Why is there simply not a mass elimination of torrent sites on the par

[Fatalmasterpiece]

A VCR can be used to record copyrighted television and distribute illegally. Should not VCRs be made illegal? That may seem silly but when they first hit the market this was a serious discussion.

 

You can't just make illegal a piece of technology which can be used for legal consumer activity just because some may use it for illegal activity. Spray paint is used by taggers and gangs, Guns are used by criminals, Mini camcorders are snuck into theaters... Spray paint is also used by do-it-yourselfers, Guns used for hunting and self defense, Mini camcorders used for home movies and torrent sites are used by millions to share public and free files with others.

 

I'm a independent musician. I upload my own music onto torrent sites for people to find and download. This is a perfectly legal and useful service they provide users like me.

[evilneko]

The torrent protocol itself has been ruled by the Supreme Court to have substantial legal use.

 

Exactly, Sony vs. Betamax.

 

Secondly, piracy generally affects smaller companies more profoundly than it does larger ones. For Behemoths such as Microsoft, piracy is actually beneficial: for every illegal copy of Windows in existence, there is one person who isn't using their competitor's OS.

 

It can also be beneficial to small, even indy developers. I had never heard of a little game called Space Empires until a friend of a friend pirated it and we all three played a quick game over at his house. I later went home to find out where I could get it and ended up buying SE4 and later SE5. Though I didn't much like SE5. :mellow:

 

It's difficult to measure the impact piracy actually has and nigh impossible to place a realistic dollar figure on it because you have to answer two very difficult questions. The one everyone asks is how many people would have bought the game if they couldn't pirate it, but a much less frequently asked one but IMO even more important one, how many people bought the game because they--or someone they know--pirated it first?

 

The MPAA, RIAA, and BSA/ESA very likely know this, and know that the figures they push are utter bull. They also know that torrent sites are little more than nuisances when you look at the big picture. They just make noise about it once in a while to try and rattle people.

 

All of which goes toward this question...

 

So why isn't there international cooperation between authorites to clamp down on it? You know, coordinated activities and such.

 

The answer is, they simply don't care enough.

 

Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit, and they really are as dumb as they act. :teehee:

[SpellAndShield]

The torrent protocol itself has been ruled by the Supreme Court to have substantial legal use.

 

Exactly, Sony vs. Betamax.

 

Secondly, piracy generally affects smaller companies more profoundly than it does larger ones. For Behemoths such as Microsoft, piracy is actually beneficial: for every illegal copy of Windows in existence, there is one person who isn't using their competitor's OS.

 

It can also be beneficial to small, even indy developers. I had never heard of a little game called Space Empires until a friend of a friend pirated it and we all three played a quick game over at his house. I later went home to find out where I could get it and ended up buying SE4 and later SE5. Though I didn't much like SE5. :mellow:

 

It's difficult to measure the impact piracy actually has and nigh impossible to place a realistic dollar figure on it because you have to answer two very difficult questions. The one everyone asks is how many people would have bought the game if they couldn't pirate it, but a much less frequently asked one but IMO even more important one, how many people bought the game because they--or someone they know--pirated it first?

 

The MPAA, RIAA, and BSA/ESA very likely know this, and know that the figures they push are utter bull. They also know that torrent sites are little more than nuisances when you look at the big picture. They just make noise about it once in a while to try and rattle people.

 

All of which goes toward this question...

 

So why isn't there international cooperation between authorites to clamp down on it? You know, coordinated activities and such.

 

The answer is, they simply don't care enough.

 

Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit, and they really are as dumb as they act. :teehee:

 

Apparently Bill Gates is happy that the Chinese pirate Microsoft? He thinks it increases sales over the long run because of exposure.

[marharth]

The torrent protocol itself has been ruled by the Supreme Court to have substantial legal use.

 

Exactly, Sony vs. Betamax.

 

Secondly, piracy generally affects smaller companies more profoundly than it does larger ones. For Behemoths such as Microsoft, piracy is actually beneficial: for every illegal copy of Windows in existence, there is one person who isn't using their competitor's OS.

 

It can also be beneficial to small, even indy developers. I had never heard of a little game called Space Empires until a friend of a friend pirated it and we all three played a quick game over at his house. I later went home to find out where I could get it and ended up buying SE4 and later SE5. Though I didn't much like SE5. :mellow:

 

It's difficult to measure the impact piracy actually has and nigh impossible to place a realistic dollar figure on it because you have to answer two very difficult questions. The one everyone asks is how many people would have bought the game if they couldn't pirate it, but a much less frequently asked one but IMO even more important one, how many people bought the game because they--or someone they know--pirated it first?

