On Tuesday 24 October 2006 05:38, Steven McCown wrote:
> Even if you think that it *should* be okay to illegally download music and
> videos, at the moment it is not.
At this moment it's also illegal to watch legally-purchased DVDs on Linux. Or
to rip them and store them on a MythTV video jukebox for more convenient
watching (and so that your two year-old doesn't destroy them). For that
matter, by the letter of the law it's arguably illegal to convert your CDs to
MP3s for listening on your iPod.
This subject needs a more nuanced treatment than simply "obey the law". Laws
can be and often are wrong. There are many examples throughout history of
laws that were horribly immoral. The requirement that laws be obeyed
implicitly assumes that the laws are righteous -- it's just another example
of the principle of righteous dominion. We are commanded by the Lord to
follow the guidance of the leaders placed over us (fathers, husbands,
bishops, etc.), but their right to command is contingent upon their
righteousness. Unrighteous commands need not, and *should* not be obeyed.
In this case, I think it's clear that downloading music and movies rather than
paying for them is wrong, but I think the media cartels are also doing
evil -- arguably the greater evil. And I think the biggest problem with this
notion of an anti-piracy patch for boy scouts is that its requirements are
entirely one-sided. I would have no objection to an official BSA badge of
some sort that required the scout to understand both sides of copyright law.
It should cover not only the exclusive rights granted to the holder, but also
the exemptions built into the system (Fair Use, doctrine of first sale,
etc.), and, further, the rationale and social contract underylying the notion
of copyright.
Such a badge would help them obtain respect for copyright law and what it's
supposed to do, which would deter piracy, and would equip them to discuss
whether or not current law actually fulfills those goals.
That would be of value to scouts. As presently defined, the patch is of
negative value. It's propaganda, not education.
Shawn.
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