me downloading the songs first. That's a concert ticket, a t shirt, a hoodie, a stubby holder I wouldn't have bought. That is positive word of mouth being generated, because I'll go out and tell people hey, this album is pretty sweet, check it out!

 

 

 

At the same time though, I'm in the minority for sure.

[Zierro]

Where is the line between money you need and just being greedy, who knows, but the way I see it these people are getting along just fine.

 

 

 

Yeah but you could probably get along just fine without their products too. But then again $20 is a lot more to you than it is to a multimillion dollar company.

 

 

 

I like you. Everyone else on this thread (spare maybe nadril) seems to be going through some self-depreciating immature mental gymnastics to try and convince themselves that they're in the right.

 

 

 

Everyone obviously gets upset when they lose out on money and I do believe artists should make a living but, as you can see in my above response to Funphish, there just comes a point where it gets ridiculous.

 

 

 

It disgusts me when people who really don't give a [bleep] about music come into the industry with nothing on their minds but making money. The thought of music being so business-oriented just doesn't sit right with me. We really don't have that much art in our modern era, so you gotta understand why we feel this need to "stick it to the man". You can make business affairs with anything else in the world, just please, not music.

[Rebdragon]

Musicians gotta eat too bub. I'm not saying record companies are doing anything right right now (the RIAA is clear evidence that dinosaurs have yet to go extinct), but that doesn't mean you can justify taking and using someone elses work without their permission.

[jasignhagj]

Musicians gotta eat too bub. I'm not saying record companies are doing anything right right now (the RIAA is clear evidence that dinosaurs have yet to go extinct), but that doesn't mean you can justify taking and using someone elses work without their permission.

 

 

 

Tsk Tsk not taking, copying. I know what i do is illegal (except music in canada \ ). And what if you just want 1 song. Do you buy the whole album for $16.99, or a song of itunes stuffed with DRM [cabbage]?

[Zierro]

I'm not saying record companies are doing anything right right now (the RIAA is clear evidence that dinosaurs have yet to go extinct), but that doesn't mean you can justify taking and using someone elses work without their permission.

 

 

 

Legally, of course it isn't justified. But I think it's more wrong for a millionaire to get upset that he lost one potential sale than it is for a teenager to evade the system and listen to his favorite band, on a moral basis at least. It might still be "wrong", but it's at that point where it's still reasonable. Just like pushing someone who made fun of your dead mom. You can't argue that it's right, but almost anyone would do it if they were in that situation. It's a reasonable enough response to be justified.

[ElkNight]

Wrote a paper/gave a presentation on piracy (pro-piracy argument) for English last year and got a 98 on it. I'm guessing my teacher was just surprised I put effort in or did it at all because frankly, that was a terrible paper that I wrote the night before after messing around in class for almost a month.

 

Haha I do that all the time. :lol:

[Rebdragon]

You're using someone work without their permission. There are grey areas between taking and sharing, but when you're downloading from some unknown source on the Internet you're probably not all that close to sharing, in the terms of borrowing a cd from a friend.

 

 

 

Alright zierro, I agree with you for he most part.

[Wisp]

I just remembered a funny story. I went to a concert last year, and I ended up with backstage passes due to the person I went to the show with knowing the band.

 

At one point, I asked the frontman of the band what he thought about piracy. His answer was something like this.

 

"You know, my label's made me do a few things in public about it being a plague for the business and whatnot.. But I can't say I don't do it in private"

[FunPhish]

I pirate everything from songs to Roller-Coaster Tycoon 2, the people who create these things are rich enough as it is. Where is the line between money you need and just being greedy, who knows, but the way I see it these people are getting along just fine.

 

 

 

All these people who think they are really sticking it to the man are hilarious. No one cares about your potential sale that isn't going to happen. If you really want to stick it to a man go steal real copies of the objects. (Even then you're just hurting the retail store, not the actual developers).

