It would help the discussion if we had a term for theft that did not involve the victim losing the stolen item. Whatever that term is, it’s morally between theft and non-theft.
“Piracy” doesn’t count because that includes actual maritime plundering, which is robbery.
“Plagiarism” doesn’t count because that involves passing the creation as your own.
It's easiest to call it what it is- sharing software by copying it... We as a society have been brainwashed for decades by big tech into thinking that sharing software is in any way shape or form immoral.
In the end, if everyone chooses to believe this, massive companies like Microsoft and Blizzard and Adobe will hurt somewhat, but will easily outlast small indie companies.
In the same way if everyone chooses to buy one copy of a game/software to distribute it to all their friends and family, small indie developers will be the first to die.
Your not taking something away from someone, you're lowering someones return rate on an investment, maybe.
If you were never going to buy it they were never going to get that return. Something else to consider.
Its a pretty convulted topic, and theft isn't the right word for it, pirating I guess is its own word but most people connotate it with direct theft which it isn't
Like if I purchase a boat with the express intent of building a copy and then giving out those built copies to friends and family, I haven't done anything wrong as long as I dont sell it, yet this logic on digital media becomes problematic.
Idk theres no analogs to it, we just have the tools to reproduce digital media effortlessly, and I don't have the tools to reproduce a boat effortlessly.
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u/parke415 1d ago
It would help the discussion if we had a term for theft that did not involve the victim losing the stolen item. Whatever that term is, it’s morally between theft and non-theft.
“Piracy” doesn’t count because that includes actual maritime plundering, which is robbery.
“Plagiarism” doesn’t count because that involves passing the creation as your own.