 

The MPAA, RIAA, and BSA/ESA very likely know this, and know that the figures they push are utter bull. They also know that torrent sites are little more than nuisances when you look at the big picture. They just make noise about it once in a while to try and rattle people.

 

All of which goes toward this question...

 

So why isn't there international cooperation between authorites to clamp down on it? You know, coordinated activities and such.

 

The answer is, they simply don't care enough.

 

Or maybe I'm giving them too much credit, and they really are as dumb as they act. :teehee:

 

Apparently Bill Gates is happy that the Chinese pirate Microsoft? He thinks it increases sales over the long run because of exposure.

I don't think Bill Gates would care much seeing as he retried from Microsoft...

 

How are Chinese going to buy his products anyways? I would rather have someone use my software and games for free then have them not be able to use them at all.

[JimboUK]

 

So why isn't there international cooperation between authorites to clamp down on it? You know, coordinated activities and such.

 

There is cooperation but getting the cooperation of every nation on the planet is near impossible, These sites do get taken down regularly, the problem is they just go elsewhere, load a back up and carry on as before.

 

 

Have you ever heard of Interpol, G20, The United Nations, the Geneva convention? Julian Assange, whom American judges are seeking an extradition to the US, might disagree with you.

 

The G20, UN and the Geneva convention are not law enforcement agencies, Interpol is international but not global. I'm not sure where Assange fits into this but the chances of a court here sending him to the U.S are slim to none, U.S politicians who put their mouth into gear before engaging their brains have seen to that.

[Jiggalopuff]

Apparently Bill Gates is happy that the Chinese pirate Microsoft? He thinks it increases sales over the long run because of exposure.

Microsoft would rather have people pirate their software than pay for their competitiors, as it means that platforms such as Linux and Apple are much less of a threat to thier monopoly in the software market.

 

 

The G20, UN and the Geneva convention are not law enforcement agencies, Interpol is international but not global.

No, but they do have strong influence on international law, and because piracy is as much of an economic issue as it is a legal and ethical one, they might get involved.

 

I'm not sure where Assange fits into this but the chances of a court here sending him to the U.S are slim to none, U.S politicians who put their mouth into gear before engaging their brains have seen to that.

I was using Assange as an analogy, as U.S. judges essentially wanted to try Assange for crimes against the U.S. he committed while in another country.

 

I don't think Bill Gates would care much seeing as he retried from Microsoft...

He still owns a large portion of the company in stocks, even though he may have retired from day-to-day operations. As a stockholder, he still holds a vested interest in Microsoft.

 

How are Chinese going to buy his products anyways?

The Chinese use much of the same hardware and software that Americans do, who do you think manufactures most of our electronics? East Asia!

 

 

So why isn't there international cooperation between authorites to clamp down on it? You know, coordinated activities and such.

Most likely because many countries, especially places such as Eastern Europe, are unable to afford the police forces that the developed world has. By comparison, look at the many South American countries that import drugs and sex workers into the U.S. According to my Computer Science teacher, a lot of cyber-crime(E.G. identity theft, credit card fraud) is perpetrated by people in Eastern Europe, where many have easy access to the online world, but have little law enforcement.

[brokenergy]

Mainly two reasons

 

1. It would infringe on net neutrality where if one place was distributing free software (lets say a free graphical software for users to try) for users could be shut down inadvertently. It could spread into other areas as well. So elimination is not a good idea.

 

2. It's like trying to fill the leaks in a sinking boat. Eliminating ten torrent sites would have limited effect.

 

Best thing is to ignore and educate, pirates are not going to go away but educating kids on why piracy is wrong could go a long way.

 

And that is Broke's advise for the day.

[evilneko]

Best thing is to ignore and educate, pirates are not going to go away but educating kids on why piracy is wrong could go a long way.

 

And that is Broke's advise for the day.

 

As long as they do it like

:laugh:

[brokenergy]

Best thing is to ignore and educate, pirates are not going to go away but educating kids on why piracy is wrong could go a long way.

 

And that is Broke's advise for the day.

 

As long as they do it like

:laugh:

 

I would personally like it if characters broke the forth wall and make you feel really bad. Everyone knows that guilt helps.

[Fatalmasterpiece]

"Stealing" "potential profit"

 

I always thought that this was a hilarious notion but... alas, understandably we really can't go into it more on this forum.

 

I wonder, if and when we have Star Trek like replicator devices, will it be copyright infringement if I replicate myself some fake Adidas shoes? :)