 

 

 

I'm not trying to, "stick it to the man". I have no job and no money, I have no choice but to pirate.

[depresins]

I pirate everything from songs to Roller-Coaster Tycoon 2, the people who create these things are rich enough as it is. Where is the line between money you need and just being greedy, who knows, but the way I see it these people are getting along just fine.

 

 

 

All these people who think they are really sticking it to the man are hilarious. No one cares about your potential sale that isn't going to happen. If you really want to stick it to a man go steal real copies of the objects. (Even then you're just hurting the retail store, not the actual developers).

 

 

 

I'm not trying to, "stick it to the man". I have no job and no money, I have no choice but to pirate.

 

 

 

You clearly have another choice. You are in no way, shape or form being forced to pirate music and games. YOU make the choice to steal rather than go without something you want.

[Faux]

When you borrow a CD, that's "potential sale" right there. It's stupid to call it stealing.

 

 

 

The government thinks it's fine for personal use. Can't say I disagree with them.

 

 

 

Cheers for common sense

[Rebdragon]

I agree Shadow. If anything, I'm either neutral on piracy or against it, but I've found the term "stealing" is used a little too loosely in filesharing debates. Like that guy before said, it's copying. The owner isn't physically losing something. Does that make it right? I'd laughably say no, but that's just my opinion on a spectacularly grey topic.

[hihihi727]

I pirate everything from songs to Roller-Coaster Tycoon 2, the people who create these things are rich enough as it is. Where is the line between money you need and just being greedy, who knows, but the way I see it these people are getting along just fine.

 

 

 

There are machines in McDonalds that provide one-day DVD rentals for $1.08 per rent. Its so cheap its almost piracy. :?

 

 

 

Not everyone is that rich, for example there are tons of non mainstream bands who have the little profit they would be getting made even smaller because people would rather just download it. Lots of game companies, even well known ones go out of business as well; they need to earn money as well, its not like everyone is super rich you know. And its not even like the songs are that expensive. Even if you had no money, i'm sure there are alternate ways of listening to music, like turning on MTV or the radio or going on your favourite artists official music channel. Its not like anyones forcing you to illegally download stuff.

[Princess Viola]

I honestly don't give a [cabbage]. The police have better things to do than arrest or fine someone for downloading illegal [cabbage]. If anyone gets in trouble, it'd be the sites that you download from. And I'm pretty sure that spying on someone's computer is illegal.

 

 

 

Now, to go back to my pirated copy of Ranma 1/2.

[Zierro]

And I'm pretty sure that spying on someone's computer is illegal.

 

 

 

It probably isn't if it's the government doing it, since they can get away with anything, but it damn well should be. That's a good point.

[Furah]

And I'm pretty sure that spying on someone's computer is illegal.

 

 

 

It probably isn't if it's the government doing it, since they can get away with anything, but it damn well should be. That's a good point.

 

It's actually companies doing it. Seeing as the RIAA, MPAA and all their little gay groups are companies, they are breaking the law.

[Racheya]

I have VERY little money, I simply can't afford to pay the prices that these companies are demanding. So what's better? Never buying their product because I can't afford it, or downloading a copy of their product, using it and recommending it to friends? Now if I wanted to buy it but decided to download it instead, that'd be a problem, but since I can't buy it in the first place it's free advertising.

 

 

 

They should just stop wasting their money on trying to catch all these people because it seldom works, if you know how the internet works then you know if they arrest one guy for cracking and distributing their software, another person will pop up and do it instead.

 

 

 

Also what about things that I will buy anyway? House comes out in America pretty much 8 months before it does over here in the UK. Why should I wait?? So I'll download the episode after it comes out in America and STILL buy the DVD when it comes out over here? What's the problem there?

[Sbrideau]

Musicians gotta eat too bub. I'm not saying record companies are doing anything right right now (the RIAA is clear evidence that dinosaurs have yet to go extinct), but that doesn't mean you can justify taking and using someone elses work without their permission.

