Feds take down MegaUpload, Anonymous retaliate by attacking DOJ and FBI servers

Saying you can fight piracy by providing a better service is nonsense, when it comes to the best service, the pirated goods are more than likely as good as it gets, so how are you going to convince someone to pay for something when they can get it for free.

People chose not to pirate for personal reasons.

As much as i hate SOPA etc...losers like anon are the other extreme and just add fuel to the fire, things like this will only help convince people that the internet should be more regulated.
Internet freedom can only be kept by the masses protesting in a meaningful way, and not by some bored geeks being childish.

 

the problem with megaupload was that they were profiting off its users via their affiliate program through uploads & downloads of copyrighted infringement properties. this is the same as some dude downloading games or movies, burning them on to discs and selling it for money. i won't be surprised if the other major players in file hostings (filesonic, fileserve, etc.) get raided too because they basically had the same business model. since megaupload's shutdown, all these other guys are quickly changing their site's policy, removing their affiliate payout programs, users files & accounts, etc. basically removing every evidence of copyrighted material in their db.

 

He is actually right, it's not "theft". It's actually "Copyright Infringement" (you are making a copy) which is far worse legally.

Just compare what happens if you steal a CD or download a CD:



Steal a CD = Petty Theft [non-Felony]:

Download a CD = Copyright Infringement [Felony]:

So in reality, whenever they say that you are "stealing" by downloading, they are actually helping the downloader's case by implying it's not Copyright Infringement.

 

Agreed.

 

If you take a product without paying for it that is stealing...you can twist, change, rationalize it all you want but it's stealing. If you think the product is not worth what that person/company is charging it doesn't make it ok to steal the product. If it was food or water to keep you from starving then people would understand.

 

Did you even read what I wrote?

 

The point is that the law is excessive.

Stealing from a shop will land you in less hot water as chillin illustrated.

 

Happened to me the other day. I was doing some DIY but I had misplaced some tools on my last job. So, having bought them from B&Q I just walked in and took replacements, without paying.

Oh that's right, no I didn't because that would be taking something I didn't own.

We can dress up this argument over copyright any way we want, but piracy is NEVER justiable EVER. I someone loses digital media, it's lost. Just because they once had it doesn't give them the right to take more. If they do it's the same as the example I gave above.

On the subject of all the download sites being closed, it's terrible. If they have evidence of breach of copyright by the site then good for the authorities. If its just the end users, then the public once again that pay the price for the actions of a criminal minority.

As was said above, the penalties for copyright offences are offensive to any concept of natural justice. Copyright infringement is not stealing and given its prevalence it should be atracting similar penalties IMO.

 

that analogy doesnt exactly carry over to intangible goods quite the same way you intend

 

Cool rap parody about it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw3DjJJhEjM&feature=g-u-u&context=G2496eb9FUAAAAAAAJAA

 

No, it doesn't really carry over does it?

With games/software you are paying for a licence to use the software, not the physical disc, so i would say as long as you have the serial number, then your legally entitled to do so.

 

On the first part my opinion is that it's your loss - but some companies will help by providing another copy granted you can prove you purchased it. Like a real physical product, if you misplace or lose it, that's your fault. Let's say though that you still have a ligit key and just don't have the media/files - in this case I don't see a problem downloading the media/files as long as you use your own key (like Microsoft OS's for example, you can download the media all you want, it's the key that activates the software.)

Now if I was sitting on the jury, or I was the judge, and you downloaded a game illegally but can prove you had purchased it and just lost it, I'd give you a pass. But technically speaking you'd still be in the wrong. It'd be kind of similar to being ignorant of a law (any law) and you told the police "I didn't know that was illegal" - that defense doesn't work - ignorance is not a defense and I think it would be similar in a way.

On the second part, when something is no longer sold and you can't purchase it. Perhaps the company goes out of business, etc... Well, first, when it comes to certain IP eventually it becomes public domain and then you can have it for free anyway. I don't think games falls under this category but music does (for the most part), patents, etc, etc...

 

Technically yes, but saying Copyright Infringement doesn't carry over to all languages and terminology. It means more to average person to say theft or stealing.

For example: "In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it"

In the definition it specifically says "property" and "deprive... owner of if" - two things that definitely discount when there is no property or deprivation of property - but you could argue that you deprived the person a potential sale.

Copyright Infringement is more accurate to downloading software but it's silly to state that someone "infringed on the publisher's copyright laws by downloading that software" especially on Internet forums where it's more common to say theft.

In any case, the idea is to call out those who download or use something they didn't purchase when it's not a free item. It's more impactive to say that person is a stealing, rather than copyright infringement.

 

I bet blank blu-ray disc sales are going to go up..lol

There will always be a black market..

 

i only use blank blu-ray discs for system images and backups of important data. but tbh, i havent touched a disc since i figured out how to rip my blu-rays to .mkv

 

http://ingame.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/24/10226771-megaupload-chief-also-loses-title-of-top-ranked-call-of-duty-player

An interesting side effect...

 

lol , very interesting indeed !