Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 22nd May 2012 09:51 UTC
"Over half of PC users worldwide have admitted to using pirate software last year, according to a study by the trade group Business Software Alliance. BSA's ninth annual Global Software Piracy Study has shown a sharp increase in software piracy, especially among emerging economies. In the UK, more than one in four programs users installed in 2011 were unlicensed." If people decide en masse not to adhere to a law, said law is worth about as much as the paper it's written on. Laws become functional not because of the Queen's signature, but because the people decide to adhere to it. It's becoming ever clearer that as far as digital goods go, the law is not functional - for better or worse.
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RE[2]: Comment by Alex Hitech
by zima on Tue 29th May 2012 23:41
in reply to "RE: Comment by Alex Hitech"
Member since:2005-07-06
Because in modern democracy what is good for the people rarely prevails.
As opposed to non-modern democracy or other widespread non-modern systems?
(sure, our systems have some issues ...but don't talk about them in a way which implies mythologising the past - back then it was generally much worse)
Member since:
2005-09-16
I remember these lines from the movie Gandhi (1982):
Walker: "But you will obey the law?"
Gandhi: "There are unjust laws, as there are unjust men."
There's nothing sacred about laws. But if you don't like them you must try and change them, not simply disobey them. Although sometimes it works best when you make a point out of disobedience. Because in modern democracy what is good for the people rarely prevails. Whereas Gandhi achieved so much under a hostile occupation. Go figure.