Community weekly poll: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials?
- 5/5/05 8:43 AM
There's a whole lot of legitimate uses
by Crash2100 - 5/6/05 11:12 AM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The way they blame file sharing for piracy, they could just as easily blame the Internet and web pages for piracy, because there's just as much, if not more files being served on web pages than on file sharing networks. If they're going to make file sharing illegal, they should make tape recorders, DVD/CD burners, PC sound cards, VCR’s, PVR's, and basically anything else with recording capabilities, illegal too. Because all those devices could just as easily be blamed for piracy too.
It's just easier for the companies to go after a very popular central location for trading. And right now, that's file sharing networks. But it doesn't do much good, because another will pop right up. Look what shutting down napster did. It didn’t stop anything and the file trading went from one basically centralized location, sharing only music, to spread all over the internet and sharing nearly everything.
These networks, just like web sites, could so easily be used for businesses and other legitimate uses. The companies are just too lazy to figure out how to do it, they just want to keep everything the way it is working now, they seem to be afraid of change. But with the way things are going, I think the people are more forcing the companies to change, because if they don't they're going to leave them in the dust.
A similar thing happened years ago with the VCR. Because the movie industry acted the same way when the VCR first came out. They were oh, so afraid that no one would go see movies in theaters and people would copy each other's movies, and the industry would go bankrupt. Yet, here we are 30 years later, they fixed copyright laws, didn't destroy the technology, and now they have VCR's and DVD's to thank for making them a great deal richer. Imagine what would have happened had the movie industry got their way and destroyed the technology.
How about secondery copyright laws?
by Socks888 - 5/6/05 12:38 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This would allow creative folk to "improve" on or alter or combine original work and if done for profit would intail some renumeration to source/s. As for folk downloading, well if taxpayers want to fund millions of law suits and make lawers richer, fine.
As for claims of original cost recovery how much cost recovery do record companies need for say, Elvis?
Inventors often have to pay the entire cost of R&D and in the end are only protected for 10 years by some very dodgable patent rights, so what fair in Love and Law?
Complex intageble forces of nature such as creativity are not perminantly containable in any case, so the system can choose between adaptation or death.
What will they do when someone invents the matermorpher?
Sue people for replecating their own socks? 
NASA LOVES BITTORRENT
by mosshaven - 5/6/05 1:27 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
NASA is full of smart people who know a good protocol when they see it. So they use Bittorrent to distribute large programs and data blocks. Like the Mars Rover control program Maestro and the big data chunks for it.
Or World Wind, the KILLER APP for those with DSL or CABLE and fast computers. It allows you to visually zoom in from orbit to most anywhere on Earth. Available at http://worldwind.arc.nasa.gov/
So it's not the P2P tool that's bad, it's how you use the tool. Eh?
Sorry Lee... mistake in the e-mail
by prbrowne - 5/6/05 1:41 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
E-Mail said:
"Since your question really has two parts: legality and security, I will answer them separately. Simply put, there is no easy way to know for sure that what you are downloading is legal. You would need some way to determine the owner of the copyright and confirm that they have made it available for download. However, you can determine with reasonable certainty a good portion of that which is illegal to download..."
But you forgot to mention that it only applies in the USofA. In Canada it is legal for us to download and share anything providing that we do not advertise our IP address and the software name along with network name.
EXAMPLE:
"I Downloaded SONG and am sharing it" is legal in Canada
"I Downloaded SONG and am sharing it at 0.0.0.0 using Bearshare / Gnutella" is illegal in Canada.
HOW TO CORRECT IT:
Next time anything relating to law should mention a country.
ALSO:
You look alot like my english teacher.
What difference?
by rub - 5/6/05 2:03 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If RIAA and the rest of the entertainment industry were really serious about copyright, they would develop their own media, lock, stock and barrel from scratch, that couldn't be copied or hacked and they would only have the problem of convincing idiots to pay through the nose for it. They're too cheap to do that though, or maybe too stupid. They want to take what others have developed, pay 2 cents on the dollar for it, and then prohibit everybody else from using it in any way other than how they see fit. They're thieves from the top down, whining about the thieves taking from them.
