
Thanks!
No it's not. When you steal physical property you deprive the owner of that property. Using unlicensed software is a breach of copyright. This is not theft no matter how much Warner Brothers, Microsoft and any other IP developer will try to make you think it is. Tell me, where and when do people get charged or convicted of theft for using unlicensed software, or copying dvd's or what have you.sierra2469alpha wrote: Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property.
Using software that you do not have a license for is the same as stealing. Don't believe me? See what happens if you get caught with pirated software when traversing Changi Airport.rattlesnake wrote:Using unlicensed software is a breach of copyright.sierra2469alpha wrote: Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property.
Read my post again Plavt. You have missed the point. If you are just looking at whether you get in trouble or not why not say, selling pirate software is the same as selling drugs. Just try do both in Singapore.Plavt wrote:Using software that you do not have a license for is the same as stealing. Don't believe me? See what happens if you get caught with pirated software when traversing Changi Airport.rattlesnake wrote:Using unlicensed software is a breach of copyright.sierra2469alpha wrote: Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property.
Instead of perpetually posting your nonsensical rants I suggest you think about what you are saying; what are you doing if you are copying and using something you have no legal right to? In short stealing that is the point being made.rattlesnake wrote:
Read my post again Plavt. You have missed the point.
You love splitting hairs, don't you? Someone steals a copy of my software off a warez site. They have physical possession of the software package and I did not get paid for it. What's the difference between this and stealing a car of a dealer lot? None. In each case the thief has appropriated property for his own use without compensation to the rightful owner. This is theft. That the law does not cover this theft is a problem with the law, not the definition.rattlesnake wrote:No it's not. When you steal physical property you deprive the owner of that property. Using unlicensed software is a breach of copyright. This is not theft no matter how much Warner Brothers, Microsoft and any other IP developer will try to make you think it is. Tell me, where and when do people get charged or convicted of theft for using unlicensed software, or copying dvd's or what have you.sierra2469alpha wrote: Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property.
I do not agree that people should do it, it is generally a criminal breach of copyright depending on what country you are in, but it ain't theft. I agree that as a developer you may feel like someone is stealing from you, just as an animal rights campaigner feels that it is murder when I step on a cockroach. Feelings aren't laws though.
Take a breath for a minute and go back to the original statement which I disagreed with. "Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property." Stealing software when it is a cd, in a box, in a shop is a theft. This is because it is physical. In the context of the discussion, someone coming into Singapore with some unlicensed software on his PC, assuming he downloaded some warez, this is not stealing. This is because it is not a physical item. It exists logically. It is still a potential deprivation of someone's income which can be rectified through a law suit, and it is still generally a breach of copyright.Strong Eagle wrote:You love splitting hairs, don't you? Someone steals a copy of my software off a warez site. They have physical possession of the software package and I did not get paid for it. What's the difference between this and stealing a car of a dealer lot? None. In each case the thief has appropriated property for his own use without compensation to the rightful owner. This is theft. That the law does not cover this theft is a problem with the law, not the definition.rattlesnake wrote:No it's not. When you steal physical property you deprive the owner of that property. Using unlicensed software is a breach of copyright. This is not theft no matter how much Warner Brothers, Microsoft and any other IP developer will try to make you think it is. Tell me, where and when do people get charged or convicted of theft for using unlicensed software, or copying dvd's or what have you.sierra2469alpha wrote: Stealing software is the same as stealing any physical property.
I do not agree that people should do it, it is generally a criminal breach of copyright depending on what country you are in, but it ain't theft. I agree that as a developer you may feel like someone is stealing from you, just as an animal rights campaigner feels that it is murder when I step on a cockroach. Feelings aren't laws though.
Your other 'examples' are bogus. Fair use doctrine permits me copies for my own personal use (not withstanding the assholes at Apple and other places who want me to buy two or three copies for different devices). Fair use doctrine permits me to copy my LP or 8 track to a new format.
Sorry, it exists physically on the disk, or the thumb drive or where ever it might be stored... just like it exists physically on the CD.This is because it is not a physical item. It exists logically.
Just cos you believe that, doesn't make it so. If software was physical don't you think it would be called err hardware? You can't see it, you can't touch it and you can't throw it at your wife during an argument.Strong Eagle wrote:Sorry, it exists physically on the disk, or the thumb drive or where ever it might be stored... just like it exists physically on the CD.This is because it is not a physical item. It exists logically.
Whether or not I still have a copy after you steal it is beside the point. You have taken it. Taking without permission is theft, no matter how you wish to define it, and it should be prosecuted as theft.
PS: My breathing's just fine. How about yours?
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