I know it's a popular meme to say, "if buying isn't owning, then piracy isn't stealing", but that is brainrot. It's not even consistent with fair labor practices. It would be like a company saying "if your work doesn't produce value for me, then the time and effort you put in should not be compensated". That's not the deal.

Artists should be paid, and pirating art is stealing. It's just that, in the name of equity and the love of art, they might be OK with it if someone who can't afford it doesn't pay. But speaking on behalf of every artist ever: when a corporation who absolutely can afford it doesn't pay, it's stealing, and the artists want their damn compensation.

[–] null@slrpnk.net 1 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Piracy is copyright infringement, not theft.

[–] teawrecks@sopuli.xyz 1 points 3 weeks ago

I agree with you that it's not theft. Theft legally well defined and distinct from copyright infringement. I'm saying copyright infringement is stealing. You are taking from an artist their living. It's honestly baffling to me that one could mental gymnastics themselves into believing otherwise.