Laws and Knowledge

[Mike]

Originally Posted by mocat1530

Ok, Chris, start with a primer. I did a Google search and checked a wiki page or two and I still don't have a clue. What is a torrent? Are these starting points of online databases? What is its value to you or me? What laws impede their use?

A torrent is a pointer file of sorts that you use to download larger files, such as ebooks, music or movies. They are largely used in the distribution of copyrighted music and other things, which breaks recent laws such as the Digital Millenium Copyright Act of 1998.

As far as I'm concerned the goal of civilization is to... well, help civilization advance. 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.

Check this page out, its aimed towards computers but can be applied to other things: http://gradha.sdf-eu.org/textos/hacker_ethic.en.html

[Cynette]

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?

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...

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...)

[John Gutmann]

It is a law for a reason, if you don't like it go find a lobbyist group.

But your asking for people's opinions, So ok here is my opinion. Just an FYI usually when I give my opinion I am usually a little harsh, don't take it personally.
Yea the law is deffinately just. If you go spend your time making music or writing a book are you gonna just give it away for free? No!!!! That is why they sell it. Sure they may be "greedy" but if you don't wanna spend the money then don't.

Your paying for a person's hard work. For many people's hard work. People have to make the plastic, make the ink, make the graphics, for the CD casing. But if if you want just the free audio, then people have to make the recording equipment, and people have to do the marketing, people have to make the materials for the equipment, make the software, make the electrical components, design it, and put it all together. And people have to make the machines that put it all together, and make those parts, and design those, and people have to pay for those skills and colleges have to pay the profs and profs have to pay for their college, and pay for their textbooks, which pays for people to write them make the ink, and print them and make that equipment.

So by everyone getting free music to world will go into dissarray.

Not really but how would you like it if a neighbor came over and jsut took your computer because they didn't feel like buying one. You wouldn't.

-John

PS - if you still don't understand you can send me your computer for free then see how it feels.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

Google Books

I've used this several times. Any public domain book is free and you can read the entire thing, but a book that isn't public domain allows you to search the entire book and read selected materials. There's not really a need to buy books from that. Just search them first, then select the ones that fit your criteria, and finally find them at a library.

[Mike]

Originally Posted by John Gutmann

PS - if you still don't understand you can send me your computer for free then see how it feels.

But then I wouldn't have a computer anymore... when I download someones book they still have their writings.

Now if you asked for the exact specs of my computer and then re-created it using your own resources (eg: bandwith) I'd be all for it.