Comcast torrenting letter-RECEIVED!

[Melvang]

The only way it isn't considered theft is if you already own a physical copy.

Considered by whom or what? You personally? Your city law? Your county law? Your state law? Your country law? Someone or something else?

My ex girlfriend who's roomate had downloaded a bunch of mp3s and some roms plus emulators who actually had charges filed against her.  No jail time but an ugly fine.

[paicrai]

ITT Piracy is piracy

[divito]

Explain this "problem" to me.

Say for instance you own a bar and you have a customer that is selling drugs.  Are you the problem if you kick said customer out of your bar?  This is the exact same path of logic. 

An illegal activity was involved, the owner of the medium for the illegal activity acted in their best interest, and yet they are the problem not you for doing something illegal.  I fail to see the logic in this.

In an area that is forever trudging through a changing landscape of creation, distribution and consumption, internet ventures of all sorts are slowly altering old laws and old mindsets. Consumers have more power and control now than they ever have before. The analogy of drug dealing within an establishment is a touch different given the history and general nature of drug legality as opposed to file sharing (with save maybe, marijuana, which is having a similar effect currently). So many countries and definitions in regards to file sharing, downloading, etc..., still make it wide open unconcrete.

Similar boat to jdcarpe (and millions of consumers worldwide), I pay for several services, but those services offer an inefficient delivery/consumption model. I can either have a PVR and bear the limitations of satellite/cable and its recording and playback functions, or use my Netflix/torrents/1channel to consume the same content.

Something I wrote about long ago (and was alluded to by jdcarpe), is that piracy is a market correction. This has helped businesses establish new ground to help consumers consume content at more reasonable prices and in more reasonable ways. We've seen this with the music industry, and we've seen it in the software industry (a la something like Adobe's subscription model).

This correction has also resulted in providers moving to on-demand services, the creation of Netflix and similar services. However, the creation and distribution of video is still way too slow and problematic for the power and speed of the internet and its users. We've seen this play out with Netflix and other services in regards to the rights and when they can obtain them.

Philosophically, I'm pro-consumer; anything/anyone that strong-arms consumers through their limited options deserves how things unfold. As a correction, piracy forces companies to be less greedy or face the consequences.

[jdcarpe]

ITT Piracy is piracy

[IvanIvanovich]

The problem is lumbering media conglomerates that believe they are entitled to us perpetuating their existence. Not only is that enough but the whole thing must be on their terms only for their maximum benefit. They go out of their way to clutch onto obsolete business model including having legislators on the payroll to pass absurd laws for their sole benefit.
I pirate on principle, because I want the whole thing to collapse. I want art for art sake. I want our modern cultural heritage and information to be accessible and free not locked up behind pay walls. I want laws that make sense and are a benefit for citizens not only corporations and the 1%ers behind them.
We don't need these companies. The artists don't need them either. Big media is detrimental to both.
Many artists are realizing this and rise in self releasing and using crowdsourcing to fund production and international distribution is the future.

Part two of this problem is cable conglomerates that also are part of the above in control of our access to information delivery over the internet. That is a HUGE mistake for us to continue to support. Sadly in many areas they are a monopoly and there is no choice. We would be a lot better off in the US if telecommunications and the internet were nationalized as they are in most other countries. In that case we might have a chance on getting our infrastructure updated to the 21st century. We all know the telcos and cable companies are averse to paying anything to upgrade their infrastructure when they can keep happily extorting people for substandard service since the alternative is no service at all.

[Input Nirvana]

1) Great point JD, the business model has to change and will, in time. It's a problem for everyone as it stands today. Industry isn't happy, consumers aren't happy. Too restrictive and too expensive. Needs to evolve.
2) I don't justify the downloading I've done as being a perfect solution, nor am I complaining about "The Letter". It was publicized early this year that the industry was going to start "enforcing" it's copyrights after a 6 year hiatus. The 6 year hiatus speaks volumes, doesn't it? (TP4Tissue encouraged me!)
3) I'm somewhat entertained yet dismayed by the chest-pounding anti-pirate statements. Sorry, but they ring hollow, and reflect a very narrow and stagnant view of things.
4) I posted the letter and my story as an accurate point of view so peeps could see exactly what was done and the results, verses vague internet stories that you have no idea of the validity/source. It's interesting and I thought I would share since I never have seen others display this information, yet we're all interested.....the response on this thread proves that.

