should tracker staff get paid?

[integral]

To be precise on a subject that has been touched upon in this thread, giving benefits in any way for a donation, makes it not a donation. In the USA and a lot of other countries, giving benefits/rewards/incentives for donations makes it donation solicitation.

However, paying employees or even yourself with donation money is allowed, so long as you officially document it as a form of employment when you file those taxes.

[BlueLabel]

you don't get benefits from donations.
if someone donate he is donate because he want too and not because the benefits.
I donate many times too some trackers and never ask for return
what you call benefits its just a gratitude for your donation, and besides.. no one force you to donate and its up to you if you donate or not.

[Nemrod]

I´m sorry but I think that in the moment that the user gets something else than the thanks, even if it is only one of those useless and ridiculous star, the thing stops being a donation.

[sear]

Well its not really a voucher for more download (ok sometimes it is if the tracker gives you 350gig for a tenner, and have no hit and run policy, i can see that) its more you donate so you do not get banned.

but on BCG you cant get banned for a low ratio, and you cant use a buffer to just "download" anything you want, you can even download 1TB and not upload byte and still not get banned on BCG. but i am seriously considering bringing Gigs for £ back, i have even halfed the donation amount from the other month, thinking make it lower, more may donate, but its basically just the same ones donating, but at half the price.

While that argument works on a filesharing forum the chances of getting a court to understand it/accept it are pretty slim. All they're going to see is the offer of cash for easier download.

[xnugx]

To be precise on a subject that has been touched upon in this thread, giving benefits in any way for a donation, makes it not a donation. In the USA and a lot of other countries, giving benefits/rewards/incentives for donations makes it donation solicitation.

However, paying employees or even yourself with donation money is allowed, so long as you officially document it as a form of employment when you file those taxes.

Which is retarded. It's basically the same as filing for doing something illegal. It'd be like paying your dealers if you are a narcotics shipper and filing it.

[integral]

To be precise on a subject that has been touched upon in this thread, giving benefits in any way for a donation, makes it not a donation. In the USA and a lot of other countries, giving benefits/rewards/incentives for donations makes it donation solicitation.

However, paying employees or even yourself with donation money is allowed, so long as you officially document it as a form of employment when you file those taxes.

Which is retarded. It's basically the same as filing for doing something illegal. It'd be like paying your dealers if you are a narcotics shipper and filing it.

Trust me when I say that if you are making a large amount of money and not paying the Government their share, the Taxman will come and fuck up your life, eventually.

And not all websites have blatant ways of collecting money. For example, TL uses an incentivized advertisement as their way of collecting money. ScT uses some kind of donation front. So it wouldn't necessarily be counted as reporting something illegal.

[Moonspell13]

Should tracker staff get paid? No , never.. ever..

And if ppl are fool enough to staff for a site that's more of a shop (as it was pointed out earlier some big p2l sites are making lots of money) then who gives a #^%$^%$ ... They should see what's going on around em and abandon the ship before its sunk.. With them in it.. The users could make the difference by not supporting those p2l sites but unfortunately most ppl don't give a $#^# as long as they get what they want..

[FACE_TO_FACE]

In my opinion if I were a staff of some tracker a dinner per year paid by the tracker would be great

[DeathAngel]

/me thinks that getting paid for being on staff is bullshit ... Donations are donated by the users for one purpose , making the site better . So any sort of extra cash should follow that purpose ...

[Brandon]

I think a lot of people forget that fact that when you begin to profit from warez, the stakes change quite a bit in the legal area. PayPal keeps logs of everything, forever.. So if for example you use this donation acct to buy a new ipod, or start sending money to your bank account (which is then considered as income btw), they'll know if they ever take you to court and start seeking evidence.

Doesn't matter if you have some sort of "front" for the donation profit scheme. Just like you and I could figure that out, so could the authorities. They aren't as stupid as most people assume


btw, doing p2l would be considered in the court as further facilitating in the distribution of warez, because in accordance with the rules you set on that site, you help extend the longevity and ability of such account to obtain copyright material

So those two together are what, +3 years in prison if ever convicted?