"Steven Lichter"  wrote:
>The problems I had with pirating was this guy running a wed site, he had 
>movies, CDs and tons of computer programs, when he finally got busted and 
>taken down; he had allowed D/L of millions of dollars of copyrighted 
>program and music.

I would be interested to see the evidence of this millions of dollars. If it 
was indeed even "pirating". Maybe he was offering a public service. We had 
Software Rental in Canada which was not pirating but a perfectly legal 
business at one time. Foreigners can't come into our country and tell us 
what to do. It is as simple as that.

>He got off with a slap on the wrist and a fine, no jail.

So did Lyndon Johnson. So did Richard Nixon. So did all the American Idiots 
who caused the world recession that we are now in. Every broker on Wall 
Street should be beheaded, along their families from my point of view (I am 
descended from the Huns). Congressmen too for being fools and not passing 
the aid bill late last year when their small minds could not grasp the 
immorality and domestic corruption that had (again) been inflicted on the 
rest of this planet. However I realize that American culture may not 
tolerate my barabarian ways and opinions, and the reverse holds true here 
even in the case of Copyright.

If my country's court system made a decision then it must be respected, or 
respect will of course be accorded in reverse and opinions mocked in like 
kind:)

Perhaps I will make GBBS available for free download for private research. 
That is not to say that I am "pretty stupid". I would be within
the law. You 
could call the SPA:)

Canadians operated within the law in the 1980's and sold satellite dishes 
and burned roms and Rented Software. However, despite laws in other 
countries, until the foreigners got their way we enjoyed our own culture. We 
were not pirates. The real pirates are the foreign associations and 
corporations that effectively buy our politicians. Both sides are corrupt or 
compromising as your view may be.

>The Only Good Spammer is a Dead one!! Have you hunted one down today?
>(c) 2009  I Kill Spammers, Inc. A Rot In Hell Co.

SPAM is indemic of the same corrupt opportunistic culture that Disney and 
the SPA belong to. The public's rights to privacy extends to electronic 
information. What is on my computer is my business just as what is in my 
home despite what the DEA, SPA, or any other mark of the beast would lead 
any of us to believe. In order to balance this, more fairness in recognizing 
Moral Rights of the public in Copyright and Digital Rights Legislation 
should be applied.

In the US there is a "Fair Use Defense". In Canada the distinction is that 
we have the RIGHT to "Fair Dealing" (to translate, this is our 
"Constitutional Right") I hope this is clear. Just imagine a bunch of 
pirates dumping tea into Boston harbour for a mental picture, and you will 
probably see the difference in reverse:) Another difference is Moral Rights 
of the Copyright Holder. US Copyright legislation has no such thing. Some 
might say it is immoral:) In the US there is of course Miranda Rights, and 
in Canada we have The Charter of Rights and Freedoms which descended from 
the BNA act, and consider too the events surrounding the repatriation like 
Meech Lake Accord.

It's an interesting mental exercise. I seriously disagree with your 
softaware being made available the way it was from a morality point of view 
unless you did not make this reasonably accesible to the public in 
consideration of non-profit use and so forth. And I seriously would not be 
the slightest bit interested in making your GBBS software available from any 
of my web sites unless it was abolutely free for non-profit use. I don't 
care about the SPA. I never have. I won't sit in the same room as them if I 
have a choice. I'll take my direction directly from Microsoft as a Microsoft 
Partner and I don't need a middleman.

But when it comes to my private rights as a citizen of Canada to private 
study I will use anyone's copyrighted work without worry as I see fit. With 
all due respect and with permission, all the better. BTW I have never in all 
my years been refused permission on Software, especially from authors. I 
have also obtained software for non-profits in my role on various boards for 
free or almost free.

Finally, I forgot to ask. Did you attempt to make a resale arrangement with 
the Canadian Citizen who offered your Software for free? Or did you 
immediately wave the Stars and Stripes and such instead of considering the 
business opportunity that might be available, Old Glory aside:) In Canada we 
have a concept of "Community Based Policing". Minor Disputes between 
neighbors are generally resolved at this level without the constables 
pressing charges. Note that our constables press charges, not individuals. 
Awards in civil claims are realistic. Nothing here is melted into a pot. To 
do business here it is always better to adapt to our culture. I have also 
found the reverse to hold true, which is why I drive England, Scotland.Wales 
and buy Groceries at Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Tesco etc. when there or when 
stying on the Amalfi Coast in Italy, eat in our Villa in Praino, rather than 
staying at a hotel in Positano. And if a beer strike is on I might even hop 
the border for a keg or two from Joe's Bottle Shop in Walhalla,ND and pay 
for the booze with an Andrew Jackson or 4.

Interesting, and remember the Artist seldom benefits unless he makes his own 
deals with the Gallery Owners and is prepared to offer pieces on Consigment,

Bill
--- SBBSecho 2.12-Win32