These comments are directed to Red_starr

Although well intended, your comments are just another example of a gross rationalization. Here's why the ways you and others

choose to look at the issue are based on your interests in the matter that is, getting stuff for free.

Here's what people who make such argument ignore.

1. There's a difference between rights and privileges. - Rights are derived from ownership. Therefore, if I CREATE

something I own it. Because I OWN it then I have the RIGHT TO DICTATE its use.


2. As a consumer (the person who DID NOT create the said content but is interested in it.) I have to adhere to the

provisions dictated by the content owner, creator or other representative. If I don't like the terms I can choose not to
acquire the content.

3. If I choose to acquire the content I am offered several privileges (notice not rights). Those privileges usually include

personal consumption of the materials at will. These privileges usually exclude reproduction and distribution without FIRST

obtaining permission from the OWNER, CREATOR, REPRESENTATIVE.

It is around this issue that this whole drama is born.

It appears that a segment of the population has a problem separating the fact that when they buy media i.e. CDs DVD or

subscription services. What they are paying for is a) The physical or digital distribution mechanism used to deliver the content and b) the privilege to consume its contents in ways specified by the creator.

If you don't like it you don't have to buy the content. This is your only viable solution. Doing anything else (downloading it, reproducing it etc.) Is a violation of the creators rights and will only lead to you suffering the conseqences of your actions.

Now obviously, if you do these things in the confines of your own home then are they a violation of the creators RIGHTS? Of
course it is. I want to be clear about this.

Here's where all of the confusion comes in.

a) Unuathorized Reproduction and Distribution is prohibited. (means: if you didn't get permission from us to do this then
you don't have it period. -- and you will be subject to prosecution if you do any of the above.)


--- What if I wanted to make a backup of my media? (see a)
--- What if I wanted to convert my DVD / Music collection to AVI's and MP3's? So that I can watch on my computer etc (see a)
--- What if I wanted to give copies of my DVD / Music collection to my grandmother? (see a)

You can pretty much get away with doing any of the above things with little or no threat of persecution. Why?
because any of the above actions constitute a level of piracy that is tolerable. Why? because under two points the

consumption of the content is limited to the person who has the privilege to consume it. The third point is a level of

piracy most content creators expect that is, a limited amount of piracy.

b) Peer-to-peer technology, increased access to broadband and a lot of generation Y-ers have turn this who situation into a

real problem.

-- Peer-to-peer technology is a super-distribution technology. It turns the whole distribution model on its head. You can

take one set of content and immediately make it available to literally millions of people. The spread of the content

increases exponentially. Can you see why this might be a problem to the content owners if people take their content and make

it available via such a system? (This is why they are trying to kill the technology --which I think is a bad idea.)

-- Increased access to broadband -- The higher the speeds, the greater the penetration makes the impact unauthorized

distribution a serious threat worthy of the current actions to try to control it.


-- A new generation -- I'm a generation X'er a working professional. I pay more in taxes a year than most of the people in

the peer-to-peer community make in a year. I limit my spending to things that I need and I can afford to buy the things that

I want and before I would afford to buy the things that I wanted I simply did without and if I feel that I don't like the

terms or that something cost to much I simply keep my money. The point of all of this, is that this is how our economic

systems works and this is how the vast majority of people behave in that system.

Now, if you are a person of little means and little responsibility you will have an entirely different view of the situation.

But understand that your view is influenced by your situation. People who sign the back of checks have a completely

different view from the people who sign the front of them.

In other words, no industry can compete with free but pirates can't win without losing. The entire system is against you.
So people can talk all they want in forums about how someone should stand up an fight the good fight. However, I an assure

you that if you don't understand how this all works and furthermore don't accept what I've had to say about this. You will

learn what those who have settled have learned and that is, it's simply not worth it.


--Nothing I've stated here should be considered an endorsement of copyright infringment. I respect the rights of creators.
This information is intended to educate the P2P community about the risks of piracy and copyright infringment.

__________________
Lee Evans, President
LeeWare Development
http://www.leeware.com