Yeah, I agree with this. Some of the content providers would like to convince people that timeshifting is theft, and they have an argument based on the idea that they could sell convenient access as a separate product, but I'm unconvinced. So yeah, I can see a continuum.
But I don't buy one's ability to purchase something as the discriminating factor. There are a bunch of things that I'd like to have that I choose not to or can't purchase for one reason or another. While I don't want to wholeheartedly endorse the idea of intellectual property, it's the best idea we've come up with so far for how to make sure people get paid for their work, and as long as we're using the concept of property, that means you don't get to have something you want just because you can't afford the asking price.
You may be able to defend your decision to download on other grounds, such as that it's just timeshifting content you've already paid for (I'm very sympathetic to that argument). But not on the grounds that it's expensive and you don't have enough money. Let's save that argument for life necessities like bread, not entertainment.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
syntheid
no subject
Date: 2012-02-21 07:06 am (UTC)But I don't buy one's ability to purchase something as the discriminating factor. There are a bunch of things that I'd like to have that I choose not to or can't purchase for one reason or another. While I don't want to wholeheartedly endorse the idea of intellectual property, it's the best idea we've come up with so far for how to make sure people get paid for their work, and as long as we're using the concept of property, that means you don't get to have something you want just because you can't afford the asking price.
You may be able to defend your decision to download on other grounds, such as that it's just timeshifting content you've already paid for (I'm very sympathetic to that argument). But not on the grounds that it's expensive and you don't have enough money. Let's save that argument for life necessities like bread, not entertainment.