File Sharing, What do you think?

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Are companies that allow File Sharing illegal? Should they be or not?



Take a read at this story:



Interesting link



So in your view are file sharing companies and software really no different than a "Sony VCR" ?



Your thoughts?



Fellows
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    jrcjrc Posts: 817member
    I responsible for a corporate 500's software license compliance.



    I do not think file sharing is inherently illegal. Just like I do not think guns are.



    But, in the wrong hands, both are tools that allow criminals to manipulate events into crimes more readily.



    Although, I don't believe file sharing has much claim to being an effective self-defense tool.
  • Reply 2 of 21
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    File sharing is 100% legit. If not, then the World Wide Web would have to be shut down. All browsers do is take files from another person's computer. That's not illegal.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    willoughbywilloughby Posts: 1,457member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bunge

    File sharing is 100% legit. If not, then the World Wide Web would have to be shut down. All browsers do is take files from another person's computer. That's not illegal.



    Exactly. If Kaaza, Limewire etc were made illegal than you'd have to outlaw all FTP apps, web browsers and any other applications you use to transfer files even CD-Rs!



    Getting rid of those file-swapping applications is not going to stop piracy. People will always find a way to do it.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    trumptmantrumptman Posts: 16,464member
    It depends...what files do you have and what files do you want?







    Nicks
  • Reply 5 of 21
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    That is a good legal decision. File sharing is not illegal, only in cases of copyright infringement, which, contrary to what theh RIAA wants people to believe is not the sole purpose of file sharing programs.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    enaena Posts: 667member
    I am definitely FOR file sharing---I recommend running Linux with Samba and Netatalk for small-medium sized work groups.
  • Reply 7 of 21
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    the best use for filesharing, IMO is to share updates that companies want you to jump through a dozen hoops to get access to.



    they relsease a buggy product, then to get the damn update you need to fill out a pile of registration/personal info. it's just annoying. easier to go online and get it from someone else.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    Reality, 90-95%+ of the activity on file sharing networks, is infringing on copyright. Whether its music, pr0n, warez, etc...



    But there is also 'some' legitimate users/uses of them. Deciding their fate depends on whether you feel its worth the bad to save the good.



    There are visions of seamless interconnected p2p networks built on top on wireless mesh/relay networks totally out of the control of large companies and the government, where oppressed idea and news can be freely shared and discussed.



    But for now, those are just far off visions, that could be crushed by those looking to preserve their current revenue streams, and those who would take their contributions and sell out the future.... Or rightly crush these pirate scum bags... depends on your side of the issue...



    Personally, I think the big media companies, need to hurry up and figure out a new business model, they did it with the VCR which they fought, and it ended up being their biggest success ever... They can do it again, if they open themselves up and realize that things need to change...



    But for it to happen online they need to work with the infrastructure players, to build on the capacity to handle it all, without it, its poor quality mp3's and theater cam rips from here out...





    P.S. if anyone cares, 99 cents a song is not a good deal, 25 cents is more like it, paying the same amount for a album online with no tangible assets, cover art, case, etc. as buying it at a store and getting all that is not something I'd go for.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    bungebunge Posts: 7,329member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by biaachmonkie

    Reality, 90-95%+ of the activity on file sharing networks, is infringing on copyright. Whether its music, pr0n, warez, etc...



    I beg to differ. The World Wide Web is a p2p network that's relatively free of copyright infringing. Sure it's there, but it's either incidental or hard to find/temporary.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    When software prices become reasonable, file sharing will stop, untill then, fvck 'em, programmers can go live in cardboard boxes for all I care. I fully support file sharing, in all it's legal and illegal forms, and you should too!



    Does it cost less for hollywood to make a big budget film? Or for Game companies to make a game, than it does for M$ and Adobe and the rest of 'em to sell the same mildly warmed over suites/apps for year after year? No, of course not. Price of DVD? 20-40 bucks. Price of game? 30-75 bucks. Price of Office? 200-800 bucks?!?!??!? Adobe? Pick your App and pick your pain.



    Software theft is not only understandable, it's justifiable, hell, I would say it's basically a moral duty to "steal" as much software as possible.



    FIGHT THE POWER!
  • Reply 11 of 21
    giaguaragiaguara Posts: 2,724member
    i should say i don't like them ... but as i'm in apleinsider now i can even say that i have streamripper x on my dock and that giftbox is nice. streamripper is exactly the same thing as copying music from radio to cassettes was in the 80s, poor kids had no money for cds ... and still the same problem basically.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Matsu

    When software prices become reasonable...





    Good point.

    Why is it that hardware gets faster and in many cases cheaper, while software gets slower, bloated and more expensive?
  • Reply 13 of 21
    groveratgroverat Posts: 10,872member
    The software gets bloated and slower because the hardware gets cheaper and faster. Why optimize and tighten up your code when next year's computers will have 160GB hard drives and 3.5ghz processors?



