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"I can't just steal something from an Amish person's business because "their business model is out-dated."" For a correct analogy, make the Amish a billionaire
by jkn 15y ago
"I can't just steal something from an Amish person's business because "their business model is out-dated.""
For a correct analogy, make the Amish a billionaire who makes money by exercising a monopoly. The monopoly is legal, it was even expanded by congress thanks to his lobbying efforts, and the government actually spends taxpayer money to enforce it. And I'm not stealing from the Amish, I just found a more efficient way to distribute copies of his products, copies made at my own cost. And users find my service not only cheaper, but much more convenient: it is not riddled by silly restrictions, and I have a much larger selection. Somehow I make tons of money with it, and all this money would go to the Amish, if he could adapt his business model, because he has a natural advantage to provide the best service: he gets the products first, and with the best quality.
Considering that the monopoly is harmful to cultural exchange, freedom of speech and other essential rights, I see moral value in any contributions to bring it down or transform it into something more morally acceptable and less expensive for society.
- jonhendry 15y ago"For a correct analogy, make the Amish a billionaire who makes money by exercising a monopoly." Nonsense. People sharing files don't take the status of the content provider into account. It's a pleasant story to tell yourself, that you're just sticking it to the man, but it doesn't reflect the reality of file sharing.
- jkn 15y agoSure, most people don't think about the immorality of copyright laws when sharing files, but that doesn't make the laws moral. As for sticking it to the man, I was precisely trying to move the analogy from man-centered (the Amish) to the bigger picture: immoral laws preserving a bad business model that impacts the whole society. Quite the opposite of the Amish actually.
- jonhendry 15y ago"but that doesn't make the laws moral." Doesn't make them immoral, either. Next you'll be saying "property is theft".
- jkn 15y ago"Doesn't make them immoral, either" Indeed. I was just expressing my point of view. "Next you'll be saying "property is theft"." No, this wild extrapolation doesn't reflect my views.
- njs12345 15y agoIf I download a small artist's music illegally but then spend the money on going to see them live, how is this any different to buying their music except that I've got something for nothing? What about artists who have become big because of all the free marketing that the Internet offers them? As with many things in the real world, it's a murky situation..
- jonhendry 15y agoIt's only murky if you keep your eyes closed because you like it that way. If you download the music illegally, then spend money on a concert, guess what? The artist is still out of the revenue of the music you downloaded illegally. Especially if self-published. And if you could afford going out to a concert, which is typically much more expensive than an album download, you could have also paid for the music.