There are legitimate uses.
by jlfose - 5/6/05 2:25 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It is fair to contend that the bulk of file sharing that goes on is illegal. However, a number of legitimate file sharing activites also go on such as open source software swapping, certain podcasts, Independent bands trying to distribute their songs, shareware, freeware, out of copyright books etc. As with most tools, it can be used for compassionate or selfish reasons.
File sharing
by james5116 - 5/6/05 4:45 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I belive the sharing programs recieved a bad rep. by people who abuse them.They are a very useful tool when sharing large files in a network,also when trading multimedia files.
Good question to ask,Iam glad some people are asking them.
What else?
by GBTrevor - 5/7/05 5:01 AM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Personally I have not come across anyone who uses File Sharing programs for anything else but downloading programs or music/video's. Why should they need such a program when one can easily attach most files to an email or burn to CD and post it.
On the other hand if users used such programs for sharing files rather than putting oversized attachments on emails then my life would be easier, I get tired of sorting out email 'problems' when it is caused by the users email program simply trying to cope with receiving a 30Mb email!
File sharing
by jkstorozhev - 5/7/05 1:18 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am an artist and get my art work copied and sold. It's a fact of life. The way I look at it is that it is free advertising (so long as my name shows).
As far as music goes, I have over 3,000 CDs bought and paid for, and several hundred videos. I scan for music that is obscure or music I want to try. A few times I've copied music to make a compilation to fit my moods. I know many musicians who are on the fringe and love to see their music being "shared".
Remember the heavy metal bank (no pun) that prosecuted for P2P piracy? I'm sure some of you do. I was so P.O.'d I trashed the CDs I had of theirs and refuse to buy any new ones.
Movies are copied to, but have you seen the results. Half the time you don't get what you are thinking you are getting. You get CD girls do Columbia instead of the movie you searched for. You also get viruses.
Finally with regards to software, I do download and scan what I get. If I like the program, I'll go out and buy it 90% of the time. There is lots of crappy programs out there as you are all aware of.
My last note is pirate away folks. Just remember to support the good guys and I think you all know who I mean!
No matter what, there is going to be piracy. No amount of policing or ratting will end it. Technology will always catch up and new ways of sharing will come about.
I personally don't mind paying a small % on blank CD's and DVD's to be shared by the music studios and musicians.
Let's keep the damn net free. Ooooops, too late you say?
Good luck folks.
Joe the Bear
File-sharing
by shredu2 - 5/9/05 8:57 AM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The fact is, despite some artists do "suffer" from the damages of downloaded music, others prosper in terms of popularity. Games and movies and other things will probably suffer most and i can understand their prejudice agianst file sharers, as they only have one revenue to which to make money. Musicians however have cd's and concerts they go to. I know I would not be going to many concerts in the past if i had not heard some of the musicians music at the tips of my finger. In reward i go and celebrate just for the soul of music. But i donate my money to the band to se them for being patient with me when i stole their glorius music
File Sharing Programs
by seanrwilson - 5/13/05 7:44 AM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm a firm believer in the utility of P2P / File Sharing Programs. Like anything else in the world you are bound to have a good tool or technology being used by people for a wide variety of uses. However in the case of these applications, people tend to focus on the illegal sharing of copyrighted material.
Sure these tools can be used by those looking to exchange illegally obtained copyrighted material but they can also be used for legetimate purposes. Case in point, product manuals, reasearch materials etc.
But trying to take the moral "high" ground about these applications is like blaming cars for traffic accidents, Fastfood for heart disease and Television for violence etc. It's not the tool, it's who and how it's used that is important.
Why anonymous?
by marmot - 5/31/05 6:05 AM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
File sharing programs have shaken up copyright based industries like the music industry and are the direct cause of legal downloads of reasonably priced tracks.
So the illegal activity of music sharing has had a positive effect for the consumer, by breaking the major labels' stranglehold.
However, I don't see any legal file sharing which needs the sharer to be anonymous, and illegal file sharing pretty much relies on it.
so what!
by dandanthebandaideman - 1/19/06 9:48 PM In reply to: Is file-sharing programs' only purpose to illegally trade copyrighted materials? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Software distributers are making to much money anyway! Lower the price and people won't have to steal it!
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