Today I’m going to discuss case which is perhaps not so popular at the moment but was the largest battle between pirates and anti-pirates so far.
This website which was created in 2003 is an indexing site for torrent files.
For those of you who don’t know the details it works in following way: User downloads .torrent file (hosted by TPB) which is used by his\her software to download the proper file (movie for example).
Everything would be fine if not the fact that many of these files are illegal files obtained without license and this site is one of the most popular sources of such files.
In 2008 Swedish prosecutors supported by entertainment industry filled a case against TPB for "promoting other people's infringements of copyright laws". Swedish court found people operating TPB guilty and sentenced them to 1 year in prison and 3 million dollar compensation to the industry.
Following the trial websites of anti-piracy organizations involved in the case were attacked by distributed denial of service attack.
Questions:
1) Do you think they were guilty the charges and if so what’s your opinion about the sentence?
2) What’s your opinion about computer piracy?
3) Do you think TPB trial is a single case or is it beginning of such trials?
1. I'm not sure what to think about their guilt. They knew that most of those files were illegal, but on the other hand, they weren't storing them. It's a matter of interpretation. Nonetheless it would be great to have all the culture for free. Maybe in thousand years :)
ReplyDelete2. Above comment refers to this question also.
3. There are more and more examples. Recently torrent-finder.com domain was seized by US government. This fight is getting more and more serious.
If the culture was for free there would be no culture at all soon. I think it's not right that we can download some music or movies just like that without pay anything for this. People who made it put into this much effort and money as well. If we want to have something that we like it we should respect people who created it. If everybody would download things instead of buying them artists like musicians for exapmle, they wouldn't have money to record another album..for me that is unfair.
ReplyDeleteI think TPB is quilty because everybody know that people download from torrent millons of files which are illegal. But they still hosted it so it's seems to be dishonest in my opinion. I don't know if there are more cases like this I'm almost sure that it is not the only one. But still I don't have such an extensive knowledge about this.
I agree with s8939, there is nothing good in life for free, and the same reefrs to culture. We need to respect people who create it. They devote their time to create art/culture and this is the way of life they had chosen one day. Lets think how would we feel if we were not paid for our job? As it was said by our colleague, artists need also money to develop themselves, to create new pieces of culture. Thinking about the trial I am sure that it is not the single case, teherare for sure more examples of suuch cases, but if we are not told about this in media and we are not interested in a given issue, we simply do not know about this and do not think about such cases.
ReplyDeleteTPB is a legal company/ a website which do not make illegal files available, it only make references/notes to files available, because availability itself is done by the users themselves. It is the user who breaks the law by setting the link to a film, game or programme. But, to enter into the topic, I think that illegal downloading of files from the Internet is a crime and should not take place. But, let's take some examples into consideration:
ReplyDelete1) The price of the programmes is often inappropriate to their possibilities
2) The prices of the movies are also inappropriate to thier quality and the fact that probably they would be watched just once. (film prices are similar, but it's hard to pay the same money for boring comedy and avatar)
3) The programmes are often updated - but I ask: if the updates are free or not?, If the update is just a change in a programme or a compeletly new version of the programme - but still doing the same job - but on a new licence - so it would cost 100% of the programme cost. But sometimes we are forced to do it because the programme, for example still plays the movie, but has one file more, and there is a question - why the same programme still costs so much money.
4) It can go on endlessly writting it. I just would like to turn your attention to earnings in different countries - lower salaries, greater poverty, so the copying goes on, why? Because people can not afford to buy 5 legal movies 2 legal programmes and one legal game each month. It's absurdity.
P.s. Let's notice that all those big companies can somehow manage, taking such intentive copying into account. So we can notice that if everybody would buy legal films etc. those companies would enrich several times - and it would be inappriopriate to the films etc quality. But if the movie would be 4 times cheaper, or any programme, it would be possible to buy by maybe even 6 times more peple, the company is gettig richer and richer, the piracy is going to collapse - the world is happy
1. This case is not an easy one to judge. On one hand, they did not (literally) provide stolen materials, TPB was only a platform for sharing using torrents. On the other hand, piracy is piracy and piracy is stealing. In all cases - music, movies, software and others - the files (goods) were manufactured, created by someone who owned the rights to charge money for their products. Downloading these files is seatling, and providing a platform for stealing - is also a crime. THerefore I agree with the sentence.
ReplyDelete2. I described my opinion in previous point - piracy is stealing, which is not good.
3. I think it might be a beginning of such trials, since other companies see now that their rights are respected. On the other hand, since TPB owners were sentenced - their followers or others like them will start to create another ways of providing platrofms for piracy and will start to look for some ways for securing themselves.
Stop complaining about piracy because Im sure no one of you is saint. Authors are still earning money you will never ever see and people who dont have money like that can have all they need from websites like one above.
ReplyDeleteMy heart says they are not guilty, my conscience says the opposite :) It's logical that you cannot blame them for the existence of the Internet piracy. And I think that's what the case was about. TPB was made an example, to show that torrent sites are not legal are it's a matter of years until they are all eliminated. Introduction of new law may help the case, although I doubt that piracy will ever vanish for good.
ReplyDeleteFor me computer piracy cannot be compared to stealing. When somebody steals a can of bear (just an example!) from the store, than the owner has just lost a product. When somebody downloads a film from a torrent site, producers have lost nothing else but theoretical profit. As long as people have the opportunity to digitally "steal" I think they will.
1) I'm not sure if this punishment is fair but for me piracy isn't good. This is stealing and we don't like when someone steals something us. Piracy is very popular because this is easy and free way to have something. But illegal. In my opinion many things as movies, games, software etc. has too high price and this is reason why piracy is popular.
ReplyDelete2) This case is resolved in comment above.
3) Fight with piracy isn't from today. Each day are closing smaller or larger projects of piracy. I think it's a long way to stop piracy.
I have been enjoying this service and I think it's okay:) I am aware that this is not legal but very comfortable. I think it would be an appropriate form of providing programs and movies some time after release if piracy dropped by much.
ReplyDelete1. They are not guilty for what they have done to the industry. They were just exchanging information without a cost.
ReplyDelete2. That is a bit too far but yeah I do not support computer piracy as there is privacy issue and possibily mental stress on the victim.
3. It wont be the first and will never be the last.