Hello Roger,
Post by Roger JohanssonIn Sweden and other European countries we are going the other way, the
politicians are saying that downloading cannot be a crime, because we
cannot put a whole generation in prison.
The politicians have changed their position in face of an overwhelming
opinion among the people, so now it is very unlikely that anybody
could be tried for downloading.
Isn't Sweden wherehttp://thepiratebay.org/is located, and the guys
who run Pirate Bay actually campaigned for public office in Sweden's
last election?
Yes, the people who are downloading are so many that even conservative
politicians are now trying to get their votes. Pirate Bay was only
down for a day, then it was restored at a server abroad.
Even before this last development the basic rule was that if something
is available on the web you are free to download it and use it. (with
the exception of child pornography).
If program writers complain about being ripped off it is up to them to
find out better protection schemes.
Several European countries have similar laws. So it is a big surprise
if Germany now takes the opposite side.
Maybe the same thing will happen as in Sweden. When the police finally
made a crackdown on the major pirate site the action backlashed, and
in the end it led to more freedom for downloaders.
Politicians often do things in a backward way. Pressing on for the
opposite direction they often achieve exactly what they really wanted
in the end. Then the politicians can wash their hands and say that
there was nothing we could do, this was the will of the people. And
the people in general now stands behind the new direction because they
achieved it in a struggle against the authorities.
..........
I have started to have a link to "the big ACF freeware wiki" in my
sig, because I noted that more people than me are getting involved and
help updating it.
Let a thousand flowers bloom, and in the end we will see what solution
gets most support.
--
Roger Johansson
Visit the big ACF freeware wiki:
http://freeware.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page