On Fri, 2008-09-26 at 12:07 -0400, Lawnun wrote: > The same cannot be said for laws against theft. There are victims who suffer > loss. The difference in IP theft and others is one to degree, not > existence.
it is not a question of degree, but a question of quality altogether. theft does not occur when you can't deprive someone of something. i can't deprive you of your song when i copy it. i can deprive you of your revenue from that song, yes. but that not theft of the song, but of the revenue. you don't have any guarantee to that revenue from your chosen business model. perhaps you operate the only taxi in town. if i start a bus service, i'm depriving you of your revenue from your taxi. but you still have your taxi. so i'm not stealing. -rishab
