Copyright infringement, real problem?

[saltinespike]

The United States copyright law talks about copyright laws and copyright infringements. Where do we draw the line? Should it be more heavily enforced? What about stealing copyrighted items, such as downloading off of LimeWire?

Copyrighted information can be used for things such as fair use.

Is this a real problem?

[Mr.Vicchio]

Salt, I have a screenplay finished, I am working on my next one, and eventually I believe one will freaking sell, and on top of that it will get made and hit the theaters.

The thought of cheap skate bastards downloading the film and watching it for free irks me to no end. Sorry but I spent a lot of time writing that, spending more time trying to get it in the hands of people that can make the movie....

I ain't doing all this for free loaders.

Sure, if I made a movie, and gave it away, or wrote and did a song and gave it away.. thats one thing, anything else is theft.

[saltinespike]

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio Salt, I have a screenplay finished, I am working on my next one, and eventually I believe one will freaking sell, and on top of that it will get made and hit the theaters. The thought of cheap skate bastards downloading the film and watching it for free irks me to no end. Sorry but I spent a lot of time writing that, spending more time trying to get it in the hands of people that can make the movie.... I ain't doing all this for free loaders. Sure, if I made a movie, and gave it away, or wrote and did a song and gave it away.. thats one thing, anything else is theft.

What do you believe authorities should do to enforce this? Would you consider arresting everyone who uses LimeWire, for theft?

[tinybear]

What about YouTube? Don't they, strictly speaking, infringe copyright everyday?

[saltinespike]

Quote by: tinybear What about YouTube? Don't they, strictly speaking, infringe copyright everyday?

They say they do. But, in my eyes, they abuse that rule. The only time they use it for what it's for is when somebody makes a complaint about it. Nick Gisburne, a skeptic of Christianity was banned from YouTube for innapropriate contents, but YouTube changed their excuse to copyright infringement for use of the Matrix theme song, though tons of copyrighted songs are used on there. Excuses.

[gallo]

Quote by: saltinespike The United States copyright law talks about copyright laws and copyright infringements. Where do we draw the line? Should it be more heavily enforced? What about stealing copyrighted items, such as downloading off of LimeWire? Copyrighted information can be used for things such as fair use. Is this a real problem?

Yes. It is a real problem. The practice of law concerning copyright/patent is called intellectual property law. There are whole law firms that limit practice to intellectual property law, and most large firms have an intellectual property division. While much of the practice of intellectual property involves patent prosecution before the U.S. Patent Office, a considerable part of that practice is also civil suits against violators.

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio Salt, I have a screenplay finished, I am working on my next one, and eventually I believe one will freaking sell, and on top of that it will get made and hit the theaters.

Good luck.

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio The thought of cheap skate bastards downloading the film and watching it for free irks me to no end. Sorry but I spent a lot of time writing that, spending more time trying to get it in the hands of people that can make the movie.... I ain't doing all this for free loaders.

But that's not the problem. So if someone illegally watches it for free, do you propose to sue them for $5? Not likely. The real problem is stealing your work and selling it. Those are the bastards that need to pay you every penny they made from their theft and a hefty fine to boot.

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio Sure, if I made a movie, and gave it away, or wrote and did a song and gave it away.. thats one thing, anything else is theft.

Exactly.

Quote by: saltinespike What do you believe authorities should do to enforce this? Would you consider arresting everyone who uses LimeWire, for theft?

That's not the way it works. "Authorities" don't go around looking for violations. Generally, you have to learn about the copyright or patent infringement and then file suit to stop them, and to recover damages, i.e., the money they earned from the sale of your intellectual property + court costs + lawyer fees + punitive damages.

[Slevin57]

Well right now the major thing being copyrighted is music and video. We dont' usually nick the screenplays until they become a video.

I think the reason it continues to be a problem is that people can't see it as "stealing" despite all the little quirky TV ads. Organizations that prosecute individuals are demonized to make it look like the big bad corporation coming down on the people.

[saltinespike]

What about giving it out for free? Would you consider that theft? They aren't making profit on it.

[Autolykos]

I am opposed to copyright laws and think they should be repealed.

Hopefully the above isn't off-topic.

- Rob

[tman_ndsu08]

Quote by: Mr.Vicchio The thought of cheap skate bastards downloading the film and watching it for free irks me to no end.

