Is File Sharing Ethical for Libertarians?

[kasse]

What should libertarians think about file sharing?

 

[drankin]

What's a libertarian?

 

[vociferous]

What's a libertarian?

A classical liberal. Someone who believes in limited governmental regulation, both socially and fiscally.

 

[Cyrus]

Aren't people supposed to think for themselves?

 

[MissSilvy]

Why 'should'? There is no 'should' in politics; it's all up to you and your beliefs, party positions be damned. If you're a libertarian, what do you think about file sharing?

 

[kasse]

Libertarians respect personal property, but can music be regarded private property?

 

[cristo]

Libertarians respect personal property, but can music be regarded private property?

As opposed to what, public property?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Libertarians respect personal property, but can music be regarded private property?

Its considered 'Intellectual property'.

It depends on how much of a free marketer you are I suppose. Copyright is a form of government regulation intended to spur creative and intellectual endeavour by protecting the creator's ability to profit off of their work. If you think that the government should not be intervening in such things then perhaps you would not agree with copyright protection. You may also see the law as a necessary requirement to maintain fair competition.

Either way I think most libertarians would disagree with many aspects of current copyright law. I typed up a rather long diatribe against current copyright law in another thread. I'll find it if you are interested in reading it.

 

[Chi Meson]

Aren't people supposed to think for themselves?

I agree with whatever Cyrus says.

 

[mgb_phys]

What's a libertarian?

A cannibal that only eats people who work with books

 

[KingNothing]

I would reason that a typical libertarian believes that if he or she buys a song, he or she rightly owns it and should legally be able to play and share it with friends, but no further than the extent to which they might share non-copyable goods, such as food or games.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

A library is all about sharing and librarians should get with the program.

 

[mgb_phys]

I would reason that a typical libertarian believes that if he or she buys a song, he or she rightly owns it and should legally be able to play and share it with friends, but no further than the extent to which they might share non-copyable goods, such as food or games.

So they think that they should be allowed to read a centuries old fairy tale to the children at bed time without buying a separate client access license for each child? (And a performance license for the act of reading it allowed.)

 

[junglebeast]

On the one hand file sharing cheats the authors out of their full potential profits. On the other hand, it raises the level of education and quality of life for EVERYONE. I think that a lot of the rapid advancements of the last 10 years are due in large part to illegal file sharing, which allow information to be disseminated rapidly to anyone who wants it, without monetary boundaries...and I think that the overall effect on our economy and quality of life is enormously positive.

 

[Evo]

There is nothing wrong with file sharing. If the former OP meant illegal distribution of copyrighted material. No. Locked.