That's not exactly a proper analogy. First off there is an expectation that something on your front lawn is still your property and not meant for anyone else. Same goes with putting a brief case down next to you as you sit in a cafe.
However, placing that bag of potatoes in the middle of a public place (the internet) and then screaming thief when someone picks it up won't get you much sympathy in the court system. Placing your brief case next to the front door of that cafe without any means of protection will get you the same result. (If Homeland Security doesn't blow it up first.)
Why shouldn't placing something on the internet for all of the public to access not warrant the same level of scrutiny? They are inviting the public to download the material without any warning of copyright. Not everything digital in this world is owned by some corporation. (Although, I'm sure that they are working on changing that.) Believe it or not, there are still many works that are in the public domain. And that fact that I may use the words This Is It in this comment does not make it a copyrighted work of Michael Jackson or his rights holders.
I will grant you the fact that most of the downloaders are aware or at least have an idea that they are downloading copyrighted works illegally. But is it legal or just to extort money from someone who may not?
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Re: Re: Re: yeah yeah, but...
That's not exactly a proper analogy. First off there is an expectation that something on your front lawn is still your property and not meant for anyone else. Same goes with putting a brief case down next to you as you sit in a cafe.
However, placing that bag of potatoes in the middle of a public place (the internet) and then screaming thief when someone picks it up won't get you much sympathy in the court system. Placing your brief case next to the front door of that cafe without any means of protection will get you the same result. (If Homeland Security doesn't blow it up first.)
Why shouldn't placing something on the internet for all of the public to access not warrant the same level of scrutiny? They are inviting the public to download the material without any warning of copyright. Not everything digital in this world is owned by some corporation. (Although, I'm sure that they are working on changing that.) Believe it or not, there are still many works that are in the public domain. And that fact that I may use the words This Is It in this comment does not make it a copyrighted work of Michael Jackson or his rights holders.
I will grant you the fact that most of the downloaders are aware or at least have an idea that they are downloading copyrighted works illegally. But is it legal or just to extort money from someone who may not?