[LINK] Copyright Infringement as Stealing: Pfft!

[Richard Chirgwin]

Correction, "Brendan's point is very important".

Need to pay more attention before coffee...

RC
Richard Chirgwin wrote:
> Scott,
>
> "Identity theft" is a meaningless contrivance. "Fraud" provides a more
> accurate description of both the activity and its impact.
>
> Scott's point is very important, because the extension of concepts of
> physical property to intangibles involves very significant infringements
> into other intangibles such as freedom and liberty. In one direction,
> the copyright stazi would like to see you buy one copy of a recording
> for every device you own, would like to prevent anybody from carrying
> books or recordings across borders without their franchise, and happily
> revoke rights over stuff you thought you owned. In the other direction,
> people selling physical property - stuff you thought you really owned -
> are increasingly looking to borrow copyright-style licensing to prevent
> any and all forms of tinkering.
>
> Now. As to your appeal to people who have "had their identity 'stolen'".
> If someone defrauds me, I remain who I am - admittedly poorer, and
> definitely seeking redress. As with copyright, I suspect that the
> emergence of the expression "identity theft" has been picked up by
> corporate spin-doctors because it shifts the emphasis towards victims
> and perpetrators, and away from the weak security that enables the fraud.
>
> So my contention is that both "copyright as property" and "identity
> theft" are, among other things, tools of vested interests, and should be
> avoided, given that more accurate descriptions exist for both.
>
> Richard C
>
>
>
> Scott Howard wrote:
>   
>> So, by definition, "identity theft" doesn't exist either?  I'm sure all of
>> those that have had their identity "stolen" will be glad to hear that!
>>
>>   Scott.
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Oct 27, 2008 at 4:01 AM, Brendan Scott
>> <brendansweb at optusnet.com.au>wrote:
>>
>>   
>>     
>>> Copyright Infringement as Stealing: Pfft!
>>>
>>> http://brendanscott.wordpress.com/2008/10/27/copyright-infringement-as-stealing-pfft/
>>>
>>> Summary
>>>
>>> Infringement does not appear to fit the meaning of stealing or theft
>>> because an infringement does not involve either a taking or a deprivation.
>>>  Further, intangible rights seem almost impossible to steal by definition.
>>>  To use the infringement-as-stealing meme demonstrates something of a lack
>>> of respect for language and consequently a lack of respect for the people to
>>> whom you are speaking.
>>>
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>>>
>>>     
>>>       
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>>   
>>     
>
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