Saying that piracy is like stealing because there are people who would have made money if you had bought it legally is like saying that automation is stealing from the workers, or that Tesla is stealing from the petrol companies.
For anyone else reading this who is tempted to think that's a clever argument, consider the following scenario:
Imagine you are hired to build a website. You are told you'll be paid, say, 5 dollars an hour for your work, but only upon delivery of the site. You agree (for whatever reason) and build the website. After all, you need the income. It takes you, in fact, two years, working as hard and fast as your can. Often you work nights and weekends. You're looking forward to a good return on all this work...
You deliver the website to the client, and they put it online. And then they inform you that since your agreement was only verbal, you won't be getting paid. "I just don't have the money, sorry."
What's further, they take the website you built, make a couple of small five minute tweaks to the stylesheet, and share it with ten of their friends, all of whom deploy it as well. Those friends are thrilled...they got a well-designed website for NOTHING! How cool is that?
When you complain, you're told by the client "Hey, you should be thanking me! Those are ten people who wouldn't have been running your code otherwise. It's free marketing! You're welcome."
Yet those people don't need a website now. They won't be contacting you to build something they already have.
To said person who is reading this, make sure you take this simulation to it's end. What would happen with the person with designs he made in the future? Would he share him like he did, or would he do something else etc.?
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For anyone else reading this who is tempted to think that's a clever argument, consider the following scenario:
Imagine you are hired to build a website. You are told you'll be paid, say, 5 dollars an hour for your work, but only upon delivery of the site. You agree (for whatever reason) and build the website. After all, you need the income. It takes you, in fact, two years, working as hard and fast as your can. Often you work nights and weekends. You're looking forward to a good return on all this work...
You deliver the website to the client, and they put it online. And then they inform you that since your agreement was only verbal, you won't be getting paid. "I just don't have the money, sorry."
What's further, they take the website you built, make a couple of small five minute tweaks to the stylesheet, and share it with ten of their friends, all of whom deploy it as well. Those friends are thrilled...they got a well-designed website for NOTHING! How cool is that?
When you complain, you're told by the client "Hey, you should be thanking me! Those are ten people who wouldn't have been running your code otherwise. It's free marketing! You're welcome."
Yet those people don't need a website now. They won't be contacting you to build something they already have.
In effect, that's what piracy is.
Legal? Mmmmmmmmmmmaybe. Victimless? You tell me.
To said person who is reading this, make sure you take this simulation to it's end. What would happen with the person with designs he made in the future? Would he share him like he did, or would he do something else etc.?