Greed and Fear, file sharing and drugs

A little rambling philosophy about this case: Pirate Bay joy at charge change

Pirate Bay co-founder Frederik Neik said it showed prosecutors had misunderstood the technology.

The music industry played down the changes as “simplifying the charges”.

In our society we let people do things but stop others. For instance you are free to kill yourself using cigarettes but not free to do so with other inhaled drugs in a system that is stymied by powerful interested and large amounts of money, the difference between those with power and money (tobacco) and those that don’t (marijuana). One thing that has always surprised me is that you are allowed to buy bongs. Perhaps they could also be used for smoking.

Similarly, you can drive your car, but no one holds the car manufacturers responsible because you used the car to make a car bomb, do a kidnapping or transport some of those illegal drugs. But you are not allowed to do the same with your own personal tank. The benefit of the car is seen to outweigh the detriment. Also we probably do not have any need for tanks in day-to-day life.

So what we see here is a battle. A battle between powerful men with lots of money against those who provide a service. But is the service like a car or like a tank? I ask? I actually do not know enough about it to know the answer. But this is the question. If it is like a car, then the powerful men should be told to piss off. It is the criminals they are chasing, not the makers. If it is like a tank then you should put in place a regulation limiting the use to those with a licence.

Anyway I am impressed by the sheer gutsiness of the defendants. Bravo.

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