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File Sharing

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PartyPokemon

L or Kira?
Here it is! A debate debating if File Sharing (BitComet, Limewire, etc) should be kept legal or be illegalised. It doesn't really matter if it is legal or illegal where you live (excuse me for not knowing every place's laws), you are still welcome to debate.
Try not to spam/go off topic, don't be a troll, don't post nonsensical bull, and "most importantly" listen to the mods. *cough*

Now, for my viewpoint. I'm actually rather undecided on the topic I mean... it could be considered "stealing", but there are no real cases of e.g. musicians going bankrupt because of it... The country of Switzerland (as well as some others) seems to feel this way also and, as such, downloading from file sharing programs is legal, while uploading is not.
Ok, guys. I will leave this to you for now.
 
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randomspot555

Well-Known Member
PartyPokemon said:
Now, for my viewpoint. I'm actually rather undecided on the topic I mean... it could be considered "stealing", but there are no real cases of e.g. musicians going bankrupt because of it... The country of Switzerland (as well as some others) seems to feel this way also and, as such, downloading from file sharing programs is legal, while uploading is not.
Ok, guys. I will leave this to you for now.
Click to expand...

You don't have to go bankrupt to prove copyright infringement. All you have to prove is person A or group B is distributing your work without your permission.

And just because the programs in Switzerland are legal (they are probably legal everywhere) does not mean the act itself is. Copyright holders can still sue when their works are distributed without their permission.
 
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porygonfan

Well-Known Member
I know someone who used Limewire and went download happy downloading 100-200 songs a day, 10 movies a day, and so on. Somehow the cops caught up with him and came to his house by tracking his IP address and told him to remove it and if he uses it again he will be arrested. True story.

I'd say if your going to use these be careful!
 
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randomspot555

Well-Known Member
porygonfan said:
I know someone who used Limewire and went download happy downloading 100-200 songs a day, 10 movies a day, and so on. Somehow the cops caught up with him and came to his house by tracking his IP address and told him to remove it and if he uses it again he will be arrested. True story.

I'd say if your going to use these be careful!
Click to expand...

You or your friend are lying. Copyright infringement is a civil law, not criminal. If someone representing a music or film distributor called the cops to arrest someone for copyright infringement, they'd laugh at them and then hang up. I suppose CAMPUS police might do that, but any cops, sheriffs, or state troopers would never do such a thing.

There is also no such thing as "being careful" with file sharing. There's no way to block your IP, since it's essential to have your IP be known to download from people (and upload to others. Even dynamic IPs are traceable.
 
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XxSaintx

Well-Known Member
I don't file-share anymore, I only download from File-hosters MegaUpload and Rapidshare
much safer and damn easy to get premium accounts at the too.

EDIT: I could careless about producers and other B*S I only buy things I feel like supporting.
 
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T

.TraX.

Bad and Nationwide
randomspot555 said:
You don't have to go bankrupt to prove copyright infringement. All you have to prove is person A or group B is distributing your work without your permission.

And just because the programs in Switzerland are legal (they are probably legal everywhere) does not mean the act itself is. Copyright holders can still sue when their works are distributed without their permission.
Click to expand...

In Australia at least, you also have to prove that either you've actually lost something or they've gained something from it to do anything more than get them told to "cease and desist" pretty much.
 
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PartyPokemon

L or Kira?
I know someone who used Limewire and went download happy downloading 100-200 songs a day, 10 movies a day, and so on.
Click to expand...

Ok, maybe downloading that many could be a problem.
 
X

XxSaintx

Well-Known Member
porygonfan said:
I know someone who used Limewire and went download happy downloading 100-200 songs a day, 10 movies a day, and so on. Somehow the cops caught up with him and came to his house by tracking his IP address and told him to remove it and if he uses it again he will be arrested. True story.

I'd say if your going to use these be careful!
Click to expand...

You know how stupid that sounds "I knew some guy who knew this mail-man ect..."

Like the poster below you said they won't call the police or feds to his house over a civil law, Also LimeWire isn't illegal what people may share is so they wouldn't even bother him with having Limewire installed.
 
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Poliwag2

ship it holla
Fixed costs (the original cost of creating entertainment) do not matter in the long run. As long as marginal revenue is greater than or equal to marginal cost (the cost of creating an extra copy), there is no reason to stop producing. Since the cost of making a digital copy is basically zero, so the price of consumption should be zero.

Exposure is the intangible benefit that makes creating entertainment worthwhile. Profit can be made from complementary goods like merchandise and live shows, or product placement. File sharing should be encouraged, but myopia is pervasive.
 
