Does the hunt on piracy piss off anyone else here?

[aaron]

It actually says "you wouldn't steal a car" but the key difference is stealing and piracy isn't the same thing.

Here is a list of things that are not the same things:

• Stealing =/= Piracy
  Video games =/= NES games
  Standardized tests =/= The SATs
  An automobile =/= A Toyota Camry
  Mathematics =/= Calculus
  An actor =/= Willem Dafoe
  A website =/= racketboy.com

You forgot one.
Limewater =/= Understands the definitions of words

he is saying that piracy is a type of theft, just like a camry is a type of automobile and calculus is a type of mathematics. the two are related. they are, at their core, essentially the same thing.

the fact that this is lost on most people in this thread is blowing my fucking mind sky high right now.

cue mr. mad-at-the-world dictionary with his zany definitions. take it awayyyyy inazuma.

[Kebo]

But piracy is, by definition, a form of stealing. "Steal" does not imply something was physically taken. Theft, legally, does. However, theft can mean any form of stealing. So yes, in terms of the semantics, calling piracy theft is passable as a proper use of the words. The pro-piracy group seems to not understand this, and continue to act like it's a valid talking point. The distinction is really only there legally, for now. That's why copyright and patent laws exist separate from property theft laws.

"You stole my kill!"
"You stole my idea."
"You stole him from me."

I'm not sure why people are creating a new arbitrary definition of stealing and theft and acting like it only applies to physical property. They, as most everyone else knows, understand piracy has monetarily hurt the PC gaming industry. To deny this is absurd, it's like denying the reality of these forums (which you can do). I can't say whether piracy has hurt console games because that's not as overwhelmingly conclusive, yet. Probably because it's not as easy to pirate consoles games.

So really, when a huge group of people (pirates), steal (yes, the proper word) data, and that leads to a loss of money for another group, how can these people hope to absolve themselves ethically? Unless they are OK with the notion theft that harms someone's well-being is justifiable when it fulfills their entertainment desires. But does anyone here really feel that way, and subscribe to such a morality?

[corn619]

This thread needs to die. The dog is dead, stop beating it.

[Limewater]

"Steal" does not imply something was physically taken. Theft, legally, does.

People keep saying that about "theft", and it seems to go unchallenged, but in my limited research the "physical item" requirement does not seem to be the case. For example, the taking of services without consent seems to be considered to be theft.

I'm actually friends with a couple of IP lawyers. I guess I should ask them about this.

[Capcomwarrior]

If its an arcade rom or something that is no longer profitable, its ok. If you make less than 20,000 a year its ok. If you are in a situation where you could buy games/music/software/movies, its wrong, but if you are unable to spend any money at all on anything besides survival, its ok.

Its called "media assistance".

As soon as you get on your feet and are able to support your entertainment, you need to start purchasing.

Poor people deserve the same access to media as people with money. That access will help to expand the minds of those who otherwise would be missing out on experiential development.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

If its an arcade rom or something that is no longer profitable, its ok. If you make less than 20,000 a year its ok. If you are in a situation where you could buy games/music/software/movies, its wrong, but if you are unable to spend any money at all on anything besides survival, its ok.

Its called "media assistance".

As soon as you get on your feet and are able to support your entertainment, you need to start purchasing.

Poor people deserve the same access to media as people with money. That access will help to expand the minds of those who otherwise would be missing out on experiential development.

I seriously hope that this is an attempt at sarcasm. Otherwise, what a crock of BS!!!

[/sarcasm]
Yep, poor people are even more deprived if they don't get to download ripped computer software, movies, video games, and music CDs.
[/sarcasm off]

If someone has no money but all the time they need to play games, listen to CDs, etc, then maybe another job is in order.

Also, we want to make sure to expand those minds by the use of downloaded software, video games, movies, and music. How about the downloading of some type of educational material? Nope, wouldn't want to do that. That's not fun.

If I can't afford a big screen TV to play these movies on, does that mean that I can steal one, or does that apply only if I make less than $20K? Also, I find it amazing when driving through the poor neighborhoods where people are on assistance and don't have 2 nickles to rub together, but just about every house/apartment had a satellite TV dish on it. It is all a matter of priorities.

JY

[Kebo]

I hate to say this, as someone that once had to live 'poor' for a year or two, but luxury should be an incentive for people to strive to do better, economically. I know I'm not motivated by cars, or nice houses. Much of my disposable income is spent on gaming. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

There are thousands of free games out there. And I have no opposition to 'pirating' or downloading games that are now off the market. I can't just go buy Mega Man X3 retail, so downloading it is one of the only reasonable options to play it. This means poor people have plenty of entertainment options. But someone saying "well, I'm poor, so it's time to download 10 DS games" or "I don't make enough to buy Bioshock 2, so it's ok for me to pirate it" seems completely unacceptable to me.

[kgcarini]

Wow................it is amazing what some people will say or do to get away with or to continue to do something that is

OBVIOUSLY

...............wrong!

[Luke]

I can't just go buy Mega Man X3 retail, so downloading it is one of the only reasonable options to play it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-NES-Game-Mega ... 20af7c32dc

Problem solved.

[Kebo]

I can't just go buy Mega Man X3 retail, so downloading it is one of the only reasonable options to play it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Super-NES-Game-Mega ... 20af7c32dc

Problem solved.

Yea, but that's not from a retailer where the money goes to the creator, it solely goes to another individual, that for all we know, could be using friends or relatives to boost the final price. Of course buying second-hand copies like that is the other reasonable option to obtain it, but for some games that's not always the case. Panzer Dragoon Saga, for example. I would never object to someone pirating that game, here and now in 2010. And as time continues on, many of the early games, especially CD based ones, will stop working.