Spanish Lecturer Sacked...

[pompey_john]

A Spanish lecturer has been sacked for defending the legality of P2P networks. It is big news in Spain, but so far has barely been reported outside.

 

The full story, appears here.

[Head Guru]

Absurd!

[borfast]

I have read about that on Slashdot.

 

I wonder when we'll start having to pay a "tax" for internet access, CD/DVD recording software, a computer, a keyboard, a mouse, a computer monitor, heck even a car where we transport CDs/DVDs! These are all items that can be used to break copyrights - the keyword here is can and that's what those morons at RIAA (as well as other similar associations all over the world) fail to realize.

 

P2P networks are not only used to share copyrighted material! They should be going after those that do share copyrighted material, not shuting down P2P networks just because people can use them for illegal purposes.

 

Imagine if someone thinks of saying that Samuel Colt is the responsible for the millions of deaths by firearms occuring every year. Or that Albert Einstein was responsible for the massacres of Hiroshima and Nagasaki...

 

It's exactly the same thing. Everything mankind invents can serve for both good and evil purposes. It's up to us to chose which one and we shouldn't punish those who invent things just because other people decided to use their invention for evil purposes. Actually, in this case it's even worst, because people who actually use P2P networks for good are also getting punished (read MPAA and RIAA sueing all those bittorrent sites).

 

Well, enough of this. I get very emotional when thinking about this kind of stuff, so I'll just shut up before I say something less pleasent.

 

Just a note: I am not a supporter of using P2P networks for illegal file sharing. Although I do think that music CDs, and movie DVDs cost way more than they should, I believe that if I want to enjoy something that is the product of someone else's labour, I should pay for it.

Edited May 27, 2005 by borfast