3 ms·

If I write random bits to a file and it turns out to be a Star Wars movie, did I steal it?

• deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
• zanek 15y ago
  I was thinking the same thing ! I would actually go one step further. How can anyone OWN information (music,movies,software,etc) which is really binary which is really one big ass number (in base 2). How can you OWN a number ? It doesnt make any sense to me, and I'm a software developer that makes products. Its like saying, "I own the file represented by 23445353568893534534565767525454546422223346445646" and you have to pay me use that number. Sounds pretty dumb when you really break down this entire intellectual property issue
  • jebblue 15y ago
    Think of that number as though it were a house, instead of breaking in and stealing its content, you download the whole house, does that make it less significant?
    • zanek 15y ago
      It's not a house, it's an abstract thing. How can you own a number ?
    • Anderkent 15y ago
      Did you lose your house? If not, then I don't see the issue - I saw your house, copied it, now we both have one.
• demigod 15y ago
  No you didnt if you made up the bits, wrote them, and didnt copy off from a star wars DVD, and in real world once you have written the bits there is no way to know whether you copied it or wrote it by yourself so we compare it with the original and if there is an overbearing similarity then it is considered as piracy or stealing.