Does File Trading Fund Terrorism?

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Did I mention that I heared this while watching the intro on the Spiderman video here in the UK (that copyright breakers fund terrorism)... but hey this is the whole new level - now it's you - yes you who some of your voted politicians want to you to go jail to control all those criminals in the society who suprise suprise share copyrighted material.



OK the article does not start that way... and it mentiones that organised softrware laundering organisations might be like organised crime... and therefore might support terrorism even though no links are found. (and the markup can be as high as 900% - imagine the markups for the software makers than ) .... but

The article finishes with

Representative John Carter, (R-Texas), suggested that college students would stop downloading if some were prosecuted and received sentences of 33 months or longer, like the defendants in the DOJ's Operation Buccaneer. "I think it'd be a good idea to go out and actually bust a couple of these college kids," Carter said. "If you want to see college kids duck and run, you let them read the papers and somebody's got a 33-month sentence in the federal penitentiary for downloading copyrighted materials."

now you in the land of the free... beware...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&ncid=1211&e=3&u=/pcworld/20030313/tc_pcworld/109808&sid=95612664

[orange]

Everything the goverment doesn't want you to do funds terrorism. Didn't you know?

[chequita guevara]

Buying stolen copywrited material may fund terrorism, if only because who knows where money goes in the black market. File trading, however, doesn't, since no money changes hands.

[DinoDoc]

Rep Carter is being a little harsh. I'd just give them the same punishment as shoplifters.

[Az]

File Sharing does not fund terrorism, obviously.

But buying pirated CDs and buying hard drugs does. Well, at least in Israel.

In any case , pure BS.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Azazel
But buying pirated CDs and buying hard drugs does. Well, at least in Israel.

The Islamic Jihad sells drugs to Israelis?

[Sheik]

Carter is a grumpy old man who shouldn't even be in office.

[Sirotnikov]

The Islamic Jihad sells drugs to Israelis?

Hezballah sells tons of drugs to Israeli crime lords, who sell it here.

IJ and Hamas had laboratories for fake music and software CDs which they sold to Israeli criminals who resold them on the black market.



However, I think that the whole story is complete nonsense.

But when subcommittee chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, asked Malcolm for examples of cases where file trading was connected to terrorism, Malcolm said he couldn't give concrete examples. "It would surprise me greatly if the number were not large," Malcolm added. "This is an easy enterprise to get into; the barriers of entry are very small, and the profits are huge."

Smith and several others at the hearing noted that selling illegally copied materials can be more lucrative than selling illegal drugs, and several at the hearing compared the copyrighted materials trade to the drug trade. Illegally copied materials can have markups of 900 percent, Smith noted.

How can those "evil warez groups" make profits upto 900% more than the original cost, if they give it away for free?

Obviously the black market sponsors criminal activity. This is clear and we all knew it even without this comitte.

However, when you download a movie FOR FREE, no one gets paid.

But just because a terrorists downloads a free movie, and sells it for profit, to people who don't have internet connections - doesn't mean he can earn 900% the original cost!!! Because in that case ... people would simply by the original for 1/9th of the price! duh!

It's the high prices of authentic software and movies and music that drives people to pirates. People don't buy stuff for 900% more, just for the heck of it!

[Nubclear]

Re: Does File Trading Fund Terrorism?

Yep, pirating stuff funds terrorism. Because if you dont buy things, then the money never gets to the government, so then the money never gets to the middle east, so then Hezbollah and Al Qaeda dont get any money

Oh wait......

[Dinner]

How can I fund anything when I don't give anyone any money? Maybe he's just an idiot who's trying to his donors issue (in this case the RCAA) and try to have it piggy back on the current hot topic. It is almost scary what these Republicans have been proposing lately.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
It's the high prices of authentic software and movies and music that drives people to pirates.

I just looked at the retail price of Office XP yesterday <-- I was stunned by how bloody expensive it is.

[JCG]

Something that doesn't "fund" anyone obviously can't "fund" Terrorism.

[DuncanK]

I think this is another case where the government is trying to use the 'terrorism' card to control out behavior. The last time they gave the terrorism alert they said they were going to attack apartment buildings, obviously to get us out of the house so we would spend money. I think the terrorists would rather attack the malls or large buildings where peolpe work, like the World Trade Center.

[Hueij]

I'm not American and I download tons of everything... Do I need to fear the CIA knocking on my door one night?

[Sirotnikov]

Originally posted by Hueij
Do I need to fear the CIA knocking on my door one night?

Yes. With no connection to your nationality or your personal habbits. The answer is Yes.