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I'm a little tired of this 'file sharing is theft' argument. It's not a physical item, and it doesn't compare to taking such a thing from a store. What's bein

I'm a little tired of this 'file sharing is theft' argument. It's not a physical item, and it doesn't compare to taking such a thing from a store. What's being taken is the opportunity to make a transaction. It's more like blocking the entrance to a store. The problem with that analogy is that we don't have some traditional method for accounting that loss. If you did that in real life, you'd be prosecuted for trespassing or something similar. Which is the point -- there isn't a traditional method for accounting of that loss, and any analogy that enables one is wrong. In the case of file sharing, the prevention of sales is the only crime being committed, and people hate doing the math/research on something like that.

bena 18y ago
I'm tired of the 'it's not a physical item' argument. What about services? Can services be effectively stolen? They are not a tangible good, yet people pay a lot for services alone (see management consultants). So if I have someone perform a service for me and I don't pay, have I committed theft? And in essence, isn't that what we're paying for when we buy music/games/video? The services of those who made the thing, because without their work and effort it would not exist. You are using these services (the playing of music in this case) without paying for it, you are stealing their services. And in that case, it could be argued that 17k downloads equals 17k counts of theft.
- xiaoma 18y ago
  "You are using these services (the playing of music in this case) without paying for it, you are stealing their services. And in that case, it could be argued that 17k downloads equals 17k counts of theft." Following that logic, I've just robbed Beethoven's corpse by listening to Moonlight Sonata. This line of argument fails because using information doesn't prevent others from doing the same.
  - bena 18y ago
    Beethoven was compensated during his time for composing Moonlight Sonata through patronage. Artists today do not have patrons anymore. Or you can consider the public at large the patrons of artists.

bena 18y ago

I'm tired of the 'it's not a physical item' argument. What about services? Can services be effectively stolen? They are not a tangible good, yet people pay a lot for services alone (see management consultants). So if I have someone perform a service for me and I don't pay, have I committed theft? And in essence, isn't that what we're paying for when we buy music/games/video? The services of those who made the thing, because without their work and effort it would not exist. You are using these services (the playing of music in this case) without paying for it, you are stealing their services. And in that case, it could be argued that 17k downloads equals 17k counts of theft.

xiaoma 18y ago
"You are using these services (the playing of music in this case) without paying for it, you are stealing their services. And in that case, it could be argued that 17k downloads equals 17k counts of theft." Following that logic, I've just robbed Beethoven's corpse by listening to Moonlight Sonata. This line of argument fails because using information doesn't prevent others from doing the same.
- bena 18y ago
  Beethoven was compensated during his time for composing Moonlight Sonata through patronage. Artists today do not have patrons anymore. Or you can consider the public at large the patrons of artists.