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Wouldn't it better to just say that you made a mistake by pirating in the past..instead of trying to make a legal distinction between the two? They are both morally wrong. But then again, you might not think that is the case.

The distinction is important because words matter. The same methods we use to fight theft don't work against piracy because piracy isn't theft. Recognizing that piracy is different is the first step to actually addressing the issue.
 
No, as no one of the content creators ceased to exist because of me or anyone else used their content for personal use.


Let’s make a small list:

Musicians that were actual back then: Still unharmed, dead at worst (not caused by us “filthy pirates”)

Game developers: wealthier than ever


Software developers: Microsoft still makes Office and earns very well. So do other who I “hurt so bad” by downloading their software.


Movie studios and publishers: take a guess???




For me personally, it is case closed. You can view how you want, you are free to have your own opinion.

Can you say with 100% certainty that every single employee who lost their job at any of the companies you listed above was not due to piracy?
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The distinction is important because words matter. The same methods we use to fight theft don't work against piracy because piracy isn't theft. Recognizing that piracy is different is the first step to actually addressing the issue.

piracy
noun
pi·ra·cy | \ ˈpī-rə-sē \
plural piracies
Definition of piracy

1: an act of robbery on the high seas
also : an act resembling such robbery

2: robbery on the high seas

3 a: the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright
b: the illicit accessing of broadcast signals

ref: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piracy
 
Can you say with 100% certainty that every single employee who lost their job at any of the companies you listed above was not due to piracy?
[doublepost=1551992610][/doublepost]

piracy
noun
pi·ra·cy | \ ˈpī-rə-sē \
plural piracies
Definition of piracy

1: an act of robbery on the high seas
also : an act resembling such robbery

2: robbery on the high seas

3 a: the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright
b: the illicit accessing of broadcast signals

ref: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piracy

Notice how nowhere it says “stealing”.
 
I completely disagree with pirating movies, music, software etc, but I also think it's stupid that one can't download a 4K title you're paid for, or that you have to use proprietary hardware to play it at all, and while those limitations exist it provides a convenient excuse for pirates to justify their behaviour, whatever their real motivations are.

I prefer physical media anyway so it's not like I am particularly affected either way.

Exactly, I have it coming on BluRay 4k anyway...streaming videos invariably suck in quality compared to the disk/hardware decoder.
 
There is no legal gray area here. Just because you want something to be a certain way doesn't mean you get to define it that way.

- Stealing anything physical denies the merchant (Best Buy for example) the cost to recover the initial purchase in addition to any markup they added for profit. It does not hurt the vendor (Warner Brothers for example) since the license and the physical media were already purchased by the merchant... but you still stole something.

- Downloading a file for free denies the profit for everyone involved and is in fact illegal and immoral. You, the thief, are benefiting 100% and the creator / owner / merchant is benefiting 0% by being denied 100% of their profit... and you still stole something.

- Lastly, you don't actually own a movie even on DVD or BluRay. You only own the license to watch it from the media linked to the license. Anyone who makes backups or copies for their personal use have to circumvent encryption. That is defined as illegal by DMCA. Maybe you didn't steal it, but you broke the law.

First, quit the judgement. None of this is about what I want or you want. No reason to make it personal.

Second, downloading a file for free is immoral but not actually criminally illegal. Look up the criminal copyright infringement statute. It's pretty limited. It's only criminal if you (a) download movies for financial gain, (b) download more than $1,000 worth of movies in a 180 day period; or (c) distribute movies before their commercial release. 17 USC 506. People downloading movies just to watch at home for their own enjoyment don't fall under (a) or (c), and the limit in (b) is pretty high. Even at retail price of ~$35, that over 55 movies per year.

Third, and most importantly, all that stuff you said about licensing is precisely why people pirate. There is no way to legitimately purchase a movie without a whole ton of BS. The DMCA was lobbied for by the movie industry. It's their benefit, not for our benefit as consumers. As I said above, show me a single way to legally get an a high quality (meaning uncompressed 4k HDR in the case of movies) movie to download to my own hard drive and play without an internet connection on my various devices. There is a way to do that with music, there is a way to do it with software. There is a way to do it with books. There is no way to do it with movies. Piracy is the only way.
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piracy
noun
pi·ra·cy | \ ˈpī-rə-sē \
plural piracies
Definition of piracy

1: an act of robbery on the high seas
also : an act resembling such robbery

2: robbery on the high seas

3 a: the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright
b: the illicit accessing of broadcast signals

ref: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piracy

Yea, nowhere in there are the words "stealing" or "theft."
 
Not necessarily related, but it's still annoying that the 4k streaming is still exclusive to the Apple TV, I mean I could just as easily plug in my MacBook Pro into a 4k tv with an hdmi cord, but alas its still 1080p. Also the built in 1800p screen should at least play 1440p.

