The Pirate Bay sunk in the UK

[Fpqxz]

Let me explain that your idea of what is and what is not thief is flat ass wrong.  You are simply trying to twist the definition as to not label what you do, or what to, as theft.  It is.  Deal with it or don't do it.  Taking content that you don't pay for, or have no right to make you a thief.

You didn't read a single word I wrote, did you?

And anyway, the legal definition of theft is quite a bit different from the legal definition of copyright infringement (especially in common law countries).  The U.S. Supreme Court even said as much.  You wanna argue with them, be my guest.

You're out of your depth, m52nickerson.  So why don't you do yourself a favor and shut the fuck up before you make an even bigger pretentious ass of yourself.

[Fpqxz]

Here's a question for someone with more legal expertise than me that I've been wondering about:

How do intellectual property rights intersect with free speech rights?

I ask this because I know numerous examples of things like DVD commentaries and interviews that have had to be edited, or are otherwise prohibited from distribution in certain countries, solely because the person talking made a reference to a copyrighted or trademarked product.  How does that work?  What about going on stage in front of an audience and singing a copyrighted song?  How does having legal repercussions for that behavior not end up a violation of free speech?  Why can we only write works of fiction involving people living in a generic, brand-name-less world containing no recognizable commercial cultural references without having to pay someone for the right to even mention them?

I think people have a right to their works, but going so far as to allow private entities to impose punishments on people for the manner they choose to express themselves seems downright unconstitutional.

That's a very complex question, and one which would take me far too long to answer (and I'm too fucking lazy to look through my casebooks and shit right now).  Suffice it to say that these types of issues generally fall under the umbrella of fair use, which, at least in the USA, is somewhat different for copyrights and trademarks, which are two very different types of legal protections.

Public performances and uses of songs, audio recordings, etc. generally require the permission of the copyright holder, unless such performance falls into one of the fair use categories.  I'm reminded of the time that Sarah Palin got threatened with legal action for using Heart's song "Barracuda" in her campaign.   

I hope that is an adequate but concise answer.  I really can't comment on what the laws are outside the USA, but I imagine that at least in the Anglophone world, there would be some similarities.

[m52nickerson]

You have no idea how streaming video works, do you?

I guess you don't get that you can capture streaming video and save it on your PC.

I guess that means that every time I drive on the right side of the road here in the US, then I am breaking UK traffic laws.

Not unless you can pick up the road in the in the US and move it to the UK.  Try again.

[m52nickerson]

You didn't read a single word I wrote, did you?

And anyway, the legal definition of theft is quite a bit different from the legal definition of copyright infringement (especially in common law countries).  The U.S. Supreme Court even said as much.  You wanna argue with them, be my guest.

You're out of your depth, m52nickerson.  So why don't you do yourself a favor and shut the fuck up before you make an even bigger pretentious ass of yourself.

Congratulations in the strict legal context you are an "infringer of the copyright".  That still means you are breaking the law, and in more common context you are still stealing, and still a thief.

You should look at the wiki article you throw up on theft and see what it says about the informal use.

I'm sorry if you are having a hard time with this and your attempt to justify taking what is not your.

[Witchyjoshy]

MULTI

FUCKING

QUOTE!

[VirtualStranger]

You have no idea how streaming video works, do you?

I guess you don't get that you can capture streaming video and save it on your PC.

Yes, I do know that. I've known that for years. What does that have anything to do with my post?

From a legal standpoint, streaming a copyrighted video and downloading it are the same thing. You seem to think that somehow, streaming a copyrighted song from YouTube without permission of the copyright holder is legal while downloading it without permission of the copyright holder is not legal.

I guess that means that every time I drive on the right side of the road here in the US, then I am breaking UK traffic laws.

Not unless you can pick up the road in the in the US and move it to the UK.  Try again.

Thanks for agreeing with me. You are right, it's not illegal. That's exactly what I was saying.

I have no idea what point you were trying to make here.

I think you might be confused. You should probably go back and re-read my post until you fully understand what I was saying.

[MadCatTLX]

Oh Celestia, it's Nickerson vs. Lithp all over again!

What if I want a game that is no longer for sale and can't be obtained anywhere except maybe a garage sale? An example being an old Mechwarrior game. How do you propose I acquire it other than downloading it from someone who put it up on the internet?

[Art Vandelay]

What if I want a game that is no longer for sale and can't be obtained anywhere except maybe a garage sale? An example being an old Mechwarrior game. How do you propose I acquire it other than downloading it from someone who put it up on the internet?

Ebay exists for a reason.

[Fpqxz]

Oh Celestia, it's Nickerson vs. Lithp all over again!

What if I want a game that is no longer for sale and can't be obtained anywhere except maybe a garage sale? An example being an old Mechwarrior game. How do you propose I acquire it other than downloading it from someone who put it up on the internet?

I will give you another example.  There is a death metal band that I particularly like, called The Chasm.  They are from Mexico, and their stuff is hard to find in the USA.  Most of their titles are out of print, and were produced on a very limited basis in their initial run.  I tracked down two of their albums used, but I downloaded the rest.  If those albums were to be reissued and offered for sale in the States, you bet your ass I would buy them.  Unfortunately, pirating was the only option I had to hear their excellent work.

As for looking on Ebay, I wasn't able to find their stuff on CD there.  What little I saw of their stuff on Ebay was being offered for $100 and up.  I'm not going to pay that much when the money will just go to some greasy neckbearded shut-in, rather than the band.  Fuck that noise.

[VirtualStranger]

Oh Celestia, it's Nickerson vs. Lithp all over again!

What if I want a game that is no longer for sale and can't be obtained anywhere except maybe a garage sale? An example being an old Mechwarrior game. How do you propose I acquire it other than downloading it from someone who put it up on the internet?

If the game is no longer for sale, then the original creators aren't making money off of it anyway. You can't deny them a sale if they're not selling it.

Ebay exists for a reason.

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

[Art Vandelay]

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

Like it or not, that's generally how you go about legally acquiring stuff that's no longer in production.

[Witchyjoshy]

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

Like it or not, that's generally how you go about legally acquiring stuff that's no longer in production.

Game makers would love to disagree with that, as they'd rather games never get resold at all.

[Art Vandelay]

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

Like it or not, that's generally how you go about legally acquiring stuff that's no longer in production.

Game makers would love to disagree with that, as they'd rather games never get resold at all.

I don't think they'd disagree that it's currently a legal alternative to piracy, which is what I'm saying.

[Witchyjoshy]

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

Like it or not, that's generally how you go about legally acquiring stuff that's no longer in production.

Game makers would love to disagree with that, as they'd rather games never get resold at all.

I don't think they'd disagree that it's currently a legal alternative to piracy, which is what I'm saying.

You misunderstand me.

I'm saying that they don't want it to be a legal alternative.  They want it to be considered more or less the same.

Not necessarily all game makers, just the tripe like EA and shit like that.

[Art Vandelay]

When you buy something off of Ebay, none of that money goes to the people who created it. They are no better off financially than if you had just downloaded it. That is what this argument is about, isn't it?

Like it or not, that's generally how you go about legally acquiring stuff that's no longer in production.

Game makers would love to disagree with that, as they'd rather games never get resold at all.

I don't think they'd disagree that it's currently a legal alternative to piracy, which is what I'm saying.

You misunderstand me.

I'm saying that they don't want it to be a legal alternative.  They want it to be considered more or less the same.

Not necessarily all game makers, just the tripe like EA and shit like that.

I don't misunderstand, I was hoping to confer that it's a whole separate issue. That is unless of course you're saying that it justifies piracy.