Is downloading copyright materials stealing? {Some Food for thought}

[WHiKWiRE]

This question always seems to rub me the wrong way.

Everyone who partakes in filesharing is always going to have to rationalize with themselves about downloading copy copyrighted materials. It all comes to down to morals I would think.

For me personally not having a lot of money made me turn to filesharing. The fact of the matter is I can't afford to go the theatres, rent/buy games, rent/buy movies or even purchasing a piece of software. So how do get the applications I need for school and how do I stay entertained on a Saturday night you ask? This site

[4play]

[C]opyright is a sort of contract between Record Companies and the public.

Fixed, as I believe they say.

your sort of right.
There are all different sorts of copyrights to do with music. Some belong to the record comapnies some belong to the artists and some belong to the writer.

[kazaaman]

Everyone who partakes in filesharing is always going to have to rationalize with themselves about downloading copy copyrighted materials. It all comes to down to morals I would think.

Not all filesharers have to rationalize with themselves about downloading copyright material as filesharing is exactly what it sounds like; sharing files. There are many programs that are distributed on P2P freely like OpenOffice. I am a pretty technical person so I'd so most people download copyright material and in doing so most of them have to rationalize for themselves.

@4Play

I'm not talking about the court system as law is interpreted differently in each country. This topic is intended to more on a moral concept.