Thread: What is "piracy" and is it ever justified
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azorni is offline azorni
2010-03-07 , 16:34
Posts: 16 | Thanked: 1 time | Joined on Dec 2009 @ Paris, France
#345
Originally Posted by attila77 View Post
This is a dubious argument, as you assume that those people who copy it would have never paid for it, and, perhaps even more importantly that those who DID pay for it would have paid for it even if they had the option of just copying it.
I don't see what makes you think that I assume what you think I assume. What you're talking about here is completely different. Anyway this wasn't my point.

Whether or not someone who gets a pirated software would have bought it otherwise is not relevant. If you mean that illegal redistribution should not exist because it is a loss of income for sellers, well as I said this is circular reasoning.

The income exists only because redistribution is forbidden. As soon as it is not forbidden, this income doesn't exist anymore, and there is no loss for something that doesn't exist.

And how do you cover the original cost ? Through the first sale paying the spent time and resources ?
I don't know, and why not ? Anyway this is not my business. I'm not the one who should seriously think about it, instead or trying to sue this problem out.

That would mean the first (and only) buyer of, say, Oracle would have to pay a few billion dollars. At which point nobody would buy it, and Oracle would simply not exist.
So what ? Be it. It wouldn't mean that people wouldn't need data basis anymore. Where there is a need, there is some people working on it. Other market forces would enter the game. It might be free software, it might be the system you've just mentioned. Economics always find a way. I don't know exactly what would take place, but I trust human forces and I'm sure things wouldn't work that bad. After all, non-redistribution rules are preventing people for doing stuffs. Without them, people can do more stuffs. I don't see how, by allowing people to do more stuffs, the overall result could be worse.

Anyway in the video in a previous message, Stallman explains his view on this unemployment and economical aspect. He does make sense and worths listening.
Last edited by azorni; 2010-03-07 at 17:02.