[LINK] Theft, copyright, larceny... (was: In other news....)

[Adam Todd]

At 07:34 AM 26/06/2007, Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>"Copying is theft" is only a true statement if I accept the 
>proposition that there is nothing to distinguish different laws. Or 
>to put it another way: one side of the argument says "copyright 
>infringement is equivalent to theft", the other side of the argument 
>says "copyright infringement is not equivalent to theft", and there 
>the matter lies.
>
>Legally, copyright infringement is not theft. Even where severe 
>enough to attract the attention of the police, it is a different crime.

Theft is a criminal offence, copyright, although can carry a criminal 
record, is not a criminal offence.

However, recently, a woman in Sydney was jailed for copyright 
breaches.  Although she was jailed for taking money from consumers 
for pirated products.

I guess that's theft because you take money from a person leading 
them to belive they are buying something of a legitimate nature when it is not.

There is no benefit derived to the Copyright owner from such 
activities, unless they take a civil action.