MeowChow                                   
               s aamecha.s a..a\u$&owag.print

It would be nice if you didn't compare apples to oranges. My analogy compared online theft to a physical burglary.

Your example compares theft to a misdemeanor. Why didn't you just compare theft to jaywalking, if you wanted to be inane about it?

For a closer analogy, let's just say this. If the guy was smoking my joint without my permission, I'd be pretty darned mad. Okay?

buckaduck

I'll just note that using a term like "online theft" shows your bias. I doubt you'll agree as it has become a pervasive bias. The term "intellectual property" is another example of the bias. Nothing was "stolen". A student violated the contract that they entered into when they purchased that CD (presumably). That is not "theft".

Assuming that the analogy between property and (so called) "intellectual property" is a strong one really closes your mind to a lot of ways of thinking about the situation. Talking somebody out of buying a car isn't the same thing as stealing a car from the manufacturor. Loaning someone your car isn't the same as talking somebody out of buying a car. Go ahead, make a copy of your car and see if anyone acuses you of stealing a car from the manufacturor because now you have two cars but you only bought one.

The reasons for copyright are much different than the reasons for making theft illegal.

Now, I'm not at all trying to argue that "it isn't really stealing, so there is nothing wrong with it". There are plenty of things that aren't stealing that are plenty wrong. But if you can't think of this in terms other than "stealing", then there just isn't much point in discussing it.

Here is an interesting talk on the subject.

        - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")

Fine, if you'd prefer a felony, how about selling marijuana? My point is that you are already comparing apples and oranges. "Online theft" (as you call it) is not comparable to physical burglary, despite what Metallica would like you to believe.

"Officer, he stole my joint!" :-)

   MeowChow                                   
               s aamecha.s a..a\u$&owag.print

Sending the offender a (possibly anonymous) email pointing out his error might be gentler than blowing the whistle, esp. if it was done without malace, he didn't realize it was visible outside his site-licence area, misunderstood the copyright, etc.