No one owns information.

Sorry but I spent a lot of time writing that, spending more time trying to get it in the hands of people that can make the movie....

Every possible story that can ever be written already exists as some combination of ones and zeros.

You didn't originate anything.

You were simply the first person to place ones and zeros in that specific order.


Good for you, want a cookie?

[gallo]

Quote by: saltinespike What about giving it out for free? Would you consider that theft? They aren't making profit on it.

Yep. Still theft. In fact, if you loose in court, even though you didn't make any money, you can be made to pay the copyright holder the money he would have made by selling it to the people you gave it to for free.

[Mr.Vicchio]

Wow...

So if you guys created something you don't think you have any rights to said creation?

[tman_ndsu08]

Just because you were the first person to place ones and zeros in that order doesn't mean you own that combination of ones and zeros.

[Autolykos]

Ideas are not scarce. One man's use of an idea does not preclude another man from also using it.

Copyright laws introduce artificial scarcity by punishing those who make unauthorized copies of original works.

- Rob

[ZNFYRH]

The reason I have issue with laws regarding downloading is that it's the same as letting someone borrow your purchased copy of something.

They want it to be illegal for me to share a file with my friend, yet if I legally burn that file to a disc and hand it to my friend, that's legal.

The biggest problem with these laws is money. If you aren't paying for something you've download, and you aren't making a profit by sharing it, are you harming the owner of that intellectual property?

I don't think you are.

Yes, you're denying them the income they would normally have acquired if a person purchases something legally... but there is also another concept behind this whole sharing thing.

I realize there are people out there into the whole burning MP3s to CD thing. But there are some of us who are truly trying before we buy. I will listen to a whole CD on my computer and decide if I want it before I purchase it. I will rent a console game before I decide to buy it. I'll download a PC game as well.

The bitch about copyright laws for media is that the second you open the seal on them, you cannot return them other than a damage exchange. This means that if I am truly dissatisfied and angry about spending $40 for something I had no legal means of testing first, I'm out $40. It's an insult to the concept of consumerism.

One could easily argue that we should just accept it and find ways to "try before we buy" without breaking the law. I think the law should be more flexible.

Until it is, I won't spend the $20 on movie tix, $30 for the babysitter, and whatever in gas it takes to go to a movie that is utter crap. I don't care how many good reviews it gets. I'll download the thing and watch it at home and if I like it, I'll go to the theater or purchase it when it comes out on DVD.

The entertainment industry (music, movies, games) is the only one that has no reason to create a good product in order to make money. They make plenty based on the fact that someone cannot get their money back if they aren't satisfied. I think that's bullshit, so I don't believe in paying those people.

[gw120]

Well as far as copyright infringement, like taking someone else's song/book etc, and claiming it to be your own, I think that's okay. But as for "stealing" material off of LimeWire, should be illegal, but not enforced, like bestiality, to show the gov't frowns on it but not enough to spend money on it. Plus, does Metallica really need more money?

[Mr.Vicchio]

Quote by: tman_ndsu08 Just because you were the first person to place ones and zeros in that order doesn't mean you own that combination of ones and zeros.

That's a pretty crass thing to say.

I wrote this screen play, it's entirely original, the names, places plot line... all mine. Why shouldn't I own it?

[ZNFYRH]

You do own it.

But the problem is thus:

Do you perceive a difference between someone copying aspects of your screenplay to make money and someone downloading the movie of your screenplay for free on LimeWire?

[saltinespike]

Quote by: ZNFYRH I realize there are people out there into the whole burning MP3s to CD thing. But there are some of us who are truly trying before we buy. I will listen to a whole CD on my computer and decide if I want it before I purchase it. I will rent a console game before I decide to buy it. I'll download a PC game as well. The bitch about copyright laws for media is that the second you open the seal on them, you cannot return them other than a damage exchange. This means that if I am truly dissatisfied and angry about spending $40 for something I had no legal means of testing first, I'm out $40. It's an insult to the concept of consumerism.

But when you rent a movie, you pay for it, and the moviemaker is a little bit richer.

[Lullaby Chainer]

I wouldn't care if people stole my songs.. money isn't important to me right now. But I am scared as hell that people might steal it as their own..


Over all, I think people use the excuse "movie directors are so rich anyways." True.. but the guy on the lighting crew or the makeup artist is not so rich..