Does any countries government care if someone pirates stuff?

[Vacsol]

That's severely wrong... pirating, is still illegal here. Torrenting, is a grey area. The reason they don't pursue, is because we also have laws in place to protect people who want to do things like, rip a DVD they own, and put it onto a hard drive for personal use. However, our laws also allow us to upload them to things like dropbox for TEMPORARY storage, but we have no law in place limiting how long that storage period can be, and there's no way to enforce it. As for downloading, this is also legal, assuming you own the material, AND you plan on burning it to a physical medium at some point, storing it indefinitely is technically illegal, but again, there is no way to enforce it. As for uploading, it is illegal to upload pirated content anywhere, however it's not enforced a whole lot. Usually, if you're caught, you ISP will send you a cease and desist, and if you don't comply, they can cut your service, and report you to authorities. That latter part is a lot, and I mean a lot of paperwork on there end, since they have to then explain why they allowed you continued service when they knew you were infringing and so on...

This was a long series of lectures in my university Law and Ethics of IT course 2 years ago in university. It's complicated, and technically illegal, but due to our loopholes, they can't really do anything about downloading, only uploading.

also, the most that you can be charged for piracy is $2000 IIRC

[Cookie Monster]

Governments don't usually bother chasing pirates as the cost of capturing a few people is prohibitve. They usually resort to public information campaigns like

 

 

[SlayerOfHellWyrm]

also, the most that you can be charged for piracy is $2000 IIRC

Per count, which is per file, per site uploaded. (Didn't include downloads because of the grey area, once again)

[IdeaStormer]

Well if I were to put on a Government hat on, yes they should care, why? Because the pirates are not paying taxes on those pirated goods so they are losing out on money, but I think they are still not internet savvy to understand this nor how to prosecute such pirating due to old laws not covering such pirating. The day somebody gets that idea in their head the pirates are pretty much going to be filling up the jails much like the two bit drug dealers are now.

[Darkstar101]

In my country, Portugal, piracy is legal.

[TheGamingLawNL]

Troublesome nonetheless. 

 

What bothers me more is the fact that anyone can torrent now and be perfectly fine, but two...three...five years down the road (if things change) you can be brought to court. 

 

 

Well, being in that circuit myself I know that my government is too stupid not to try it in a few years as you say. But the question will rise wether this is something society would want. Hardcore prison years for a few movies? The issue for Europe and eventually the world will be. If 1 court decides to bring someone to justice for something like that, others and I also mean other countries legal systems will eventually follow this. Resulting in prisons who will be populated by mostly illegal downloaders in the future?

 

As there's been a survey in my country when piratebay got blocked (don't remember the source so my credibility is the only thing right now) most people here, meaning a vast majority has downloaded or even does download illegal contents sometimes. So the majority of my country being imprisoned? I would like to see that, but as you said once again. In a few years.... I wouldn't be surprised at all.

[pizzadave2]

It's not the government that cares, it's the corporations or whomever has the rights to what you're downloading.

[79wjd]

Well, being in that circuit myself I know that my government is too stupid not to try it in a few years as you say. But the question will rise wether this is something society would want. Hardcore prison years for a few movies? The issue for Europe and eventually the world will be. If 1 court decides to bring someone to justice for something like that, others and I also mean other countries legal systems will eventually follow this. Resulting in prisons who will be populated by mostly illegal downloaders in the future?

 

As there's been a survey in my country when piratebay got blocked (don't remember the source so my credibility is the only thing right now) most people here, meaning a vast majority has downloaded or even does download illegal contents sometimes. So the majority of my country being imprisoned? I would like to see that, but as you said once again. In a few years.... I wouldn't be surprised at all.

well, taxed or fined. Regardless, there could still be repercussions to some extent. 

[felixthemaster1]

IN the UK, they have allowed it temporarily so that they can prove piracy really is a problem so they can apply some tighter vice grips on the law.

[Guest]

The Netherlands: Yes they do but not very often. Police will come to your house without a warrant and will ask if they can check your PC for illegal content. But as they never have a warrant you can wave them off easy

Whaaaaat, I would imagine that the Netherlands is the least caring country about piracy.

[Trik'Stari]

It's not the government that cares, it's the corporations or whomever has the rights to what you're downloading.

And who do you think is paying the government?

[Guest]

Well, being in that circuit myself I know that my government is too stupid not to try it in a few years as you say. But the question will rise wether this is something society would want. Hardcore prison years for a few movies? The issue for Europe and eventually the world will be. If 1 court decides to bring someone to justice for something like that, others and I also mean other countries legal systems will eventually follow this. Resulting in prisons who will be populated by mostly illegal downloaders in the future?

 

As there's been a survey in my country when piratebay got blocked (don't remember the source so my credibility is the only thing right now) most people here, meaning a vast majority has downloaded or even does download illegal contents sometimes. So the majority of my country being imprisoned? I would like to see that, but as you said once again. In a few years.... I wouldn't be surprised at all.

