[hexydes]

Originally Posted by mrob

Care to explain the difference between "pirating" and what you are suggesting? Its clear that you are advocating downloading "illegitimate" content--that = pirating. It may make you feel better to write a long response trying to justify it, but its a distinction w/o a difference.

True pirating, as the term was originally meant, was for those who were taking content, making a copy of it, and then selling it for a profit, without the authorization of the original copyright holder. The media industry has simply re-termed the word to apply to anyone who downloads something they hold a copyright on, no matter what the circumstance.

Originally Posted by PortlandSpartan

The most interesting thing I've taken from this whole deal is that TechSmith is located in Okemos. I love SnagIt. Use it heavily at work to document stuff for our QA/Engineering groups and sometimes for customers.

Yup, just about everyone says that (that, being they didn't know TechSmith was in Okemos). I certainly didn't. It's literally the best place I can think of to work at, they really take care of their employees, and the products we create are just a lot of fun to work around. We love to meet people that use our software though, so if you ever want to meet the company that makes SnagIt, stop on by!

Though it should go without saying, I will take a second to state for the record that of course my opinions do not necessarily represent those of the company I work for. In fact, I'm sure they often don't.

Originally Posted by MSUeddie

I am sorry.. i cant read the rest of what you said, as you started off by violating the most elementary, bedrock principal of copyright law. You cant copyright an idea, the "idea/expression dichotomy." You seem to have put a lot of thought into this, yet refuse to listen/try to understand what the law truly states.

An idea can only be protected by a patent. A design by either a patent or trade dress.

Yes, sorry, this is correct. I didn't mean to include the word "idea" in the list of copyrightable items. I do my best to try to maintain some level of legalese when writing about things like copyright law, but I am not a lawyer, so occasionally I slip up. I certainly don't think that should be the basis for invalidating the rest of the point I was trying to make, though.

Originally Posted by McRich

As far as copyright legislation, I am in favor of any law that will extend the protection for the artist and their family. Many artists will deliver their music via the web (many have already started) and take out the record companies. This is why I think the copyright laws will need to protect the authors as much as possible.

Yes, but they don't protect the authors, they protect the studios that pay the authors a pittance and then horde the money for themselves. And I will say again, is there a reason the studios need to be able to continue to collect money off of an artists work decades after the artist has died?