Let’s face it – you want free stuff.

No, we don’t want rights taken away from people.

Not only that, but you think that you somehow have a “right” to freely enjoy the products of privately owned companies creating entertainment products at their own expense. Where did you get this idea?

We didn’t. You’re making that up as a strawman.

What if the same were true of beer, and people figured out some way to steal cases of it at will from supermarkets instead of paying for it. The government would have to step in, as it is now, because they are smart enough, unlike most of the commenters here, to understand that if a business has no revenue left it will simply die, and there will be no further product to steal. Molson would suffer massive layoffs (as has happened in Hollywood, BTW – it’s a myth that they are rolling in money) the variety of new beers would shrink, and Molson would try to hire lobbyists to put an end to this thing

If you can’t understand the difference between taking a physical product, such that there is now one less of them in the world, vs. making a copy of something, such that there are now more of them in the world, it’s hard to take you seriously.

Furthermore, your statement that “if a business has no revenue left it will simply die” totally falsely supposes that we’re talking about companies making less revenue. We’re not. We’ve explained how to embrace stuff so they can make more money. Hint: just because one of our products goes from being a product to being an advertisement for another product, it doesn’t mean you stop making money.

People would hate it – Evil Molson! Corporate hegemoney! We want our free beer! Democracy says we should vote on whether beer is free!!!

Ok. If you want an exact analogy… let’s say that that you invented a machine that let you produce beer out of thin air. Would you now think it’s fair that Molson forces you to break that machine?

There is no difference. Deal with it.

Uh compared to your bizarre and inaccurate analogy and reality, yes, there is a huge difference.

Piracy is theft, because if something is worth 90 minutes of your time, you would have paid for it.

How long did you spend reading this and writing your post? Did you pay for it?

How long did you spend sleeping last night? Did you pay for it? I would assume it was more than 90 minutes.

Somethings are valuable, but yo udon’t pay for them.

If the price is too high, then just don’t pay, and watch something else.

Indeed. And in the same manner, if the market tells you that they want to pay less for your product and will go elsewhere for alternatives, then just don’t go running to the gov’t to pass laws making them criminals for going to alternative sources.

Deal?

BMWs are expensive, that that give you the right to steal one because you want to joyride in one, even if you return it unharmed? Do you have the right to squat in expensive hotel rooms, even though they would otherwise sit empty?

Of course not. And no one came close to arguing that. Strawman fail.

Lots of hard working people are losing their jobs in production here in Canada because some politicians are dumb enough to listen to people who just want free beer.

No. If people are losing their jobs, it’s not because of people wanting stuff for free. It’s due to companies failing to adapt to a changing marketplace.

Also, all forms of sale have anti-theft mechanisms on them. What do you think that scanner thing at the exit of The Gap is? People steal, that means honest people have to endure some inconvenience, just like terrorists have made flying more difficult for harmless travelers. That’s life.

Yes, and if we were talking about stealing, you’d have a point.

But we’re not.

Seriously, grow up, all of you.

I’m old enough to recognize the difference between theft and infringement. Are you?