The ability to change features, prices, and availability of things you’ve already paid for is a powerful temptation to corporations.

  • @gapbetweenus@feddit.de
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    1411 year ago

    One of the great modern scams, was to convince society that unauthorized copying of data is somehow equivalent to taking away a physical object.

      • @gapbetweenus@feddit.de
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        81 year ago

        I don’t see anything wrong with paying for software or music or digital media. I don’t think that not doing so is theft - like I also don’t think that getting into a concert without paying is theft. By the way a concert is also not digital data, at least an irl one.

        • @SCB@lemmy.world
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          61 year ago

          A library card is your ticket there and libraries are paid via taxes, which is why they’re free at point of use.

          Attending a free concert is not stealing. Breaking into the Eras tour is.

          • snooggums
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            61 year ago

            The library buys once and allows multiple people to read/watch each item without each person needing to individually purchase. Just like one person buying something and sharing it with others.

            The main point is that digitization distribution is not a concert

            • @SCB@lemmy.world
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              -21 year ago

              Digital distribution is a service. You can steal a service.

              If you fuck a prostitute and then don’t pay them, you are stealing from them.

              • snooggums
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                21 year ago

                If the prostitute uses a technique, and then you use the same technique without paying hem for reuse, is that stealing or does their direct involvement matter?

                • @sdoorex@slrpnk.net
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                  01 year ago

                  If you’re going to retype the code of a program from scratch, then your analogy is valid. If instead you are taking the production created through someone else’s labor without compensating them, then you are stealing from them.

                  • snooggums
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                    31 year ago

                    Stop reading my comments if you aren’t going to pay me.

                • @SCB@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Prostitutes don’t become prostitutes because they know secret techniques.

                  The metaphor is describing the service provided, and that not paying for said service is indeed stealing.

                  Trying to make it a different metaphor requires a new framework from you, because you copying their actual service would be you pimping them, under this metaphor.

                  • snooggums
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                    31 year ago

                    Someone sharing content on a peer to peer distribution network is not using the digital distribution service of whoever sold the content. They are not ‘stealing’ HBOs bandwidth to share Game of Thrones.

                    They are sharing a thing that they initially paid for from HBO at no cost to others, similar to letting your friends watch it with you on your TV at the same time. The only difference is scale.

        • @ParsnipWitch@feddit.de
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          1 year ago

          Libraries get money via tax. What people here are arguing for is that others should work for them or free. Because game studios, for example, are overwhelmingly not paid via tax money. They are depending on people buying their software. And many software has ongoing costs.