Subject: Re: Copyright request?!? Difference Moral/Legal ?
Message-ID: <3765A0D8.DAC0EBF@dcsi.net.au>
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 10:39:52 +1000
From: brennie <brennie@dcsi.net.au>
Organization: Millennial Enterprises
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References: <199906071256.MAA08907@berlin.neuropa.net> 
<37629E8E.A11319F6@earthlink.net> <37645d24.2216771@news>

Jeff,

Agreed, there are always reasons for laws being in place. However, 
just because something is legal, doesn't make it moral. And just 
because something is illegal, doesn't make it immoral. Copywrite
laws were originally created to protect the intellectual property
rights of the developer of the work for a period of time ( so that
they could make some money from it - if they wanted to ). After that
time it would then be available to all. However, the original intent
was subverted. Look at your own constitution as an example. 

In my own country, we have had a federal politician stand up a few 
years ago and condemn a group of people for hiding people from the
immigration officials because their visa's had expired. They were
hidden because to be sent back to their country would mean imprisonment
or death. The people who participated in the protection were christians. His
statement included a line like the following - "christians are law-abiding,
so you must turn these people over to the proper authorities". He made the 
mistake of thinking that just because a law existed - that this was morality.

Morality requires responsibility for your actions and the acceptance of the
consequences. Laws provide a way to bypass personal responsibility. You say 
you "go after people" for minor infractions - is it because you want to 
teach them personal responsibility or is it for some other reason.

Piracy is a moral issue not a legal issue. To try and deal with it by law
is like spitting into the wind, you get covered by your own spit. Teaching
people to be responsible for their own actions and be aware of the consequences
to themselves and to others is a much better way to go - but a great deal more
difficult to do.

In other words "Do unto others as you would have them do to you." is what we
want to teach all men, women and children.

Jeff Blakeney wrote:
> 
> There are reasons laws are put in place and they should be observed.
> If the law doesn't make sense anymore get it changed but until it does
> change the law is still the law.
> 

It is rare to see a law changed for the better. Laws get added to - to 
cut off loopholes - but changed?????

> By the way, my biggest beef with the pirate sites and the people that
> support them is that they simply will not admit that they are breaking
> the law.  They just keep coming up with excuses and explanations as to
> why it isn't illegal when it simply and plainly is illegal.  I'd be
> much happier if they would at least start putting disclaimers on the
> sites and in there posts about these sites saying "NOTE: Some (much)
> of the material on this site is not legal to distribute."
> 
> At least then everyone, especially new people, would realize that this
> stuff hasn't all be reclassified as public domain or freeware.
> 
> Now, who brought up this topic again?  It wasn't like there wasn't
> much traffic here lately.  :)

-- 
Bruce Rennie ( from God's Own Country Downunder )
Disciple of Jesus Christ in Training

Song of Solomon ( Song of Songs ) - The greatest Love Story Ever
and a story for our times.

Be a GOD Chaser.