this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2024
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It doesn't mean that at all. What it means is that it isn't theft. It's software piracy. When you're finished downloading your software, everyone who had a copy of that software still has it. So you haven't stolen anything. You haven't taken resources from anyone. You aren't depriving someone else of this object and using it yourself instead. You've simply made a copy of an infinitely copiable medium. Sure you did so without paying for it, that's why piracy is a crime. But it isn't theft. You haven't taken anything away from anyone. In fact you've done the opposite, and increased the total amount of ordered data in the world, but I won't try to spin that as something chivalrous for this argument, that's a different discussion.
Point is, say what you want about piracy and its dubious legality, it factually is not theft.
This is like saying that pointing a loaded gun at a puppy isn’t technically murder or assault. You’re still admitting it’s a harmful and illegal act, and are fussing over the terminology used.
It’s also ignoring how labels and word usage shift for the sake of modern convenience. Words like “insane”, “sick”, generally weren’t used positively in history. If I said a game “technically doesn’t have loot boxes” you’d be pretty upset if you found it still had paid randomized loot, even if they were not technically contained in a six-sided “box”. You’re being overly specific about the words when much of the world agrees you’re taking something you’re not entitled to.
The difference between what you call theft and copyright infringement doesn’t have effective benefit to the seller, especially since even in physical retail, the supply of an item is often largely irrelevant for a store’s financials. As such, I am okay with referring to both as the same thing, even if you’d currently find dictionaries that separate them.
EDIT: Fun. It looks like after I posted this comment, someone went through and downvoted all of my comments listed on my profile, even on completely different topics. Don't anger pirates, kids! You will never beat their pettiness.