What Are Your Opinions On Torrenting?

Essentially, torrenting is piracy, and piracy is essentially theft. But having said that, I torrent like it is going out of fashion. I do not have the money to spend on some of the things that I would like. Some would tell me that if I do not have the money, then I should not pirate. But that's a naive way to look at things, I feel. If you can get something that you want for free, then most of the time people are going to take it.

I don't actually torrent though, because I deem it unsafe. I download things via other avenues.

 

If they want change, it starts with them. Not with harsher laws, made to demean us even further.. but get the economy back on it's feet. Start making education more accessible (it's FREE outside of school.. but we pay thousands for the piece of paper and class time). Jobs.. measly jobs practically require a PhD now. The problem isn't torrenting.. it's why we need it. I'm really tired of people pointing their fingers at the symptom instead of going after the cause. There will always be people that want something for nothing.. but the cost of living doesn't match incomes, so expect people to take what they can get.

 

Torrenting does NOT automatically equate to theft. A lot of people and companies use it for perfectly legitimate reasons. Haven't you ever experienced torrenting an installer from an MMO? Lots of MMOs support that feature. That's only one of the perfectly legitimate reasons for torrenting. Personally, sometimes having an unstable internet connection myself, torrenting is a godsend because the downloads don't expire when the internet disappears, unlike with browser downloads, or even FTPs.

 

Everyone's definition of what is morally right or wrong is different. Some people for example believe it is right to torrent "crappy" movies, games, etc. Others believe torrenting is theft.

Stricter laws won't change much. Some countries may enact the laws, others won't. That means torrenting would still live on elsewhere. The only way to stop piracy is selling movies, software, music etc is lowering the prices. Fewer people would be tempted to 'steal.'

 

I don't think torrenting is morally wrong because Intellectual Property is a human construct that does not exist in nature. The only way to stop torrenting is to compromise the integrity of the Internet by doing away with Net Neutrality. Vested Interest is certainly trying to do just that, and out of the public eye through International trade agreements like CISPA that are not passed by congress and signed by the president. In my opinion it is only a matter of time before the Internet changes drastically, and curbing illegal downloads will just be one part.

 

I don't know. It's not that much of a big deal to me. The world won't run out of cinema goers and people who buy original copies, anyway. Besides, why should you deprive individuals who can't afford to buy DVDs and cinema tickets of the opportunity to watch for free? Does that mean only moneyed people should have the privilege to watch films and TV shows? That's not morally right either.

 

I don't go for torrenting and I haven't tried it either for fear that I might get a virus. I tried streaming thinking that it is much safer than torrenting. But then I was informed that while torrenting and streaming are not entirely the same, both can be a source of viruses or malware and adware softwares.

I've stopped streaming since then. I switched on to renting original DVD copies of movies. It's a lot cheaper and the only downside of it is that you get to watch the movie months after it is shown in theatres. It really doesn't bother me as long as I can save some money, I'm all for it.

 

Morally wrong? Yes it definitely is. But I'm already at a point where I don't really care if torrenting is right or wrong. I guess years and years of torrenting made me insensible and the reward of being able to download free movies is too hard to pass up.

However for the past three months or so, I stopped the use of torrent for downloading movies and programs because I bought a new laptop and I'm being cautious because I might download some malware.

 

First of all, I really don't think piracy is theft. It's probably morally wrong, but it also gives us the opportunity try something first and buy it if you like it. I've torrented many movies, video games and TV shows, but if I really like something I'll probably buy merchandise and try to support the things I like. Music is cheap so I always try to support the artists I like.

 

Lol. I am one of those torrenters who makes no bones about what I am doing. I torrent with no intention of paying for what I pirate lol.

I have seen though; If you tell an anti-torrenter that you torrent just to try before you spend your money, they will turn their nose up at you, and call BS. I am sure that a lot of people do torrent to try before they actually spend their hard earned money, but the majority of people who I talk to - the ones who torrent, do not do it to try it before they buy it, especially when it comes to things like video games.

 

I used to torrent a lot when I was younger. Now, not so much. I have steam and steam sales to thank for when I want to get games. Older games can be considered abandonware. Not sure if it is legal to download abandonware games. Maybe it is acceptable, except for Nintentdo. Nintendo still supports all its old games, based on what I saw around the net.

 

If you have the money for purchase and you still go to torrent sites to download anything that you want then you're not just a thief but also a jerk.

 

I don't think it's right or wrong, just that it exists. Personally, I think it is up to the companies who have the resources to change the system because you can't just expect people not to take advantage of something that's staring them in the face. If they are able to provide a service that is just as easy, for a reasonable price, then people won't feel much of a need to turn to illegal downloading anymore.

 

I disagree that if you have the money to buy instead of torrenting, yet you still torrent, you're not only a thief but also a jerk. I disagree. I think that there are all sorts of different circumstances out there to just subscribe to such a notion. I do know that I'd be a lot happier spending my money on food over software that I want or need though. I get both sides of the argument.

 

What "loss" of revenue? Oh, I know there's 'the money the person getting the freebie could have paid'; but would that person have wanted the game if it weren't FREE?

And you have to know that the FREE game lacks in quality compared to the legal copy!

 

Well as someone who finds the copyright laws often irritating I obviously wouldn't say it's wrong. I don't think we should get everything we want for free. That's going overboard but sometimes you're not that interesting in supporting the maker so you have more important things of spending your money on. Like I said before if I'm a huge fan of a musician I will probably buy their stuff but if I'm not and I'm just a casual listener then meh. I don't torrent most of the time though because it's a more difficult way of obtaining digital content.

 

I won't lie, I've torrented more than my fair share. Yes, it is ethically wrong but then again, so is the cost of purchasing physical or digital copies. In years gone by, we bought pirated VHS films and cassettes, torrenting is just a natural progression.

 

Legally speaking it's wrong since it comes down to theft in a way. If a product is up for purchase it's just right to pay for it but sometimes it's not the case. Of course there are a lot of opinions regarding this subject matter but my stand here is, if you can afford the product and you think it's worth it then purchase. I see no reason for someone to download a song that costs barely a dollar on the iTunes store.

 

Yeah it could be, but I agree with the guy. There's no clear reason why you should not pay for a product if you know you can afford it and if you know that it's worth the price. Digital or physical goods, it doesn't matter, it costs money and effort to produce those products and it's only right to pay for it. If you don't want to pay upfront and try the product first, there are trial versions of the products. Even Netflix and Hulu has trial periods where you can try the service first for free so there's no solid reason why a person who can afford such products should not pay for them, unless you are a jerk.