 

 

 

Tsk Tsk not taking, copying. I know what i do is illegal (except music in canada \ ). And what if you just want 1 song. Do you buy the whole album for $16.99, or a song of itunes stuffed with DRM [cabbage]?

 

 

 

You still didn't give me proof that it's legal in Canada to pirate music.

[Faux]

We don't live in corporate america. Personal copies of music and movies are legal.

[abbydog95]

Why should i feed these huge record companies pockets. While mine is drying up...Ive heard of popular bands putting there album out on the internet to screw over there huge [wagon] record compaines

 

 

 

P.S. How do we know this isnt a sting operation to catch all of us :shock:

[jasignhagj]

From the OP: Dont worry, the feds will be at all of your houses soon. Dont resist, and they wont hurt you.

[jasignhagj]

Musicians gotta eat too bub. I'm not saying record companies are doing anything right right now (the RIAA is clear evidence that dinosaurs have yet to go extinct), but that doesn't mean you can justify taking and using someone elses work without their permission.

 

 

 

Tsk Tsk not taking, copying. I know what i do is illegal (except music in canada \ ). And what if you just want 1 song. Do you buy the whole album for $16.99, or a song of itunes stuffed with DRM [cabbage]?

 

 

 

You still didn't give me proof that it's legal in Canada to pirate music.

 

 

 

Due to the fee placed on recordable media, you can legally make a copy of a CD. no where in that law does it say you have to own the CD. Downloading a CD off TPB or another torrent is still, in essence copying a CD, and thus legal :thumbsup:

[Nadril]

I agree Shadow. If anything, I'm either neutral on piracy or against it, but I've found the term "stealing" is used a little too loosely in filesharing debates. Like that guy before said, it's copying. The owner isn't physically losing something. Does that make it right? I'd laughably say no, but that's just my opinion on a spectacularly grey topic.

 

 

 

It's just really annoying that people will use the word "steal" over and over when it clearly what it isn't. It just sounds like they're trying to make it sound worse than what it is.

[BlueLancer]

I have VERY little money, I simply can't afford to pay the prices that these companies are demanding. So what's better? Never buying their product because I can't afford it, or downloading a copy of their product, using it and recommending it to friends? Now if I wanted to buy it but decided to download it instead, that'd be a problem, but since I can't buy it in the first place it's free advertising.

 

 

 

You're not alone, people of all social classes, genders and backgrounds have that view, they just prefer to keep it to themselves, or are afraid of being branded as criminals. Many persons just don't want to publicly post what you wrote.

 

 

 

There is also undisputable evidence that these downloads are really free, effective advertising that lead to increased sales

 

 

 

http://www.marketingcharts.com/interactive/study-p2p-music-downloads-increase-music-cd-sales-2287/

 

 

 

Contrary to the music industrys assertions, peer-to-peer (p2p) file-sharing does not have a negative affect on the legal purchasing of music, according to a study commissioned by the Canadian government ministry Industry Canada (via Kapicas Cyberia).

 

 

 

The study, The Impact of Music Downloads and P2P File-Sharing on the Purchase of Music: A Study for Industry Canada, finds that in the aggregate - that is, among all Canadians - there was no direct evidence to suggest that the net effect of P2P file-sharing on CD purchasing is either positive or negative.

 

 

 

However, it found a strong positive relationship between P2P file-sharing and CD purchasing among the subgroup of P2P file-sharers. Specifically, among Canadians actually engaged in it, P2P file-sharing increases CD purchasing.

 

 

 

The study estimates that for every 12 P2P-downloaded songs, music purchases by P2P downloaders increase by 0.44 CDs: That is, downloading the equivalent of approximately one CD increases purchasing by about half of a CD.

 

 

 

The study and article have even more facts about p2p downloading. Instead of branding people as crooks, research facts first. I usually stay out of discussions like this but there is too much misinformation and too few people bringing out the truth.