4 ms·

Equating piracy laws with state run human rights abuse is a bit of a stretch.

by dot 14y ago

grecy 14y ago
I didn't equate the laws themselves, I equated the people struggling to change them. You could apply it to any law in history that has been changed through the action of a few people.
- misterbwong 14y ago
  Not to get too meta, but you did both. Consider this: For all the people arguing this is glorifying breaking the law, it's worth keeping in mind all the people that stood up against raising the speed limit to 65 in the southern US states, or requiring seat belts in cars, or any number of laws that were considered "immutable" and carried severe penalties. Yes, these actions are against current laws, but at citizens of the world we have a responsibility to stand up and make our voices heard if we ever hope to change anything. Many people will go to jail and pay big fines in the near future, but that is the way it has always been to influence great change. --- That extra oomph that's missing is you equating the apartheid and segregation laws (and their egregious nature) to copyright law. While I agree with your underlying point, the solution isn't to blow things out of proportion and compare them to some heinous human rights laws. It's a short hop from there to Nazis, a la Godwin's Law. edited for clarity
  - ashray 14y ago
    People going to jail for copyright infringement, which should really be a civil offense at best is pretty heinous in my books. It's not apartheid but I find it (the punishment) really odd that it's acceptable in today's world.
Alex3917 14y ago
First, the author wasn't even saying that. And second, it really isn't that much of a stretch at all. The reason why military dictatorships like North Korea or wherever are able to exist is because they have a complete stranglehold over the media, libraries, movies, books, etc. The publishing corporations in the US fought long and hard to make everything from libraries to recorded music to radio to VCRs to the Internet illegal, all on copyright grounds, and had they won the US wouldn't be any different than North Korea or any of the African dictatorships.
belorn 14y ago
If you want laws other than human right abuses, take Gandhi and his protest of the national salt tax. Copyright, a state enforced monopoly. national salt tax in India, a other state enforced monopoly. If we just want to limit us to laws regarding state enforced monopolies, there are plenty in the history of mankind.

Equating piracy laws with state run human rights abuse is a bit of a stretch.

by dot 14y ago

Equating piracy laws with state run human rights abuse is a bit of a stretch.

grecy 14y ago

I didn't equate the laws themselves, I equated the people struggling to change them. You could apply it to any law in history that has been changed through the action of a few people.

misterbwong 14y ago
Not to get too meta, but you did both. Consider this: For all the people arguing this is glorifying breaking the law, it's worth keeping in mind all the people that stood up against raising the speed limit to 65 in the southern US states, or requiring seat belts in cars, or any number of laws that were considered "immutable" and carried severe penalties. Yes, these actions are against current laws, but at citizens of the world we have a responsibility to stand up and make our voices heard if we ever hope to change anything. Many people will go to jail and pay big fines in the near future, but that is the way it has always been to influence great change. --- That extra oomph that's missing is you equating the apartheid and segregation laws (and their egregious nature) to copyright law. While I agree with your underlying point, the solution isn't to blow things out of proportion and compare them to some heinous human rights laws. It's a short hop from there to Nazis, a la Godwin's Law. edited for clarity
- ashray 14y ago
  People going to jail for copyright infringement, which should really be a civil offense at best is pretty heinous in my books. It's not apartheid but I find it (the punishment) really odd that it's acceptable in today's world.

Alex3917 14y ago

First, the author wasn't even saying that. And second, it really isn't that much of a stretch at all. The reason why military dictatorships like North Korea or wherever are able to exist is because they have a complete stranglehold over the media, libraries, movies, books, etc. The publishing corporations in the US fought long and hard to make everything from libraries to recorded music to radio to VCRs to the Internet illegal, all on copyright grounds, and had they won the US wouldn't be any different than North Korea or any of the African dictatorships.

belorn 14y ago

If you want laws other than human right abuses, take Gandhi and his protest of the national salt tax. Copyright, a state enforced monopoly. national salt tax in India, a other state enforced monopoly. If we just want to limit us to laws regarding state enforced monopolies, there are plenty in the history of mankind.