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What Would You Have Done?


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Tell me what you would do...

 

I own every CD I have.

 

I own every DVD.

 

I own every piece of software I use.

 

I have never purchased a bootleg copy of anything.

 

I see it as ripping people off and I refuse to take part in it even though I know 9 out of 10 people could care less. I`m really adamant about this.

 

Anyway, my sister in law asks me today in front of the entire family if she can burn a DVD collection of mine. I tell her no. She thinks I am kidding. I tell her the DVD collection cost $250 and it illegal to burn them. She thinks I`m kidding but my brother in law knows how I feel about this so he tried to lighten up the moment and says, "I see some bootleg DVDs right there", as he's pointing to some DVDs by my TV. Now I`m pissed because like I said, this is a subject I`m really against so I say to him, "Go ahead, look through them, you won`t find one."

 

Obviously, this entire episode caused that awkward silence in the room. Everyone was leaving my place so they just sort of said their goodbyes and left.

 

I hated being like that but its a behavior I am totally against and I cannot take part in any of it. At the same time, I feel like my family is looking at me like I have three heads...

 

:facepalm:

 

What would you have done?

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Sometimes you just have to educate people.

 

This. Kudos to you. I had a mini blowup with my BANDMATES for emailing mp3's for practice. I asked them, so when we record, it's cool just to email the album out? They had no answer.

 

And Ken, you are much better at polite than me :) I would have problem calling them thieves if they pushed, which it sounds like they did. I am not a prude about it, I'll do a mix cd here and there, but if you like it, you should by it. Maybe my kids are anomolies, but they BUY there music because early I taught them...look, you like this band? YES. You want them to keep recording and touring? YES. Then BUY the CD. They (bands) can't eat love and reverence.

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First off, if they're commercially bought DVD's, they have copy protection built in and you cant copy them on a computer

even if you wanted. The key file that lets you play the DVD back is encyypted and wont copy to a computer.

I dont think you can even play back from one DVD player and record to a DVD burner. I know you couldnt from

VCR to VCR unless the gear was really old and didnt have the anti piracy circuitry built in. I suspect nerew DVD burners also have

the same kind of circuitry built in, but I've never tested a hardware DVD unit burn of a commercial DVD.

 

You can tell her it cant be copied and even if it could be hacked, theres a code embeded in the disk that the FBI can

trace back to the original disk to prevent pirating.

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There are a multitude of programs that will easily copy or covert dvds. I do it all the time. My dvds are all ripped to a hard drive so the disk can stay put..

 

The embedded code does not " prevent" anything. It is simply a unique identifier that potentially could be used to identify a source disk. Identifying the source disks does not indicate any wrong doing on the part of the owner, it simplt means that that identifier is tied to it. Also, like anything else, the indent can be spoofed. The entire copy protection model is a fail.

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Tell me what you would do...




...What would you have done?

 

 

I would've said no (and I do) just like you did, but do it with the expectation that they won't understand initially. But first, I think it's important to understand people's disconnect on this. It is something they don't consider in the same way we do. That's to be expected. Expect anything different and prepare for a life of outrage.

 

Now, with the full understanding they aren't going to get it right away, explain how you feel about intellectual property. I tend to use a borderline apologetic tone as I explain, but all the while being clear in my conviction. "This is something I don't do. I sorry. Really, I am."

 

That may not work for you but it is the way I've dealt with it and I get more respect than "WTF?" reactions that way.

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You know that, according to the various EULAs either signed or implied, you only own the actual physical disks themselves, not the contents of the disks, right? If you make a digital copy for yourself as back-up or storage, you have essentially 'pirated' the disk, according to the MPAA or RIAA.

 

Did you consider loaning the set to her so she could watch them?

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Tell me what you would do...


I own every CD I have.


I own every DVD.


I own every piece of software I use.


I have never purchased a bootleg copy of anything.


I see it as ripping people off and I refuse to take part in it even though I know 9 out of 10 people could care less. I`m really adamant about this.


Anyway, my sister in law asks me today in front of the entire family if she can burn a DVD collection of mine. I tell her no. She thinks I am kidding. I tell her the DVD collection cost $250 and it illegal to burn them. She thinks I`m kidding but my brother in law knows how I feel about this so he tried to lighten up the moment and says, "I see some bootleg DVDs right there", as he's pointing to some DVDs by my TV. Now I`m pissed because like I said, this is a subject I`m really against so I say to him, "Go ahead, look through them, you won`t find one."


Obviously, this entire episode caused that awkward silence in the room. Everyone was leaving my place so they just sort of said their goodbyes and left.


I hated being like that but its a behavior I am totally against and I cannot take part in any of it. At the same time, I feel like my family is looking at me like I have three heads...


:facepalm:

What would you have done?