    Also, computer stuff is for general discussion, FShip, there are other forums on the board.
  • Reply 14 of 21
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by satchmo

    Why is it that hardware gets faster and in many cases cheaper, while software gets slower, bloated and more expensive?



    people want more and more from software. if software had no improvements to make over time, then it would get faster, cheaper along with the faster, cheaper hdwr. but new versions of programs add new features. some programmers don't take full advantage of all the newest, fastest hdwr in their sw for sake of backward compatibility. some prog'rs are just lazy and don't make improvements on old code. some prog'rs do it right the first time, and theres nothign left to improve.



    also, prices of software aren't decided by the programmers. thats akin to blaming musicians for $20 cds. programmers punch out code, salespeople decide prices.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Filesharing is legal. But what you do with the files can be illegal. If I download 100 songs and don't listen to them or give them away, it is not copyright infringement. Also, if I download a copyrighted song and use it in a homework or other educational project it is perfectly legal.
  • Reply 16 of 21
    teddyteddy Posts: 155member
    Filesharing is legal but downloading a copyrighted file and keeping it is not. It is called stealing. And stealing is wrong. Is software over priced..... YES. It doesn't make stealing right though. You can't justify it.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    thuh freakthuh freak Posts: 2,664member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ebby

    Filesharing is legal. But what you do with the files can be illegal. If I download 100 songs and don't listen to them or give them away, it is not copyright infringement. Also, if I download a copyrighted song and use it in a homework or other educational project it is perfectly legal.



    i dont think thats true. stealing is illegal. even if you take money from a bank and give it to charity, that money wasn't yours to apportion. i think downloading 100 songs and not listening to them is still illegal (though not immoral, perhaps). the works are still being copied without required permission from the author(s); the author(s) dont care what you do with the work. also, it is not always ok to use copyright'd material in an educational project. most copyright holders allow that provision, but its not a guaranteed part of copyright law.



    i think people try to ignore or rationalize their theivary, so they won't feel so bad about it. stealing is "wrong." how you cope with it is up to you. if you're going to continue to steal, just watch ur back cuz pygs are everywhere. personally, i'm perfectly ok with being "wrong," i just keep on skanking.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    Maybe that wasn't the clearest way to put it.

    "If a tree falls in a forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Technically, yes. But if I download a song that nobody listens to, am I hurting the artist?



    What I meant was the act of downloading a copyrighted file through P2P is not illegal, it's what you do with the song afterwards that makes it illegal. There are specific exceptions to copyright when it comes to education. If I have a MP3 on my computer that no one has access to and has never been used, I can't find the file to be illegal. (I see it more in between the status of "Safe" and "illegal/legal" depending on what you do with it.) Of course there are probably 5 dumb-ass DMCA blanket laws/loopholes covering that.



    I don't see how the money situation resembles downloading a song. Money is much more valuable that a song because money is a psychical object, not a transmission of sound waves. But I think I understand where you are going with it. For starters, stolen money can be used to buy whatever you want. A song can?t. Try donating a CD of illegal songs to charity. Second, imagine you could scan/print money. Storing a scanned image of a $100 dollar bill is legal. Also giving that image to a friend. But actually printing your own money would be illegal.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Hey I won't lie. I steal music. No sense in sugar coating the truth. Fact is , it's a disgrace what's happened to music. The power of this art and its ability to move people has been replaced with what sells. It's been commoditized and bastardized in the worst way.



    I use Filesharing to find new artists that don't get radio play. Hence my wishlish to future CD purchases rarely contains a large established artist.



    Killing Napster was harmful to the industry...they still haven't recovered. What must happen is Music Downloads which offer a fair degree of portability and fair rights useage.



    I frankly don't care about the Distributors. Good music will always exist and our Gov shouldn't be enacting laws to keep alive a Business Model that eventually will be going the way of the Dodo Bird.



    About %30 of the CD's I own are from artists brought to my attention by friends(Borrowed their CD) or Filesharing. With the bulk being from Radio/TV play. I hope eventually to increase the former as I'm much happier with my overall purchases when made in this matter.



    I've been a proponent of $7 CDs. CD's now should be promotional items. Why would I care about looking for a decent non poisoned rip on Kaaza if I could buy the CD for $7. If the Album was "really" special then I could choose to purchase the Copy Protected DVD Audio or SACD version to gain access to High Rez multichannel sound. The two formats CD vs DVDA/SACD cannot exist in the same space. CD has to move downstream.



    Someone please save the music industry from themselves. They're sitting on a Gold Mine and don't know it. They have yet another chance to move into the future and generate additional revenue streams but they are frozen with fear. All people want is the music...and they don't want to go broke trying to get it.



    Something's go to give and with P2P here...it won't be the consumer wallet.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    rick1138rick1138 Posts: 938member
    Quote:

    Why is it that hardware gets faster and in many cases cheaper, while software gets slower, bloated and more expensive?



    Because the lazy programmers, who mostly have no more than a fifth grade education, sit around smoking pot all day, while those evil ones in the business department care about nothing other than lining their own pockets, most of them are embezzlers. What's worse is that it is all a plot against you personally.
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