he/she's filesharing, would you report him/her?

United States
February 5, 2007 4:38pm CST
You've found out a neighbor or an aqaintance is filesharing and making digital copies of software, music and video. Would you turn him/her in?
2 people like this
11 responses
• Australia
8 Feb 07
Not at all. If they were selling the copies then that wouldn't be so good, but I still wouldn't turn them in, I don't think; and I agree with other commenters here that not all filesharing is bad. I have discovered so many great new artists by listening to downloaded music, some of which I have brought the albums from after listening. Some programs are ridiculously overpriced and I don't disagree with sharing those at all.
2 people like this
• United States
8 Feb 07
i agree with you as well! i found new artists via amule and found most $$ programs have freeware alternatives that leave less footprint. the opensource community trades brain power rather than dollar...and if they do get into dollar, they sell out their tech ability.
@Boris_yo (12)
• Israel
5 Feb 07
I wouldn't turn my friend in if i found he makes copies of software even if i was working in developing team of this software. I am kind hearted guy that cannot make harm to others especially my friends. I would rather convince him about BIG responsibility he turns himself into instead betraying him. But i understand that in our times not many people are rich and cannot afford some things,so others help them by filesharing. Some people don't pay much attention that they go against the law. Depends also in which country you live because law is different in some countries.
2 people like this
• United States
7 Feb 07
very very true. austrailia and united states are pretty draconic about 'copyright'. of course, don't get me started on that...hides the soapbox...lol
@freak369 (5113)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Downloading for personal use? No, to me that isn't a crime. Downloading and making copies and selling them - even for the price of the disc - to me that is wrong. Artists like Metallica forget who made them popular - the fans. They didn't complain when people were making cassette tapes of their music and sending them to friends nor did they mind when they got their first recording contract and said, "Without the fans, none of this would be possible". I won't listen to Metallica any more and it's not like I am some snotty 15 year old that changes music preferences every other day. Their "music" isn't what it used to be. There is no edge to it. In short, they've fattened themselves and are sowing the rewards of popularity ... but nothing lasts forever.
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Feb 07
i have to agree with that. i can't remember when i popped metalica on to my playlist either!
• United States
5 Feb 07
well i think filesharing is ok and there are bunch of filssharing freewares for this purpose too;i think is ok.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Feb 07
yes, i don't like it when they try to squeeze money, like limewire does out of folks, but frostwire's cool, amule-emule's great, so is the torrent programs!
• United States
7 Feb 07
limewire trys to get money. sucks. freewares are great. your right.
@nickeeg (74)
5 Feb 07
The only time I would consider reporting them, is if they were making copies to sell. Then they would be profiting from someone else's creation. Other than that, then no. As the other poster says, there are plenty worse laws to break. I think 95% of people who download stuff wouldn't buy it if they couldn't download it, so comapnies aren't really losing money. In some cases the reverse can happen. I have downloaded songs in the past, and having listened to a couple, buy the album if I like them. If I didn't have the ability to basically "try before I buy", I probably wouldn't have taken the risk. Nick
• United States
7 Feb 07
there are a great many indies who use filesharing to get known rather than the old system too. (indie = indipendant artist) you can't buy a better promotional tool...
• Netherlands
13 May 07
Nope, I don't think I'll be able to turn him/her. Everybodies looking for a cheaper solutions for this expensive world we live in. So, she/he might even help me with copies of software/music/video that I won't be able to find nor have the extra money for buying it.....And if he/she didn't do this file sharing some other people will do....
1 person likes this
• United States
14 May 07
Cool answer! He or she isn't out to make a buck at the creator's expense!
1 person likes this
• United States
5 Feb 07
Nah. That's their business. They could be doing far worse things than that.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Feb 07
like phlishing some poor slob's bank acc! more focus needs to go on that!
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
8 Feb 07
Absolutely not. And why should I? It's none of my business what they're doing on the computer in the they're own home on their own time.
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Feb 07
good answer! the *aa's are trying to make a big brother state of the internet!
• United States
9 Feb 07
I would never report someone for file sharing. The legality of it is so fuzzy to begin with. I'm not sure the police would even take it seriously unless the person was selling stuff. I wouldn't turn the person in because I don't think we should go snitching on every person we find unless a life is in danger or something or they are doing real harm. If they were stealing credit cards or something then I would turn them in.
• United States
10 Feb 07
agreed, save it for the real crimes like rape robbery murder. the cops are stretched too thin. they aren't the go squad of the few.
@lameran (1147)
• Indonesia
8 Feb 07
Hmmm, I will ignore it, since I also download pretty much a files from the internet, and get many files from filesharing sited or p2p, but the case would be different if I'm a software designer or programmer, expecially when I know that software that I build distribute ilegally. ^^!
1 person likes this
• United States
8 Feb 07
there are many freeware versions of similar software. i do find myself wondering at people who pirate rather than make use of the freebees.
@Lunerian (493)
• Sweden
7 Feb 07
Nope I'm totally for legalization of filesharing so I would encourage people to share.
1 person likes this
• United States
7 Feb 07
good for you!