Mike - your comments were very helpful, thank you for the intro.
Chris - I think it is important to have more specifics on the laws an regulations you are referring to. Mike mentioned the copyright act of 1998, which certainly cannot be considered recent.
Are you basically asking us if
PIRACY is acceptable if you can somehow meet the test that the information is for the betterment of society?
Are you limiting your ethical debate to torrents or extending it to unauthorized file downloads of any nature?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike
... The restriction of information and helpful knowledge impedes this goal, which is a moral crime in and of itself. However, its an endless cycle. A scientist has to pay to get a starting point (whether it be ridiculously overpriced tuition, or reference books, whatever) so he believes it to be correct to charge other people for his findings...
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And most importantly, with the internet making so much information available to the public masses, and no longer just available to academia, how can we ever consider being asked to follow copyright rules, either on paper or electronic, a restriction of information?
Need a resource? Go to the library! Most college libraries and many public libraries are linked to one another with the ability to provide you with almost any source within a few days or hours. Legally.
So my two cents is this...pay the $10 to see Pirates of the Caribbean tonight, or wait the 6 months until it is out on DVD and check it out from your library for free then. In the middle of making the greatest discovery of medical history and your need Dr. Soandso's research anthology? Check with your local college to see if they will get it for you, or call him (or her) up and ask, or order the e-book online and pay for it. And when you publish your ground-breaking discovery you can give credit where credit is due, and the world will be a better place! (Climbs off soap box...)