Is Piracy Over the Internet Really Piracy?

How Social Behavior of Humans Creates Laws

For thousands of years, human beings have made laws so as to avoid confusion, chaos and anarchy. But laws are made only out of the need for the laws. Piracy was the sole motivator for the need for laws on intellectual property, such as copyrights. But if society as a whole does not
 recognize the law, then is the law really correct, or could there be some flaw in the law itself.

A majority of the people in the world who utilize the internet come in contact with so called "pirated" software or music or some other data, at one time or another. Often such people are not worried about the consequences of use of such "pirated" software. In fact, most people would continue to download pirated software at their own leisure while not recognizing its legal value. There are very few people who actually bother being purely original, or who have downloaded pirated data without knowing that it is illegal.

We must ask ourselves who makes laws? It is said that society makes laws and criminals break them. But if the majority of the society does not recognize the existence of the law, can you actually say that the law was made by the society. This argument holds true especially in the case of piracy over the internet, as majority of the users of the internet do not recognize downloading software, music or data as illegal. This would indicate that majority of the society does not recognize downloading such data illegal and therefore who is to say that such a law against it exists. If every person is equal in this world, why should users on the internet have to follow the laws laid down by the rich minority. Shouldn't the law consider the opinion of majority of the people?

Related information
  • What is piracy over the internet?
  • Does a law exist if majority of the society doesn't decide its existance?
  • What is really more important, freedom to information or money?
 
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Its a different point of view but a very true one. The world will define piracy better in a few years time

Posted on 09/08/2008 at 7:09:38 AM

Wow this is really food for thought. This article is well written and it really makes me wonder of what is right and what is wrong. It is not just a rationalization but more of logical reasoning for the improvement of human beings all over the world by making information freely available.

Posted on 06/18/2008 at 11:06:17 AM

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