Pluralistic: “If buying isn’t owning, piracy isn’t stealing” (08 Dec 2023) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow
pluralistic.net

The ability to change features, prices, and availability of things you’ve already paid for is a powerful temptation to corporations.

  • helenslunch@feddit.nlEnglish
    1113·
    11 months ago

    If somebody copies that thing - it’s not really theft.

    Yes, it absolutely is, by any standard. Ask the dictionary, ask the law, ask literally any authority on literacy and they all come up with the same verdict.

    You’re just lying to yourself to justify doing whatever you want.

    If you want to argue when piracy is and is not ethical, that is a different discussion we can have, and we’d likely largely agree. But saying that anything that is digital doesn’t belong to anyone is pure nonsense.

    • TootGuitar@reddthat.comEnglish
      52·
      11 months ago

      You say “ask the dictionary” — multiple dictionary definitions as well as Wikipedia say that theft requires the intent to deprive the original owner of the property in question, which obviously doesn’t apply to copyright infringement of digital works.

      You say “ask the law” — copyright infringement is not stealing, they are literally two completely different statutes, at least in the US.

      So, what the hell are you talking about? Copyright infringement is not theft.

      • helenslunch@feddit.nlEnglish
        25·
        11 months ago

        multiple dictionary definitions as well as Wikipedia say that theft requires the intent to deprive the original owner of the property in question

        Like many words, “theft” has several different definitions, that being one of them.

        copyright infringement is not stealing

        Congratulations, that’s the 4th strawman in this thread. No one is talking about copyrights.

        So what the hell are you talking about?

        • TootGuitar@reddthat.comEnglish
          31·
          11 months ago

          My brother/sister in Christ, everyone in this discussion is talking about copyright infringement. That is the actual legal name for what we colloquially refer to as “piracy,” according to, you know, the law, which you previously referenced as something we should look to.