What is 1440p? It’s not a resolution used to master content like 1080p or 2160p. It simply exists as a better desktop res above 1080p and one mainly used for gaming on systems that cannot handle 4K60. YouTube chooses to output content in many steps up to 4K and above but that’s the exception rather than the norm.
 
First, quit the judgement. None of this is about what I want or you want. No reason to make it personal.

Second, downloading a file for free is immoral but not actually criminally illegal. Look up the criminal copyright infringement statute. It's pretty limited. It's only criminal if you (a) download movies for financial gain, (b) download more than $1,000 worth of movies in a 180 day period; or (c) distribute movies before their commercial release. 17 USC 506. People downloading movies just to watch at home for their own enjoyment don't fall under (a) or (c), and the limit in (b) is pretty high. Even at retail price of ~$35, that over 55 movies per year.

Third, and most importantly, all that stuff you said about licensing is precisely why people pirate. There is no way to legitimately purchase a movie without a whole ton of BS. The DMCA was lobbied for by the movie industry. It's their benefit, not for our benefit as consumers. As I said above, show me a single way to legally get an a high quality (meaning uncompressed 4k HDR in the case of movies) movie to download to my own hard drive and play without an internet connection on my various devices. There is a way to do that with music, there is a way to do it with software. There is a way to do it with books. There is no way to do it with movies. Piracy is the only way.
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Yea, nowhere in there are the words "stealing" or "theft."

Just because one wants something to be a certain way doesn't mean one gets to define it that way.
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Then why do you waste your time with me? I won't change my beliefs.

I only engaged you in the hopes that you might realize this is not a moral or legal behavior. If not you, maybe someone reading this may get clued in.
 
First, quit the judgement. None of this is about what I want or you want. No reason to make it personal.

Second, downloading a file for free is immoral but not actually criminally illegal. Look up the criminal copyright infringement statute. It's pretty limited. It's only criminal if you (a) download movies for financial gain, (b) download more than $1,000 worth of movies in a 180 day period; or (c) distribute movies before their commercial release. 17 USC 506. People downloading movies just to watch at home for their own enjoyment don't fall under (a) or (c), and the limit in (b) is pretty high. Even at retail price of ~$35, that over 55 movies per year.

Third, and most importantly, all that stuff you said about licensing is precisely why people pirate. There is no way to legitimately purchase a movie without a whole ton of BS. The DMCA was lobbied for by the movie industry. It's their benefit, not for our benefit as consumers. As I said above, show me a single way to legally get an a high quality (meaning uncompressed 4k HDR in the case of movies) movie to download to my own hard drive and play without an internet connection on my various devices. There is a way to do that with music, there is a way to do it with software. There is a way to do it with books. There is no way to do it with movies. Piracy is the only way.
[doublepost=1551993001][/doublepost]

Yea, nowhere in there are the words "stealing" or "theft."

Yes, you outlined a technical loophole in the law. You believe that since there is no way to obtain a product on the terms you would like than it is acceptable to use whatever means to do so despite the morality of it. No need to explain any further.
 
First, quit the judgement. None of this is about what I want or you want. No reason to make it personal.

Second, downloading a file for free is immoral but not actually criminally illegal. Look up the criminal copyright infringement statute. It's pretty limited. It's only criminal if you (a) download movies for financial gain, (b) download more than $1,000 worth of movies in a 180 day period; or (c) distribute movies before their commercial release. 17 USC 506. People downloading movies just to watch at home for their own enjoyment don't fall under (a) or (c), and the limit in (b) is pretty high. Even at retail price of ~$35, that over 55 movies per year.

Third, and most importantly, all that stuff you said about licensing is precisely why people pirate. There is no way to legitimately purchase a movie without a whole ton of BS. The DMCA was lobbied for by the movie industry. It's their benefit, not for our benefit as consumers. As I said above, show me a single way to legally get an a high quality (meaning uncompressed 4k HDR in the case of movies) movie to download to my own hard drive and play without an internet connection on my various devices. There is a way to do that with music, there is a way to do it with software. There is a way to do it with books. There is no way to do it with movies. Piracy is the only way.
[doublepost=1551993001][/doublepost]

Yea, nowhere in there are the words "stealing" or "theft."

The term "piracy" was adopted when things like Napster came along. Piracy before was only defined as robbery at sea. The robbery and theft part is implied through the original definition of piracy.
 
Yes, you outlined a technical loophole in the law. You believe that since there is no way to obtain a product on the terms you would like than it is acceptable to use whatever means to do so despite the morality of it. No need to explain any further.
Just because one wants something to be a certain way doesn't mean one gets to define it that way.

Yea, it kind of does. People have a choice: buy movies under really consumer-hostile and inconvenient terms, or pirate movies.

I pirated music from when Napster first came out until a few years ago. Spotify finally gave us consumers a worthwhile alternative. I don't pirate music anymore. That's how you beat piracy - compete.
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The term "piracy" was adopted when things like Napster came along. Piracy before was only defined as robbery at sea. The robbery and theft part is implied through the original definition of piracy.

