I like to use torrents does that make me a thief?

[matthew]

i someone else steals it they just give it 2 us for free. whats your opinion?

[superwario180]

well that depends.

if you download video games through torrents and do not own the original game thats considered stealing. this goes the same for music and other types of media taken from torrents.

basically if you download something that costs money through retail but you get it for free through torrents and do not own the original product then that is stealing.

i recommend staying away from torrents because they can also mess up your computer.

[tape102]

Well basically, your not paying for the game and thats stealing. Its like going into a store and just taking a game without paying for it and using it, but instead you just download it. So yes your are a thief and you aren't supporting the company who made that game.

[Noah]

The people who upload media onto torrents and the people who download from torrents can be prosecuted. Currently in the US, if you are caught uploading/downloading illegally (illegally is anything you don't pay for, iTunes is legal) you get fined $25,000 per song uploaded/downloaded,and even more for other types of media.

Other countries are starting to make laws to this effect, such as France. France's law, is you get a warning the first time they catch you, you get your internet taken away for a month the second time they catch you, and you get your internet taken away for a year the third time. France uses advanced technology to monitor everyone who lives in France's computer use at the same time.

[seanc]

I'd say it all depends what you download....

for example, programs, games and music, I would say downloading them could be considered stealing because these people worked hard to produce / create this stuff...

but MOVIES, I would personally say NO your NOT stealing, why you might ask? well the way I see it, your just speeding up the process, weather I download the video, or I wait until its on TV and record it, I'm going to get it no matter what... so why wait?

but downloading movies could also be considered stealing because again, people worked hard to make / create it, they have families, and they need money to support there families.....

[JoshJ]

I think you can be the judge of that. I do torrents all the time and I often download software to use. If I like the software and find myself using it a lot I will buy it even if I don't have to because of the torrent.

Music on the other hand I don't mind a bit downloading it. Music artists make a lot more money than i do and they enjoy doing what they do so I don't feel bad at all.

[tempo1]

If everyone were to "torrent" their music, movies, games and software without paying, why would anybody bother to record, produce, or code them.

What makes Matthew so damn 'special', that he shouldn't have to pay like the rest of us?

[WShaffer]

its a controversial topic. In today's world, bands get a very very small portion of the profit from record sales, the vast majority going to the bands label. most of a band's profit comes from live shows, touring, and merchandise. While buying they're albums does give them profit, it is very very little. for example, Radiohead self produced their album, In Rainbows, and let their fans pay as much as they wanted from it, letting them even pay $0.00 for it. Doing this, they still made more off of the album then they would of producing it with a label.

This means that torrenting their music doesn't affect the bands themselves all as much, but the record labels. If you want to support a band, buy their merchandise and go to their live shows.

I'm not taking a side on this argument, but that's just what i know.