West Point Honor Code

propblast

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How has the Honor Committee ruled on downloading unlicensed movies/videos or watching streaming videos from unlicensed sites? Is this considered stealing?
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
Having been in the home theater industry and having to deal with all of the crazy security the film studios have placed on blue ray players and other media players, I am sensitive to this issue. The only problem with that is that it prevented people from using their equipment easily and legally and stopped not one professional pirate from making copies. Being sensitive to the issue, I dont watched pirate movies even if i have ability to do so. Having said that, when Napster was all the rage, and people were downloading all their music for free, I would use it also but I only downloaded music that I would never ever buy. Since I would never have paid money to buy the music, i didnt fell like I was stealing anything. I was probably rationalizing what I was doing but I think there is a truth to it. If i were to download a movie now, I would use the same rationale. That however is me, I would assume people who download pirate movie would pay for if they had no other choice. On the other hand, I have Netflix, so i can watch pretty much what i want. And seriously, from what I hear, all of the college kids do it. Some schools have internet speeds of 1000 Mbps allowing them to download movies in minutes. Not justifying it, just saying what is happening
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
Having been in the home theater industry and having to deal with all of the crazy security the film studios have placed on blue ray players and other media players, I am sensitive to this issue. The only problem with that is that it prevented people from using their equipment easily and legally and stopped not one professional pirate from making copies. Being sensitive to the issue, I dont watched pirate movies even if i have ability to do so. Having said that, when Napster was all the rage, and people were downloading all their music for free, I would use it also but I only downloaded music that I would never ever buy. Since I would never have paid money to buy the music, i didnt fell like I was stealing anything. I was probably rationalizing what I was doing but I think there is a truth to it. If i were to download a movie now, I would use the same rationale. That however is me, I would assume people who download pirate movie would pay for if they had no other choice. On the other hand, I have Netflix, so i can watch pretty much what i want. And seriously, from what I hear, all of the college kids do it. Some schools have internet speeds of 1000 Mbps allowing them to download movies in minutes. Not justifying it, just saying what is happening


Well, I like whiskey once in awhile and would never pay for Crown Royal , but I wouldn't steal it if I had the opportunity just because I would never pay for it anyway.
(Just an example, I do buy it!)

I felt the OP was important enough to send it to DS today and remind him and for him to remind his buddies of the consequences that these actions could bring. He replied they have all been briefed on it and he understands.

I hope you are trying to make some additional points other than just being accepting of illegally pirating copyrighted material off the internet because all college kids are doing it.

Our Cadets are not perfect, but they are to be held to the highest of all standards and ethics. They are not just another bunch of college kids.

Thanks to the OP for a healthy reminder.....
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
Having been in the home theater industry and having to deal with all of the crazy security the film studios have placed on blue ray players and other media players, I am sensitive to this issue. The only problem with that is that it prevented people from using their equipment easily and legally and stopped not one professional pirate from making copies. Being sensitive to the issue, I dont watched pirate movies even if i have ability to do so. Having said that, when Napster was all the rage, and people were downloading all their music for free, I would use it also but I only downloaded music that I would never ever buy. Since I would never have paid money to buy the music, i didnt fell like I was stealing anything. I was probably rationalizing what I was doing but I think there is a truth to it. If i were to download a movie now, I would use the same rationale. That however is me, I would assume people who download pirate movie would pay for if they had no other choice. On the other hand, I have Netflix, so i can watch pretty much what i want. And seriously, from what I hear, all of the college kids do it. Some schools have internet speeds of 1000 Mbps allowing them to download movies in minutes. Not justifying it, just saying what is happening


Well, I like whiskey once in awhile and would never pay for Crown Royal , but I wouldn't steal it if I had the opportunity just because I would never pay for it anyway.
(Just an example, I do buy it!)

I felt the OP was important enough to send it to DS today and remind him and for him to remind his buddies of the consequences that these actions could bring. He replied they have all been briefed on it and he understands.

I hope you are trying to make some additional points other than just being accepting of illegally pirating copyrighted material off the internet because all college kids are doing it.

Our Cadets are not perfect, but they are to be held to the highest of all standards and ethics. They are not just another bunch of college kids.

Thanks to the OP for a healthy reminder.....
There is a big difference between stealing video content and as in your example Whiskey. It costs X amount of dollars to make 10 barrels of Whiskey. If someone were to steal 1 barrel of whiskey, not only is the manufacturer losing revenue but it would cost the manufacturer more money to replace the stolen barrel. However, It cost X amount of dollars to make a movie. Once that money is spent, it doesnt cost anymore to make copies. You can have 1 copy or a million copies or downloads. If you download a movie without paying the studio, it is true that the studio is losing revenue, however, there is no cost to the studio to replace the illegal downloaded movie. I am not condoning stealing, just looking at it in purely financial way
 
I think the question was is it stealing.
Intellectual property is still property.
The owner has the right to be paid for it.
In today's media landscape it costs as much to market a movie as it does to make it.
So if you find out about a movie through marketing and then download it without paying the studio loses money.
The studio loses enough revenue and people lose their jobs.
 