First, you're wrong. Second, that's a stretch. The term "piracy" was used to describe consumer-level infringement of intellectual property rights long before Napster and even before the internet. Unlicensed radio broadcasters were called pirates back in the early 1900s.
 
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Yea, it kind of does. People have a choice: buy movies under really consumer-hostile and inconvenient terms, or pirate movies.

I pirated music from when Napster first came out until a few years ago. Spotify finally gave us consumers a worthwhile alternative. I don't pirate music anymore. That's how you beat piracy - compete.
[doublepost=1551993778][/doublepost]

First, you're wrong. Second, that's a stretch. The term "piracy" was used to describe consumer-level infringement of intellectual property rights long before Napster and even before the internet.


You debate in black and white but exploit the gray area. The reality is there are many legal ways to get these movies in various forms.

DVDs, BluRays and BluRays with 4K will have a digital code for use on iTunes and Vudu... and through Movies Anywhere, Amazon, GooglePlay and Microsoft will add them to their lockers. Or you can buy it just on one of those services as digital if you don't want physical media. Vudu even offers low-cost conversion to make your older DVDs and BluRays digital.

Netflix, Hulu or Amazon will undoubtedly have these for streaming in the future and that's the answer to your Spotify analogy.

If you don't get on board with any of these then you simply aren't playing by the rules.
 
Meanwhile human eyes STILL cannot determine the difference between 4K and 1080P on a 12" sceen when you sitting 2 feet away. Go ahead try and prove optics and physics wrong!​
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Did you ever think maybe the reason why it is "meh" is because the studios know CRIMINALS like you will steal it no matter what they put out?!
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So? Just because you don't feel like paying for it, it is STILL illegal! The same way it would be illegal for me to come to your house and take everything YOU worked to earn money to pay for!

Why pay when it's available for free ? F**k outta here with your moralistic ********.
 
You debate in black and white but exploit the gray area. The reality is there are many legal ways to get these movies in various forms.

DVDs, BluRays and BluRays with 4K will have a digital code for use on iTunes and Vudu... and through Movies Anywhere, Amazon, GooglePlay and Microsoft will add them to their lockers. Or you can buy it just on one of those services as digital if you don't want physical media. Vudu even offers low-cost conversion to make your older DVDs and BluRays digital.

Netflix, Hulu or Amazon will undoubtedly have these for streaming in the future and that's the answer to your Spotify analogy.

If you don't get on board with any of these then you simply aren't playing by the rules.

I do subscribe to Netflix, Amazon, and others. I may be immoral, but I'm no hypocrite.

DVDs and BRs are great, but can't be watched on smartphones / tablets. Also, discs scratch, and that's a big bummer. DMCA is a bit unclear on whether it is legal to rip those files to avoid disc scratching. MA, Vudu, iTunes and such don't allow 4k HDR downloads for offline viewing. So those don't work if you're on a plane, or in an area without coverage, or abroad. No thanks. Think about that - for the purpose of fighting piracy these companies choose to burden legitimate customers; and in the end it does nothing to stop piracy. How's that for morals? And it shows what they think about their customers too.

I fully support Netflix's and Amazon's efforts to allow downloads for offline viewing. That is awesome. But they have very few non-in-house titles that support that feature. Also, the rumors that Disney is launching yet another subscription service is also pretty annoying. There is a breaking point with subscriptions.

Here is my question to you: What is the end game in convincing people that piracy is the exact same as theft of an physical object? Nobody disputes the immorality of it, so it's not going to get anyone to stop. As we all know, and as the subject of this thread shows, methods of stopping theft that work in the physical world (e.g., locks and keys) don't work in the digital world. So what's the point?

I would love a world where there was no real reason for me to pirate anything. That would be fantastic. Steam gave us that for PC games. Spotify gave us that for music. The "theft" and "stealing" analogy doesn't get us there, and actually probably takes us further back. So far, the only thing that has worked is competition. Competing with piracy is the only thing that has ever worked in reducing piracy. Nothing will ever eliminate it entirely of course, but it is possible to convert pirates into paying customers if you offer them the right products in the right way.
 
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I prefer physical media anyway so it's not like I am particularly affected either way.

I buy physical media as well... then I immediately rip it and put the disk into storage.

Having an in-home streaming library containing all our DVD/Blu-Ray movies makes it so much easier to watch one of the couple-hundred movies we've purchased over the years (compared to digging through that many jewel cases).
 
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Sadly, hackers and thieves don't even need keys anymore - {a new tool} took care of that. It amazes me the lengths people go to in order to bypass the content owner's rights. If this hack isn't from an Apple stream, I'd put my money on that new tool being this thief's method.

[Edited out the tool's name... I don't want to give anyone else any ideas.]

Or people who want to rip their legally purchased discs. Get the hell out of here with that “bypass content owners rights” nonsense.

Btw, your post was already quoted with the name so nice job. Haha. I use MakeMkv but didn’t hear about LibreDrive so thanks.
 
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