It's tough. I wouldn't violate my personal principles. But I might have tried to steer further conversation to private time later where I could explain my stance, explain the law, explain my ethical position. You could take some heat out of the situation by saying something to the effect of "I'm not judging you" but that you have to do what you think is right and it's only fair since you don't want people bootlegging your music.

 

If she or they continue to put you in a difficult spot, it's not on you. Just cut them off on the subject and leave it at that.

 

 

PS... I like Flemtone's idea of loaning her the collection to watch. Libraries do it. Also, I think it's good to sort oneself on this: is one going to follow his personal ethos or go the whole nine yards to comply (it that's even possible) with all the fine print in the law and especially in the EULA... because the fine print, as Flemtone suggests, probably has some pretty interesting features.

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I would've said no (and I do) just like you did, but do it with the expectation that they won't understand initially. But first, I think it's important to understand people's disconnect on this. It is something they don't consider in the same way we do. That's to be expected. Expect anything different and prepare for a life of outrage.


Now, with the full understanding they aren't going to get it right away, explain how you feel about intellectual property. I tend to use a borderline apologetic tone as I explain, but all the while being clear in my conviction. "This is something I don't do. I sorry. Really, I am."


That may not work for you but it is the way I've dealt with it and I get more respect than "WTF?" reactions that way.

 

That's more or less the way I would handle it. Just be polite. Usually people are nice if you are polite. If they push the issue, you explain - again, very calmly - about how you feel about intellectual property and theft. If they keep pushing - and by this time, I might point out that they are the ones being rude - make analogies to theft in terms that they can understand. Sometimes, you have to take this approach to make them understand that, in essence, they are the ones getting all worked up about their "right" to steal other people's property and livelihoods. Once or twice online, if someone continually defends their "right" to steal ("everyone else does it"), I'll simply say, "Great. So you don't have a problem if I go into your house and help myself to some of your things?" :D It usually doesn't come to that, though.

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And Ken, you are much better at polite than me
:)
I would have problem calling them thieves if they pushed, which it sounds like they did. I am not a prude about it, I'll do a mix cd here and there, but if you like it, you should by it.

 

Well, there's a few reasons for it. And it's not always easy staying calm and polite. But people will listen much more if you explain it calmly and politely, and in terms of how you feel about it, rather than in a finger-pointing, accusatory manner. It also keeps you calm and more rational. Sure, people might continually ask, but you put the onus on them to be rude. If they continually push and become rude, you can simply say, "I can't expect everyone to feel the same way about stealing, but I hope you respect my opinion." If they keep arguing while you have calmly said that, they are arguing two positions: 1.) It's okay to steal, and 2.) they are not respecting their opinion. Both flimsy arguments that tend to make one look really bad and don't win a lot of support from others.

 

I had a similar conversation with someone I was recording last year. She was stealing other artists' chord changes, essentially taking someone else's song and then changing the melody line a bit.

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Well, there's a few reasons for it. And it's not always easy staying calm and polite. But people will listen much more if you explain it calmly and politely, and in terms of how you feel about it, rather than in a finger-pointing, accusatory manner. It also keeps you calm and more rational. Sure, people might continually ask, but you put the onus on them to be rude. If they continually push and become rude, you can simply say, "I can't expect everyone to feel the same way about stealing, but I hope you respect my opinion." If they keep arguing while you have calmly said that, they are arguing two positions: 1.) It's okay to steal, and 2.) they are not respecting their opinion. Both flimsy arguments that tend to make one look really bad and don't win a lot of support from others.


I had a similar conversation with someone I was recording last year. She was stealing other artists' chord changes, essentially taking someone else's song and then changing the melody line a bit.

 

Oh, you are dead on....I recognize the importance of staying calm. I just fail at it some times...more often than I like...It is not something I am proud of, but, in part, it is a defense mechanism from when I was young ina bad situation. I aspire to more Ken, less Dean in this respect :)

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I had a similar conversation with someone I was recording last year. She was stealing other artists' chord changes, essentially taking someone else's song and then changing the melody line a bit.

 

Oh this happens all the time! Apparently this is what some lesser talented "writers" think songwriting is.:wave:

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Oh this happens all the time! Apparently this is what some lesser talented "writers" think songwriting is.
:wave:

 

Yes, although this was rather blatant. She brought over a CD and sung her vocal melody/words as the song played, I kid you not. :facepalm:

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Sounds like a perfectly reasonable response, except for the getting pissed off part. Getting angry never changes anyone's mind, because it puts them on the defensive. Most people I know are totally cool with pirating, and I'm not, but I don't get upset with them. It's no use. If copying things or swapping MP3's comes up in conversation, I generally don't involve myself in that part of the conversation.

 

But if I were in your position, and I was asked straight out, I probably would have used the exact same words, but not been pissed off while saying them.

 

Maybe it helps that I expect most people to disappoint me, so when they do, it's not upsetting.

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