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Stealing is taking the control of property from someone, not just the physical property itself. Because taking control of something is usually done by physicall
by dfens 19y ago
Stealing is taking the control of property from someone, not just the physical property itself. Because taking control of something is usually done by physically taking it, this aspect seems to define stealing, when really it's secondary to what stealing really is.
- pg 19y agoThis argument is circular, because it assumes that a digital copy is property in the same way something physical is. Did a monk making a copy of a manuscript "take control" of it? Not as most people use the word "control."
- dfens 19y agoThe information is the property, it doesn't matter what the format is. iTunes will still charge you .99c even though what you're buying is only a digital copy. By "control" of something, I mean the ability to decide what happens to it. A monk copying a manuscript doesn't take control of the original, but he is able to then decide what happens to that information. That's what's being taken. In the case of a monk I would guess spreading a religious text wouldn't be a problem for the person who gave it to him. But when someone copies the latest Harry Potter manuscript the author/publishers do have a problem, because they are losing something. As they can no longer control what happens to that content their ownership is diminished. And when someone's ownership is taken from them against their wishes, what else would you call that, other than "stealing"?
- pg 19y agoYou would take someone's ownership of a recording if you took the only copy of the master tape. That would be stealing. Merely making a copy of a digital song on your friend's computer changes the copyright owner's ability to control what happens to their content not one iota. So by your own standard it's not stealing.
- palish 19y agoYes! Thank you. Perfect description.