5 ms·

The law is not just about enforcing property rights. It also needs to be pragmatic. If almost everyone is doing it, it's wrong to try to outlaw it. OK, you cou

by wisty 15y ago

The law is not just about enforcing property rights. It also needs to be pragmatic. If almost everyone is doing it, it's wrong to try to outlaw it. OK, you could use a similar argument about Greek taxes - everyone cheats the system, and brings it down. But it's pointless blaming the people. Maybe the system has to change.

pyre 15y ago
> OK, you could use a similar argument about Greek taxes That just means they have to 'find another way.' They could raise sales taxes or lower spending by reducing services provided.
- anamax 15y ago
  > They could raise sales taxes When transaction taxes become too high, they're evaded as well. For example, post-prohibition bootlegging in the US lasted as long as the booze tax was "high enough" relative to production cost. We already have folks smuggling cigarettes in the US to evade taxes. And, in high tax states, some merchants don't collect sales tax. No, a VAT doesn't stop this - smuggling and off the books manufacture isn't VAT-taxed. (Yes, you may get the VAT on the inputs, but not on any of the downstream value.)
billpatrianakos 15y ago
There are big problems with that logic. You may say "everyone smokes pot so you can't outlaw it" but they did. In fact it's common to make laws against things everybody does simply because it has become a rampant problem. See, the problem is that it is not okay to bring a video camera into a theater, record a movie, and then give it out for free or profit. It doesn't matter if you believe copyright is silly or archaic, it's still law. I hate the laws currently being proposed that basically censor the web but the honest truth is that free distribution of paid content really does hurt the creator. The people who make the things that are worth the time to pirate need to be compensated and if they aren't getting paid then they either stop creating or make doing things the legal way a huge pain in the ass for both pirates and normal users. Remember how you had to activate Windows XP back in the day? That was a huge pain in the ass for people who bought the software legally but was put in place because Microsoft had such a big piracy problem. I think we're actually creating this problem for ourselves and Shifting the blame and responsibility. Even the pirate websites who are giving lawmakers the biggest excuse to make these oppressive laws are actually being defended by the very people they are hurting. Which do you want more: the new Britney Spears single for free or an open, I censored web?

by wisty 15y ago

pyre 15y ago

> OK, you could use a similar argument about Greek taxes That just means they have to 'find another way.' They could raise sales taxes or lower spending by reducing services provided.

anamax 15y ago
> They could raise sales taxes When transaction taxes become too high, they're evaded as well. For example, post-prohibition bootlegging in the US lasted as long as the booze tax was "high enough" relative to production cost. We already have folks smuggling cigarettes in the US to evade taxes. And, in high tax states, some merchants don't collect sales tax. No, a VAT doesn't stop this - smuggling and off the books manufacture isn't VAT-taxed. (Yes, you may get the VAT on the inputs, but not on any of the downstream value.)

billpatrianakos 15y ago

There are big problems with that logic. You may say "everyone smokes pot so you can't outlaw it" but they did. In fact it's common to make laws against things everybody does simply because it has become a rampant problem. See, the problem is that it is not okay to bring a video camera into a theater, record a movie, and then give it out for free or profit. It doesn't matter if you believe copyright is silly or archaic, it's still law. I hate the laws currently being proposed that basically censor the web but the honest truth is that free distribution of paid content really does hurt the creator. The people who make the things that are worth the time to pirate need to be compensated and if they aren't getting paid then they either stop creating or make doing things the legal way a huge pain in the ass for both pirates and normal users. Remember how you had to activate Windows XP back in the day? That was a huge pain in the ass for people who bought the software legally but was put in place because Microsoft had such a big piracy problem. I think we're actually creating this problem for ourselves and Shifting the blame and responsibility. Even the pirate websites who are giving lawmakers the biggest excuse to make these oppressive laws are actually being defended by the very people they are hurting. Which do you want more: the new Britney Spears single for free or an open, I censored web?