Stealing is Criminal. Copyright Infringment isn't.

Woots, two in a row for me. I'm pretty new at this, so forgive any formatting mistakes. I made more than I expected to on my first post. I'll do better on the next one. Speaking of which...

From: 3rd comment on Not After a Fair Fight
Date: Sept. 21, 2009
By: iwantthetaxpayertochangetheworld

Lily,

Copyright infringement, which is the law you're breaking when you share files without permission, is not stealing. It's a against the law, true, but it's a civil action rather than a criminal one. The change that Peter Mandelson has proposed would make it a criminal action like stealing a CD from a shop, but until that change is made to the law it is *not* stealing.

While we're on the subject of human rights I think you'd do well to take a look at the UN Declaration of Human Rights; Article 11(2) states that noone can be charged with a crime if their action wasn't a crime when they did it. Therefore, even if Mandelson's change comes into effect, people sharing files now are *not* criminals.

Please, for the sake of your argument and so you don't continue to look silly, stop saying it's stealing. It isn't, either morally, legally, or otherwise. (Yet.)

UN Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

Speaking of Human Rights, did you know that internet access has already been declared a fundamental human right in several countries? In fact, last I heard, the EU was thinking of championing that position too. I seem to remember you saying something about disconnection not being a violation of civil liberties...