Just would like to have a discussion on the topic. I’ve purchased around 20ish movies/shows on Vudu, and my wife has grown to be unhappy with Vudu’s UI and especially how the watch progress works. I am curious what some others thoughts on this are. My initial thoughts are I recognize I’ve purchased a license to watch the content, but feel that because I’ve purchased it I should have the right to retain total control over it and do what I please. I would like to purchase movies on physical media from now on, but wouldn’t like to repurchase all the same movies and shows again when I’ve already paid for them
One of the rights we are continually trying to claw back from the IP Maximalist lobby (and their minions in office) is the right to enjoy the media you own in a format available to you.
However, the studios and labels like taking another bite of the apple by releasing new versions, or versions in new formats, sometimes twice as they release better versions that correct for bad transfers (e.g. the lightsaber problem with the early blu-ray release.)
Hollywood has established though repeated bad-faith behavior, it’s not interested in getting your money legitimately or while retaining a positive customer experience, but extracting your money any way they can.
The DMCA forbids breaking DRM even for legal or non-copyright violating reasons (which is how we lost the right to repair or even jailbreak phones). And they could use this to prevent you from converting formats of your media to one you can actually use, but they’d have to make a stretchy case in court.
Sony also overcharges for scratched or failed media, so they’ve been caught treating their stuff as licenses or media when it legally suits them.
PS: Illegal ≠ Wrong. LGBT+ people are not grooming children, but religious ministries are.
Yeah it’s crazy how much the world has changed even in my short lifetime, especially with the mass adoption of digital media. It’s going to be so difficult for people to retain their rights to what they purchase.
Why are you asking is piracy “wrong” on a piracy forum?
Just to have a discussion and get to see some of the different opinions out there.
I don’t see the problem, I see it as a personal backup of a media you legally licensed. Unless you resell the original without getting rid of the copy, or give a copy to someone who doesn’t own a license, it’s fair game.
Yeah that’s where I was kinda leaning since it’s just for my household’s use. Especially since I’ve already purchased it once.
Legally, it is illegal. Ethically, I think you’re fine. If you pay for something you should be allowed to use the thing.
I feel like that basic interpretation of the law probably predates the code of Hammurabi.
In america you are legally allowed backups of any software you’ve bought.
Can I backup my computer software?
Yes, under certain conditions as provided by section 117 of the Copyright Act. Although the precise term used under section 117 is “archival” copy, not “backup” copy, these terms today are used interchangeably. This privilege extends only to computer programs and not to other types of works. Under section 117, you or someone you authorize may make a copy of an original computer program if the new copy is being made for archival (i.e., backup) purposes only; you are the legal owner of the copy; and any copy made for archival purposes is either destroyed, or transferred with the original copy, once the original copy is sold, given away, or otherwise transferred.
That applies to things you legally own. Digitally purchased items are leased to you; you do not own them. So that cutout to copyright law does not apply to digital goods.
When you purchase a physical copy of a movie in general; you obtain and retain the right to “copy your copy” and “use it strictly for personal use” ad infinitum.
So yes, it’s completely 💯% ethical piracy to pirate titles you already paid for but found the format to be lacking. You don’t owe filmmakers a second purchase for a new or better format. Don’t bother getting into the weeds over per-screen or per-head copies either; you don’t owe them that either. Just don’t screen a film for more than 3-5 people outside of your immediate household family who are not related to you by blood or name and you’ll probably never run into Copyright Lawsuits… because it’ll never be worth their time to bother.
Pirate away happily matey. Don’t let people fool you into thinking you are more or less ethical in your piracy than what you yourself believes is ethical or unethical. You decide how you will and want to pirate because a pirate is free.
How about giving someone a copied cd or dvd to lend?.. Ppl don’t always return shit n or; they break it, scratch your DVDs … if I am allowed to let someone have n or barrow an original copy of a game, music cd or dvd movie…; shouldn’t it be ok to lend a copy as long as i can show/present the original ( to authorities / in court ) ?
Lending the “copy of Your Copy” is arguably not always personal use. The law explicitly only authorizes copies of your copy if those copies are “at rest” for “archival” purposes. I only ignore the distinction that this rule is only for computer software because I view digital video/audio data files as computer software itself. It’s just a standardized format that tells an application what to draw and present on the screen and/or what sounds to make.
If you’re not going to abuse the mechanic and only lend out fewer copies of your copies than you can count on one hand…then sure, knock yourself out. I don’t think the law is ever going to be robustly enforced enough to seek you out specifically for doing this. Personally though; I don’t think doing this passes muster under the expected fair and personal use unless you’re loaning said copy to someone you live with.
Asking if pirating something is wrong in a pro pirating group…
Fair lol
Its wrong they bought it in the first place…
Arrr, you’d better watch this to get a more nuanced perspective!
100% what I was expecting the link to be
fucking piped links always broken.
Is it wrong to pirate movies
NO
Personally, I feel the same way you do about DRM. If you’ve paid to own it, then it should be owned outright. With this in mind, I would say pirating them wouldn’t lose you any moral ground.
It’s not even wrong to pirate movies you don’t own and put them on your plex server
kinda funny how gaming pirates and movie pirates differ. Gaming pirates always say buy it if you like it.
Personally I like Indies more than H🤑ll¥w©©d
Try to make a proper comparison (Hollywood is massive and the studios and co. are shit) and phrase it with EA, Ubisoft or Blizard, I bet game pirates won’t agree with you whatsoever!
It is never wrong to be a pirate.
Yeah it’s just for me personally I like to make sure I support the creators of the media I consume. Just what works for me.
Since you bought it, in theory you’ve supported the creators. Pirating it is 1000% fine in that case (or in any case)
In reality all the people who actually worked hard to make the film has been paid long before you bought it and the only creators getting the money are the owners of the companies. Unless you are buying from the creators source.
No, because artificial scarcity is immoral.
You’re asking this in a community that’s specifically about doing piracy. Pretty hard to take your question seriously in this context.
Well I just didn’t see any harm in feeling out a lot of different pirates opinions to see some different perspectives I maybe didn’t think of.
It’s just a little less bad than murder.
I’m gonna just cut thru the larger spiel I would normally give.
No, it is not wrong. You paid for it in the sense of reasonable expectations of ownership. That means being able to watch it in as convenient a method as if you’d bought the VHS back in the day. While this may not line up with legal definitions of licenses, fuck them. Replace “file” or “stream” with “tape” and it becomes crystal clear.
