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Morac
Cat god
join:2001-08-30
Riverside, NJ

Morac to CXM_Splicer

Member

to CXM_Splicer

Re: Simple way to avoid copyright issues

said by CXM_Splicer:

Great point... if I add a few zeros to my passbook's balance... have I stolen anything? Of course not, it would be ridiculous to think I have.

If you access the banks computer and add some zeros to your balance... have you stolen anything? NO... you certainly have committed a computer crime but the THEFT doesn't occur until you go withdraw money you don't own; same as with the passbook. At that time, you are depriving the bank of real money.

I think my point flew over your head. These days money is digital. You don't think there's actually a piece of paper money for every dollar out there do you?

If someone adds money to their account and never actually withdraws money and instead uses it to buy virtual items (say movie downloads), you can't say no crime has been committed. Just because the money was created out of thin air, doesn't mean someone doesn't have to eventually pay for it down the line.

Likewise, if instead of purchasing a download from a movie company, you choose to pirate a copy of it, you are technically depriving the company out of the purchase price. Things get a bit more blurry if you never had any intention of making a purchase in the first place, but that doesn't make it legal.

It may not technically be theft, but it is the very definition of piracy, which last I checked wasn't legal.
CXM_Splicer
Looking at the bigger picture
Premium Member
join:2011-08-11
NYC

CXM_Splicer

Premium Member

said by Morac:

I think my point flew over your head. These days money is digital. You don't think there's actually a piece of paper money for every dollar out there do you?

If someone adds money to their account and never actually withdraws money and instead uses it to buy virtual items (say movie downloads), you can't say no crime has been committed. Just because the money was created out of thin air, doesn't mean someone doesn't have to eventually pay for it down the line.

Likewise, if instead of purchasing a download from a movie company, you choose to pirate a copy of it, you are technically depriving the company out of the purchase price. Things get a bit more blurry if you never had any intention of making a purchase in the first place, but that doesn't make it legal.

It may not technically be theft, but it is the very definition of piracy, which last I checked wasn't legal.

Actually, your point was completely clear but I think is you missing something. I would never say no crime would be committed if you used a illegally modified account balance to buy virtual items... what I was saying is that the THEFT doesn't occur until you buy those virtual items. Merely changing an account balance doesn't constitute 'theft'.

When I download a copy of a movie, the only thing I have deprived anyone of is desired revenue. NormanS is 100% accurate in his post. There are many ways I can deprive them of desired revenue and still obtain the 'content' for free... for instance, if I go to a friends house and watch the DVD he legally purchased. I have seen the movie even though I never bought it... why is that not theft?

That is only the very recently modified definition of 'Piracy'. The actual definition is when you sell illegal copies for a profit.

ArrayList
DevOps
Premium Member
join:2005-03-19
Mullica Hill, NJ

ArrayList to Morac

Premium Member

to Morac
actually there are laws that say a bank has to produce the physical money if a person asks for it, so legally speaking, it would be theft.