Thread: Internet Piracy

So then printing my own books of say harry potter and selling them without permission of the person who wrote it, and the company that sells it is ok. Its not stealing because I only made copies, and then sold the copies.

Originally Posted by Alric

So then printing my own books of say harry potter and selling them without permission of the person who wrote it, and the company that sells it is ok. Its not stealing because I only made copies, and then sold the copies.

NO. You don't quite get it yet. If you print copies of a book and just keep them, you're not claiming to have written the book. But if you make copies and sell them, then you have stolen the IP, because you are now effectively claiming to be the author.

Originally Posted by drewmandan

NO. You don't quite get it yet. If you print copies of a book and just keep them, you're not claiming to have written the book. But if you make copies and sell them, then you have stolen the IP, because you are now effectively claiming to be the author.

Yes I agree, you shouldn't profit off other people's work. I just think content should be shared. The whole point of content is to be shared and spread.

That being said the author needs to be compensated....its just a really tough issue overall.

Originally Posted by drewmandan

NO. You don't quite get it yet. If you print copies of a book and just keep them, you're not claiming to have written the book. But if you make copies and sell them, then you have stolen the IP, because you are now effectively claiming to be the author.

Thats not true. You could sell the copies with the authors name still on it. In which case you are not claiming to be the author. Your only profiting off his work.

I don't see a problem with that.

Except it would be impossible to make any money as an author. Why would a company pay a person for their book, when they can create it without their permission?

Originally Posted by Alric

Except it would be impossible to make any money as an author. Why would a company pay a person for their book, when they can create it without their permission?

I don't see a problem with that. It's still made clear who the author is. There is a fundamental right to ownership of ones works, but not a right to profit from them.

Because not everyone is a jerk like that.

Originally Posted by Alric

Except it would be impossible to make any money as an author. Why would a company pay a person for their book, when they can create it without their permission?

Companies wouldn't (because they have no morals ).

However I imagine a great amount of people would be willing to buy an "official" copy of the book, given an assurance that a reasonable amount of the profit would go to the author. Even better, readers would be able to choose among competing publishing companies based on how fair the profit margins are.

Originally Posted by RedfishBluefish

Companies wouldn't (because they have no morals ).

However I imagine a great amount of people would be willing to buy an "official" copy of the book, given an assurance that a reasonable amount of the profit would go to the author. Even better, readers would be able to choose among competing publishing companies based on how fair the profit margins are.

Well there needs to be a balance. Someone shouldn't be able to sell someone else's work.

But at the time you shouldn't be strung up and lynched just for downloading a new band's music.

Heck if we could all relax and find a balance then we wouldn't have a problem and artists could continue to get compensated for their work.