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randomspot555

Well-Known Member
porygonfan said:
Guess again my friend.
Click to expand...

If you're DOWNLOADING something, your IP is displayed and is essential for establishing a quick and easy connection. I'm not intimately familiar with every P2P program, but with Bit Torrent, if you're putting too many blocks in, you won't be able to download.

The essential part of peer to peer file sharing is that it is PEER to PEER. A direct connection. Even if your IP that's displayed is a static one, they can trace it.
 
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porygonfan

Well-Known Member
Well, being this is the Debate section, go here to see two sides debate over Limewire. One side says it's illegal and invites spyware on your computer, the other side says it's safe and nothing bad happens. Read and decide for yourself what you want to believe, but my decision is already made. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070819145704AAS2YBD

oh, and here's a story about a 12 year old girl who has a lawsuit by the RIAA and could face charges of up to $150,000 per infringed song. This is about Kazaa, but easily proves my story on Limewire. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/09/the_riaa_sees_the_face/
 
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superluis5

superluis5

Paraguayan Trainer
You should never share imfo on the net
 
Little_Pikachu

Little_Pikachu

With Action Amusing!
I used to download a lot from P2P programs, since I got my new computer about 3 years ago I haven't touched one, but that's because they tend to come packed with viruses (never noticed on my old computer because my dad had it riddled with every nasty thing going anyway!).

Oh well... There are ways you can be traced on the Internet, not just via file sharing, they can find you if you're just sitting here on SPPf, though I don't think you'll be getting police at your door for discussing the next gen pokemon. Some ISPs have started sending out letters to people who download illegal files to advise them that it isn't acceptable and apparently they will cut your Internet off for it, though I haven't heard of any cases where it's actually happened.

My personal view is a bit lazy as anything I download, I probably wouldn't buy anyway, just random singles that I could do without easily. There's no real excuse other than being a cheap skate for people who download full albums of bands they actually like, although morally, if you make up for it with things like going to shows and buying merchandise I suppose you're doing your bit to support them. CD sales don't account for as much of a bands fortune as they used to, some have even taken to providing new singles on their website for a free download so you don't have to sneak around and get it illegally.
 
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PartyPokemon

L or Kira?
Want to add something to the debate, like logic or reasoning?
Click to expand...
Thank you, Daveshan.

The big question here is "Should it be considered stealing?" I see some good points are being raised. In my opinion, as Little Pikachu said in her red font (I felt sorry for colourblind people as I was reading that), if you buy merchandise and go to shows you more than make up for all the free files you downloaded. Good points.
In my opinion it's fine, but post your cons. (Remember, as long as you make your points, there are no right or wrong answers).
 
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Tsisque

Well-Known Member
I think that file sharing is fine until you get extravagant with it. Downloading a song here or there is okay, as long as you aren't downloading a hundred or so every day.
 
A

Addie

(•✖•)
Yeah, I agree. I once had Limewire, but then it crashed my computer, so I was like o_O; and stopped. : /
 
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DGCatAniSiri

Charmingly Cynical
I admit to using file sharing, primarily to get episodes of TV shows. I have on my computer a number of episodes from shows that are no longer aired and either are in limited DVD release or aren't released at all. If these shows were to be released on DVD, I'd have no problem with buying those and deleting the episodes off my computer - God knows I could use the memory space for other things. I also do that for when I've missed an episode of a show and want to get caught up, but those I delete once I've watched them.

One thing that bugs me, though... Businesses and such can prosecute whenever they can, but they're not going to stop it. So, they should embrace it. Let's face it, people would, if given between the option, prefer to download a torrent or something from an approved site over off one of the various downloading sites - less chance of viruses tagging along. So, the networks release their own torrents, and, in cases of TV shows, if they're THAT bugged about advertisers, they can imbed one or two commercials (like Hulu does, for example) into the file at the regular commercial breaks. Ta da, problem solved.
 
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Penguinist Trainer

Well-Known Member
Honestly, I see nothing wrong with file-sharing. That is the WHOLE point of the internet, to share files. I'll admit I have a bunch of downloaded music on my computer and you know what, I bought the albums from the artists that I liked. I used to download video game ROMs to try out video games and see which ones I liked enough to buy.

Hell, even the pictures and sprites and avatars on these posts are downloaded from other sources. I mean none of us actually drew any of these pictures. I don't think the problem is with file sharing at all, I think the problem is when people believe they are entitled to copyrighted material just because they downloaded it.

Real fans download a creator's works because they enjoy it. They pay for it for the love of their creator.
 
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