Quote:
Originally posted by bonbonbox
A CD is not a MP3. There are so many differences I will not expound on them. When a "record" company puts out MP3's for sale of an artists work, and I download that MP3, then I'm a thief. For now they are manufacturing CD's and charging more than the market will bear, which is why sales have gone down. I have never stolen a CD online. That would be hard to do, stealing a CC # first and all. That technology allows CD's to be converted to MP3, quite well I add, does not make that MP3 a CD. "Record" companies lost the reel to reel, 8 track, and cassette recording cases. The only difference is that MP3 does a better job and can be distributed quicker. When automobiles came out the horse and buggy people didn't take the position that autos were moving in on thier business so therefore the imperial federal government had to restrict autos. Autos were a different way of getting form A to B, and MP3's are a different way of recording. That the quality of MP3 is better than tape does not negate the logic applied in the tape case. Call me not a thief, sir/maam. Call me up to date.
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Hey Knifemissile, I guess you have to take your "No one is disputing that copyright infringement (which, legally, is not theft, that's a different offense) isn't illegal, because it is, plain and simple." comment back now.
Your position, bonbonbox, is indefensible. Downloading copyrighted MP3's is morally theft, even if, as KnifeMissile said, it isn't legally the crime of theft. Just because a CD isn't in the format you want is not an excuse for stealing. Just because a CD is, in your opinion, too expensive is not an excuse for stealing.
Let's look at it this way: say U2 is coming through town on a concert tour and the tickets are $100.00. You think the tickets should be $10.00, so you make nine illegal copies of the tickets and give them out to strangers outside the show. Is that right or wrong? Does that help or hurt U2? Does that make society a better place or a worse place?