I've been extracted from my offices by a SWAT team at gun point, with canine units, helicopters, etc. because of a false report of a hostage/firearm/barricade situation. A letter from Comcast does not get my heart rate up.

[D01]

The problem is lumbering media conglomerates that believe they are entitled to us perpetuating their existence. Not only is that enough but the whole thing must be on their terms only for their maximum benefit. They go out of their way to clutch onto obsolete business model including having legislators on the payroll to pass absurd laws for their sole benefit.
I pirate on principle, because I want the whole thing to collapse. I want art for art sake. I want our modern cultural heritage and information to be accessible and free not locked up behind pay walls. I want laws that make sense and are a benefit for citizens not only corporations and the 1%ers behind them.
We don't need these companies. The artists don't need them either. Big media is detrimental to both.
Many artists are realizing this and rise in self releasing and using crowdsourcing to fund production and international distribution is the future.

Part two of this problem is cable conglomerates that also are part of the above in control of our access to information delivery over the internet. That is a HUGE mistake for us to continue to support. Sadly in many areas they are a monopoly and there is no choice. We would be a lot better off in the US if telecommunications and the internet were nationalized as they are in most other countries. In that case we might have a chance on getting our infrastructure updated to the 21st century. We all know the telcos and cable companies are averse to paying anything to upgrade their infrastructure when they can keep happily extorting people for substandard service since the alternative is no service at all.

  

Good ****.

[osi]

Squashing piracy?? Media needs to be offered to consumers where it is easily accessible, available on many platforms, and cheap.

This includes the bullshat "this video is not available in your area" shenanigans. If half of the focus from piracy prevention was focused on actually making money from selling your content, we'd live in a different world.

piracy will always exist to a certain extent

[IvanIvanovich]

Indeed, regional specific distribution rights is a prime example of silly outdated business models. Arts and culture is global, we are all connected now. Instead they put in place artificial restrictions to purchasing and/or playing media from around the world. WHY? There is no logic to doing this.

[vun]

Indeed, regional specific distribution rights is a prime example of silly outdated business models. Arts and culture is global, we are all connected now. Instead they put in place artificial restrictions to purchasing and/or playing media from around the world. WHY? There is no logic to doing this.

This is massively annoying. Most digital music services won't sell to me because I don't live in the US or wherever they operate, so the only real option I have is iTunes. I'm not sure about google music yet, haven't tried buying music from there but I wouldn't be surprised if most content there is unavailable to me. And then there's the fact that the quality of the music you buy is usually not that great.

So for now I'm still sticking to CDs, as much as I'd love to buy music digitally. I'd buy a lot more music if I could buy digital lossless files at a reasonable price.

[divito]

Which is why news like this is encouraging.

[paicrai]

Indeed, regional specific distribution rights is a prime example of silly outdated business models. Arts and culture is global, we are all connected now. Instead they put in place artificial restrictions to purchasing and/or playing media from around the world. WHY? There is no logic to doing this.

This is massively annoying. Most digital music services won't sell to me because I don't live in the US or wherever they operate, so the only real option I have is iTunes. I'm not sure about google music yet, haven't tried buying music from there but I wouldn't be surprised if most content there is unavailable to me. And then there's the fact that the quality of the music you buy is usually not that great.

So for now I'm still sticking to CDs, as much as I'd love to buy music digitally. I'd buy a lot more music if I could buy digital lossless files at a reasonable price.

hey man lots of indie on bandcamp at name your price in lossless format

[iri]

The only way it isn't considered theft is if you already own a physical copy.

Considered by whom or what? You personally? Your city law? Your county law? Your state law? Your country law? Someone or something else?

My ex girlfriend who's roomate had downloaded a bunch of mp3s and some roms plus emulators who actually had charges filed against her.  No jail time but an ugly fine.

not applicable where i live.

**** continues