Prisoner 1: Hey man, what are you in for?

Prisoner 2: Murder, you?

Prisoner 1: Downloaded Lord of the Rings last night

Prisoner 2: Dude... That's hard-core.

[RelentlessAF]

I like how each year goes by with the exact same discussion. Piracy is bad and is destroying the industry. As much as I really don't care to debate the morality of piracy I'd like to ask. When is this supposed to happen? Piracy has been around for a very long time and you always see "Pirates kill the industry! Music movies and games will disappear if piracy continues within the next 5 years!" 5 years goes by and were in the same boat. All of the industries still exist and still preach the same message. Morality aside, logically and rationally thinking, it isn't killing anything.

[thekeemo]

The USA does but not where I am and was any country that allows trolls cares in my opinion

[GloriousPain]

Hey guys, i don't pirate stuff (probably downloaded one song for free like once in my whole life) but if you are an internet pirate does the government care? I'm not wondering about my country, but does your country's government care? 

Some countries don't for example the reason why most people can't sue the pirate bay is the country their servers are hosted on don't care which is why 

http://thepiratebay.se/legal JUST READ these you'll laugh your ass off.

 

From anakata_anakata.hack.se Mon Sep 13 07:20:31 2004

Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:19:36 -0100 (GMT)

From: anakata

To: Piracy - Online <Piracy-Online@ea.com>

Subject: Re: Copyright Infringement

On Tue, 14 Sep 2004, Piracy - Online wrote:

> September 14, 2004

>

> SENT VIA E-MAIL

>

> Fredrik Neij

> PRQ

> Box 1206

> Stockholm, Sweden 11479

>

>

>         Re:    Electronic Arts Trademark and Copyright

> Infringement Notice

>

>

> Dear Mr. Neij:

>

> It has been brought to the attention of Electronic Arts Inc. ("EA") that

> the website http://www.piratebay.org with the IP addresses of

> 217.75.120.115, 217.75.120.116, 217.75.120.118 is conducting

> unauthorized activities with respect to EA's copyrighted software, The

> Sims 2. The aforementioned website is offering and distributing

> bittorrent seeds for an unauthorized downloadable version of this EA

> game.

>

> The infringing material may be found at:

>

> http://www.piratebay.org/download.php/3238103/Sims%202.torrent

>

> http://www.piratebay.org/download.php/3238222/The_Sims2_AlcoholClone-CLO

> NEGAME_Full.Release_%28exclusive_for_trackerwww.prq.to%29.torrent

>

Hello and thank you for contacting us. We have shut down the website in

question.

Oh wait, just kidding. We haven't, since the site in question is fully

legal. Unlike certain other countries, such as the one you're in, we have

sane copyright laws here. But we also have polar bears roaming the

streets and attacking people :-(.

> This unauthorized activity with respect to the distribution of EA's

> software products constitutes infringement of EA's intellectual property

> rights. EA enforces its intellectual property rights very aggressively

> by using every legal option available.

Please don't sue us right now, our lawyer is passed out in an alley from

too much moonshine, so please atleast wait until he's found and doesn't

have a huge hangover...

>

> As you are listed as the registrant for this website, EA demands that

> you immediately and permanently disable access to the aforementioned

> bittorrent seeds for The Sims 2 and any in the future.

You're free to demand anything you want. So are we. We demand that you

cease and desist sending letters like this, since they're frivolous and

meaningless. Where should I send the bill for the consumed diskspace and

bandwidth?

> Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions concerning

> this matter, please contact us via e-mail at:

> piracy-online@ea.com.

>

>

> Regards,

>

> EA Law - IP Enforcement

> Electronic Arts Inc.

> piracy-online@ea.com <mailto:piracy2@ea.com>

Thank you for your entertainment. As with all other threats, we will

publish this one on http://static.thepiratebay.org/legal/

//anakata

[frostin1990]

I remember in Singapore a girl was arrested for downloading anime not sure if that's true because i read it from Wikipedia.

[TheKDub]

Even though it may be "illegal" to pirate stuff in america, people really don't give two shits and most of the time don't get caught, alot of the time when they are caught its pretty much just a warning.

[juretrn]

I believe the EU cares.

[Leonard]

Mine doesn't

[AlwaysFSX]

If only the USA used that motto....

We do... with explosives..

[Raid]

It's illegal around here. At worst you can get 2 years in jail but more likely than not you'll just be fined. AFAIK the gov don't really give a fuck since they have bigger issues to deal with, but I'd still recommend against piracy.

[iAsuno]

i think there is a law here but pretty much everyone has pirated something here aware or not.

[pspfreak]

Think about it like this. Does a 14 year old deserve to go  to prison with rapists and serial killers for downloading an mp3 or movie off thepiratebay? No.

[Th3 Mans1ay3r]

The US gov only cares when a company makes them care.

[Snapy1]

I think Sweden has a political party that promotes it lol. Thats what Ive been told.