Re: FN-FORUM: activation code for photoshop

date posted 19th August 2007 13:56

From: "Mark Pawelek" [EMAIL REMOVED]
> The police are not interested in investigating copyright violations by
> individuals and such violations are not theft. The police would only be
> interested if the copyright violation involved selling counterfeited
> goods.
> (copyright violations carried out for profit such that Adobe are deprived
> of
> a legitimate sales)
>
> Daniel may be a fool but he isn't likely to attract the attention of the
> police.

As a comment on the general conduct of the Police, that is true.
Unfortunately, it makes available on a public forum that professional
freelance developers appear to hold that view.

Here are few points...

1. Software theft is theft of property.
2. It is generally regarded as a civil matter with organisations such
FAST dealing with it (http://www.fast.org.uk/typesofsofttheft.asp).
3. Scots law deals with property as an essential issue both in civil and
criminal law, not a side issue. In England, the Theft Act applies for
criminal issues, that and common law for civil issues. The subject matter
set out on this thread is one of both criminal and civil law - as such it is
a Police matter should they care to deal with it AND the Procurator Fiscal
decides it is in the public interest to prosecute.
4. Many list members here and on the "sister" list have sacrificed a lot
of years and late nights in learning and gaining experience to the level
they can earn their living from professional Web services. They and their
families depend on income from their professional development pursuits. This
topic calls into question the ethics of Web developers here and generally.
As such it tarnishes the ethics of professional Web folk.
5. In the circumstances, it is right and helpful to debate the issue of
IPR theft, especially when, as put forward by the original poster, the forum
is used as a vehicle for advancing distribution of, or communicating, IPR
theft devices. That the Police are not interested in or have inadequate
resources to deal with such crime may be an issue, but if it is the case
then other developers are correct in pointing out that the majority here
have higher ethics than to condone or participate in criminal activity.
6. If the original poster made a mistake during his path towards becoming
an ethical Web professional, that's okay. Others here have assisted.

No summary, just points in a somewhat distasteful thread
.

Mike A.