[John Robertson]

Up to post 11, EVERYBODY here is wrong. It's stealing. Someone spent money and made it. Valenti is a major mouthpiece, of course. And the quality of most of this stuff is mediocre, and its morality nonexistent.

But does that justify stealing it? No way, no how.

Try telling a cop you shouldn't be pinched because you just took a Chevy Malibu, a car that isn't all that great.

Wake up, people.

[Sloth]

If the owner still has the Chevy Malibu, it ain't stealing.

Is piracy inherently wrong? Perhaps. Is it illegal? Definitely. But that doesn't make it stealing. The crime is copyright infringement, NOT theft. Theft necessarily takes something of value without permission. Piracy doesn't involve "taking" anything, because any supposed lost profits are imaginary, not real.

[wizzler]

Copyright is apparently a difficult topic for most average joes to get their heads around. Because watch -- we're probably about to get hit with a bunch of irrelevant responses. Among the possibilities:

- CDs are "overpriced."
- The record industry "rips off artists."
- If I download something, the original still exists and nobody has been hurt.
- Kazaa is no different than the public library or Blockbuster.
- The entertainment business "should have embraced Napster."
- Etc., etc.

Wouldn't be surprised if someone has already launched one of these illogical gems by the time I finish writing this and hit the POST button.

[BlkConserv]

Up to post 11, EVERYBODY here is wrong.

Reread my post. Did I lobby on behalf of those who download movies or music?

All I said that such a thing (downloading movies) is a big waste of time because, unlike music, movies have fallen in price to the point that anyone can buy one on the cheap. VHS movies even cheaper. Besides, the quality would suck.

So go pound sand or something....