[NinetyNine]

Piracy isn't stealing; it's copyright infringement and often a contract violation. Using metaphors for complicated legal issues is not a good way to approach things.

[hollerith]

Are you aware that you are doing exactly what grandparent is complaining about?

[askar_yu]

sarcasm...?

[hollerith]

I am not sure what you are asking.

My comment was not intended as sarcasm, nor was I asserting sarcasm in comments by others.

[batista]

And this argument has been repeated endlessly.

I wont question if it's true or false. But the mere repetition makes what the grandparent says true: this is not a site full of smart people.

Or at least: this is not a site full of smart people _above_ repeating for the nth time the same tired internet flames.

[morsch]

Smart people keep having the same tired arguments for the nth time for the past 2500 years. That's just the result the result of those question being fundamental and difficult to answer objectively.

The piracy thing seems like a silly semantic issue on the face of it but the semantics strike at the heart of the issue.

[tripzilch]

> And this argument has been repeated endlessly.

And that is why we need to broaden software patent laws to also include Internet arguments: patent trolling to counter actual trolling.

(BRB, patenting this idea)