There does not have to be "lost revenue" in order for something to be stealing.
I didn't say that, nor did i imply that. But that's what the record companies are proclaming, and that's how RIAA (and likeminded organizations) are calculating losses due to 'pirating'. I find that approach twisting the facts, by using the word 'stealing' in the context of 'pirated' books, you imply that every illegal download equals a lost sale. I do not think that is correct. Especially when you deal with 'pirates' that are mostly just kids, one tries to impress them with scary words like 'stealing'. Next thing you know they're prosecuting an eight year old...
If I steal apples from my neighbor's tree, they are not losing revenue. Heck, they might otherwise have let the apples fall to the ground and rot; there may be more apples than they could possibly eat, and they may not be in the business of selling them.
Absolutely a heinous crime, thou shalt be punished by the AAS (Anti Apple Snatchers) ;-)
Certain people want to say downloading is NOT stealing, because they want to feel that it's OK.
Certain people want to make sure the accusations are true, on both sides of the fence. If you download illegaly scanned books and are cought, your prosecuted for copyright infringement, period. Not for stealing. Certain people want to call it stealing so it will make them feel better, so that they can say "See how those evil people have stolen from me, how they make me poor, etc.".
If they were defending a different kind of stealing (say, shoplifting, or embezzlement, or counterfeiting), they'd come up with other semantic games to play, and reasons why idiomatic usage doesn't count as meaning.
Shoplifting = Stealing
Embezzlement = Embezzlement
Counterfeiting = Counterfeiting
The last two don't fall under stealing when your prosecuted. I think that a lot of embezzlers and counterfeiters would love to call it stealing, it would get them lighter sentences...
(Language evolves by idiom -- why not next argue that "gay" doesn't mean homosexual, because it's merely idiomatic?)
On the marrigae certivicate it reads, homosexual marriage, and not gay marriage. A black person is also not a nikker, atleast it doesn't say so on his passport.
I thing it is reasonable to contend that copyright infringement is, in contemporary vocabulary, a subset of "stealing."
Certain groups of people would like us to belief that, luckely the law doesn't agree with that.
In some cases, you do, on both counts.
Sure it happens that it's actually murder, but it's not called that by default, only under certain circumstances and with certain motivations (if it isn't intentional, it's called manslaughter i belief)...
But stealing someone's idea CAN be stealing in a legal sense. And it doesn't have to be copyright infringement.
Indeed, Wizards of the Coast is right now suing Ninentendo for stealing their ideas, in the form of trade secrets (ideas that are protected by secrecy, rather than patents or trademarks).
I'm not a legal expert, but i'm certain that the attorney, wan't plead his case with the line "They stole our ideas.". And from what i understand of the case is that it's similar to the White Wolf vs. Sony case involving the Movie Underworld.
I'll quote from the original complaint:
Complaint
Nature of Action
1. Plaintiffs White Wolf, Inc. and White Wolf Publishing, Inc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "White Wolf") seeks injunctive relief and damages for copyright infringement, false designation of origin and unfair competition engaged in by Defendants under the laws of the United States and the State of Georgia.
Do i see steal anywhere in the complaint? No. Do i see copyright infringement in the complaint? Mot certainly.
What is your end goal with this semantic game? If everyone agreed, "Dowloading is not the same as 'stealing,' it just happens to be immoral and illegal, and involves depriving others of the financial fruit of their labors" -
I don't agree that it's ammoral by default, i do agree it's illegal. It's also not by default depriving other the financial fruit of their labors.
- what would that semantic victory accomplish for you? Does it make piracy less bad?
What it would accomplish? Simple, one less wrong in the world. *hands john a puke bag* ;-)
Seriously though, it makes clear that in a legal sense stealing != copyright infringement. That copyright infringement is a more 'socially accepted' crime by a large part of the population. And hopefully that in the future comming generations will do something about the ridiculess copyright and patent laws.
What if this year's dictionary refine their numbered definitions of stealing to include theft of intellectual property, to reflect common usage, rather than having it under "idiom." Would that change the world for you?
Irrelevant, the moment the law changes so that it equals stealing, then it would litterally change the world for me (it would just have become a bleaker place).
The world already became a bleaker place (or should i say stupid?), because today some idiots granted Microsoft a patent that governs the use of cookies (internet cookies).
I guess I don't get why this is a nit worth picking. But darn if the pirate apologists don't want to make a big deal out of it for some reason.
I har\te being called an appologist just because people find it easier to use the word steal instead of it's proper designation, copyright infringement. If you need a further explanation on my motivations i would refer you to my signature (below the big ass logo)...
