Is it wrong to download copywrite stuff from the internet?

[TheGuru]

Is it wrong to download copywrite stuff from the internet?

Examples:
- The latest blockbuster movie (Normally bad quality from what I've heard)
- Your favourite song or album (Is this wrong if you have already purchased the album?)
- An application or program that you cant afford because it costs too much, or, you want to 'test' it first. (Maybe they would sell more if they reduced the price?)

Well, the answer is obviously "Yes, it is wrong, Its also illegal". But, that doesn't stop millions of people doing it. I wonder if those same people would steal a CD or DVD from their local supermarket?

Is it worse than speeding, skiving off work, fibbing to your partner?

What do you think?

[madcat]

That's a real poser of a question..

I think you have to answer it on 2 levels..

Morally and the law of the land.

It's against the law in most countries, but in instances such as the music example (where you have the CD) I don't think it's that bad.

I suppose it takes money from the artist or film company - as Metallica brought to our attention with the napster incidence.

So, overall, I guess it's wrong on all levels.. but I think it's only just wrong on a moral level...

MadCat

[smartsez]

Well, I've never downloaded a film from the internet, n I cant say i've ever bought a pirate dvd either-solely because I cant do with watching bad quality films-it ruins the story anyway so I dont see whats to gain from it?!

I did, however, use to download tracks from a file sharing website. They were tracks that were harder to come by, and I couldn't force myself to spend £12 on an album for the sake of 1 song even if I could afford to!

Now I use mp3sugar.com and its usually between $1-$3 to download an album or just a few cents to download a track, which I think is more than reasonable, and as far as I'm aware its legal too?!

As for downloading an album thats you 've bought anyway, you're allowed to copy that cd for your own use anyway, so i dont see that it would make a difference whether you copied it from the disk or copied it from the web-the tracks are still the same, so as long as its for yourself then I dont see anything wrong with that.

[madcat]

Aparently, you are not suppposed to copy a CD that you own. It was on a TV show when all the court cases were going on last year. And they said that it was still illegal to copy things you own, even though you are supposed to be allowed to take a backup of it...

MadCat

[Mike]

Originally Posted by madcat

Aparently, you are not suppposed to copy a CD that you own. It was on a TV show when all the court cases were going on last year. And they said that it was still illegal to copy things you own, even though you are supposed to be allowed to take a backup of it...

MadCat

Yeah I think that the law is somewhat unclear there

If its not illegal why do they try to protect music CDs with anticopy measures. Surely that is breaking the law as it removes our right to backup our data?

Mike...

[smartsez]

yeah its really irritating when you get a cd that wont let you copy! I'm big on my music & like to have my collection in the house and in the car-but i dont see why i should have to buy a 2nd copy of the same cd just so i can have it in both places at once-doesnt make sense to take cd's in and out of the car everytime i want to use it!

N besides, my mp3 player has a 'line-in' cable which can only be used to copy songs whats playing on the cd player at the time, so if its illegal to copy tracks, then surely they wouldnt be able to sell mp3's with a cable to let you do it?!

[Mike]

Originally Posted by smartsez

yeah its really irritating when you get a cd that wont let you copy! I'm big on my music & like to have my collection in the house and in the car-but i dont see why i should have to buy a 2nd copy of the same cd just so i can have it in both places at once-doesnt make sense to take cd's in and out of the car everytime i want to use it!

Yeah we have around 700 original audio CDs because we love our music. I dont like leaving any CDs in the car as Ive had some stolen before. There is no way that Im buying them again!

Originally Posted by smartsez

N besides, my mp3 player has a 'line-in' cable which can only be used to copy songs whats playing on the cd player at the time, so if its illegal to copy tracks, then surely they wouldnt be able to sell mp3's with a cable to let you do it?!

Ah thats the Catch 22 scenario

For instance you can buy a car that will do 120+ miles and hour.
Or you can legally purchase an AM CB radio, but its illegal to use it (FM is legal in the UK).


Mike...

[smartsez]

wonder if it says in my manual 'this is how the line-in works, but you may never use it'

[madcat]

Most devices have a "line in" jack. I guess laws change between different countries so that may be why it's there.

I also have a number of CDs in my car, but copies of the ones in the house so if my car is nicked I don't lose all my music!

MadCat

[Nutty_ZA]

Originally Posted by Mike

Ah thats the Catch 22 scenario

For instance you can buy a car that will do 120+ miles and hour.
Or you can legally purchase an AM CB radio, but its illegal to use it (FM is legal in the UK).

Mike...

But that is the thing, It may be illegal to do 120_mph in the UK but not on the Autobhan in Germany...

Copying of Music in South Africa is Legal if you own the original...

But I agree it's a Catch22 situation...

I know the Manufacturers of The Springbok Rugby Jerseys were complaining that if there wasn't such a high incidence of fans buying "fake" rugby jerseys, they could cut the price of the "legal" jerseys by 50%...

The thing is tho, that if they sold the jerseysfor 50% less in the first place, I'm sure more ppl would buy the "Legal" Jersey...

I am against piracy and generally speaking the Price of DVD's and CD's iare normally reasonable enough to purchase legal copies(although with You Tube around, I haven't purchased a new CD in months)... what get's me tho is the price of Software... esp. Playstation Games which are +- 4 times more expensive than the same game for PC...