Internet-piracy should be legal

[Tepid_Flaw]

If you choose to spend your money one something else than a movie, music or a game, is that then stealing? I dont think so. How is that so much different than piracy?

One could argue that piracy makes for less incentive for quality entertainment to be made, but doesn't that just make it a question about how else to give an incentive?

One could argue that piracy causes less niches for business to exist, but doesn't that just sound like an excuse a failing business would offer? "Have pity on us and give us money to support business." Well, I hate to break it to them, but that isn't how economics work.

The fact of the matter is, that the current system for stopping piracy doesn't work. Even if laws are made to punish piracy, they will allways lack any potent preventative effect if they can't be enforced with any consistency. The practice of punishing harshly for something that can't be enforced is dubious at best, because the way law shapes public opinion is by leading by example. Punishing someone pointlessly or for revenge sends the wrong message.

The other answer I (kinda) see to this conundrum is to reduce privacy. But who should do so? My country is certainly not going to, we've got the right of privacy written down in our constitution. Besides, it is dubious if such a local procedure would have much effect in this world of encryption and VPN:s. I doubt any country has the power to enforce anti-piracy laws on a global scale, and the tree most likely candidates that I can come up on the top of my head, USA, Russia and China, all have appalling human-rights records. Besides, who would like to be spied on by a foreign Power? That sounds like a good way to ge trampled all over in politics and business. The answer of reduced privacy sounds less and less like an alternative at all.

[Lucylu]

Downloading a film on the internet is not a big deal- but if you want to make a business out of it then you can expect a knock at the door.

There are good reasons to allow the Government to have access to internet sites e.g preventing child pornography rings. There needs to be some policing of the internet and if you aren't willing to give up a little anonymity then you have the choice not to use it. No one cares what you or I do on the internet- the changes in privacy laws would however prevent a lot of abuse of the internet by criminals such as paedophiles and terrorists.

[Teralek]

The argument that piracy takes from entertainment industry and does not promote quality is completely factually false. Every year the entertainment industry makes massive growing profits.

Internet privacy related to other criminal activities as mentioned by Lucylu needs to be monitored and there are ways to do it with minimum interference with public privacy. Suffice to say that the American way is NOT the way to do it. So please, EU and UK do not copy the US model!

[Above us only sky]

There should be a limit to intellectual property rights, it can reduce the free flow of information.

[Robert66]

Tepid_Flaw wrote: 'One could argue that piracy causes less niches for business to exist, but doesn't that just sound like an excuse a failing business would offer? "Have pity on us and give us money to support business." Well, I hate to break it to them, but that isn't how economics work'.

An apple grower used to sell his apples, to make a living, until people worked out they could steal the apples. So now the grower has a 'failing business'?

Let's call this dog by its name - we are not talking here about 'how economics work', we are discussing how thieves operate.

And the 'niches' you mention - well the Australian movie industry is one of those.

So take what you want, and justify it however you like, but remember that you are consuming a product, and in fairness you should pay for what you consume.