[kaliqt]

Only consequences, physically speaking the two are not the same at all.

Copying of anything digital is not actual theft, nor will it ever be.

[ryandrake]

"You wouldn't download a car!"

Wait, I absolutely would download a car if I could... or food... or clothing... I'd download the shit out of physical goods if the technology existed. Who wouldn't? You could solve scarcity. If we had Star Trek Replicators, we'd be living in a literal utopia.

[jiggawatts]

Thanks to 3D printing this is starting to become reality and not just science fiction.

[cammikebrown]

The “download” catchphrase is a joke, it was originally “You wouldn’t steal a car”, which I’d argue is true for most people.

[withinboredom]

So long as you’ve paid for it before… maybe not. In many jurisdictions you are entitled to a backup. The fact that you have to pirate it… might be a gray area.

[nh23423fefe]

no true scotsman

wordsmithing on theft is the only defense thieves have

[gooosle]

How dare you steal these hn comments by copying them over to your PC using your browser? Thief!

[robertoandred]

Do you sneak into concerts or hop turnstiles too?

[viraptor]

Those actually take the resources away (space at the venue for example). In piracy that's not the case.

[probotect0r]

Of course it's theft. The owner of that content didn't intend to give it to you for free, they expected to get paid for their work.

[const_cast]

I could copy A New Hope once for every atom in the universe, and no money is lost and the original continues to exist.

Theft is moving stuff. You can't move software or digital assets, you can only copy them.

If I committed a burglary and instead of taking your TV I go to Walmart and buy a copy, then that's not burglary. You certainly wouldn't report me to the police.