I think the question was is it stealing.
Intellectual property is still property.
The owner has the right to be paid for it.
In today's media landscape it costs as much to market a movie as it does to make it.
So if you find out about a movie through marketing and then download it without paying the studio loses money.
The studio loses enough revenue and people lose their jobs.
Not if you never intended to watch it and only do so because it is free. I am sure that makes up less than 1% of illegal downloads. Yes it is stealing, but there would be no loss to the studio
 
Not if you never intended to watch it and only do so because it is free. I am sure that makes up less than 1% of illegal downloads. Yes it is stealing, but there would be no loss to the studio
But it is not free. You are stealing it.
By watching it you are committing a crime. This is made clear by the FBI warning that proceeds films.
You just stand almost no chance of being caught.
The fact that there are people who are willing to make available the product for others to steal cheapens the product's potential value, there is a loss to the studio.
 
"A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

Pretty straightforward. Piracy isn't common theft, it's theft of a digital license. You're not paying for the use of a product.
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
Having been in the home theater industry and having to deal with all of the crazy security the film studios have placed on blue ray players and other media players, I am sensitive to this issue. The only problem with that is that it prevented people from using their equipment easily and legally and stopped not one professional pirate from making copies. Being sensitive to the issue, I dont watched pirate movies even if i have ability to do so. Having said that, when Napster was all the rage, and people were downloading all their music for free, I would use it also but I only downloaded music that I would never ever buy. Since I would never have paid money to buy the music, i didnt fell like I was stealing anything. I was probably rationalizing what I was doing but I think there is a truth to it. If i were to download a movie now, I would use the same rationale. That however is me, I would assume people who download pirate movie would pay for if they had no other choice. On the other hand, I have Netflix, so i can watch pretty much what i want. And seriously, from what I hear, all of the college kids do it. Some schools have internet speeds of 1000 Mbps allowing them to download movies in minutes. Not justifying it, just saying what is happening


Well, I like whiskey once in awhile and would never pay for Crown Royal , but I wouldn't steal it if I had the opportunity just because I would never pay for it anyway.
(Just an example, I do buy it!)

I felt the OP was important enough to send it to DS today and remind him and for him to remind his buddies of the consequences that these actions could bring. He replied they have all been briefed on it and he understands.

I hope you are trying to make some additional points other than just being accepting of illegally pirating copyrighted material off the internet because all college kids are doing it.

Our Cadets are not perfect, but they are to be held to the highest of all standards and ethics. They are not just another bunch of college kids.

Thanks to the OP for a healthy reminder.....
There is a big difference between stealing video content and as in your example Whiskey. It costs X amount of dollars to make 10 barrels of Whiskey. If someone were to steal 1 barrel of whiskey, not only is the manufacturer losing revenue but it would cost the manufacturer more money to replace the stolen barrel. However, It cost X amount of dollars to make a movie. Once that money is spent, it doesnt cost anymore to make copies. You can have 1 copy or a million copies or downloads. If you download a movie without paying the studio, it is true that the studio is losing revenue, however, there is no cost to the studio to replace the illegal downloaded movie. I am not condoning stealing, just looking at it in purely financial way

Ok

So I have a few apple trees in my yard. I planted them years ago, and that is my only investment. They produce many apples every year costing me nothing, of which I don't sell or do anything with other than enjoy some once in awhile. I also like to watch the deer eat them as they hit the ground.
So in your logic, if someone wanted to take any or all of my apples because they were just there, seemingly free for the taking, it would be acceptable since it causes me no financial hardship?
Stealing big or small is stealing whether it's whiskey, apples, illegal downloads or anything else...
You seem to be taking a curious position on the subject of acceptable situations pertaining to stealing, and I don't expect us to agree
 
It is stealing irrespective of the committee's ruling.
It may seem victim-less but it is not.
As someone who works in the media industry I can tell you it is a huge problem.
The loss of revenue to piracy has a tangible results in the form of lay-offs by the media companies.
Having been in the home theater industry and having to deal with all of the crazy security the film studios have placed on blue ray players and other media players, I am sensitive to this issue. The only problem with that is that it prevented people from using their equipment easily and legally and stopped not one professional pirate from making copies. Being sensitive to the issue, I dont watched pirate movies even if i have ability to do so. Having said that, when Napster was all the rage, and people were downloading all their music for free, I would use it also but I only downloaded music that I would never ever buy. Since I would never have paid money to buy the music, i didnt fell like I was stealing anything. I was probably rationalizing what I was doing but I think there is a truth to it. If i were to download a movie now, I would use the same rationale. That however is me, I would assume people who download pirate movie would pay for if they had no other choice. On the other hand, I have Netflix, so i can watch pretty much what i want. And seriously, from what I hear, all of the college kids do it. Some schools have internet speeds of 1000 Mbps allowing them to download movies in minutes. Not justifying it, just saying what is happening


Well, I like whiskey once in awhile and would never pay for Crown Royal , but I wouldn't steal it if I had the opportunity just because I would never pay for it anyway.
(Just an example, I do buy it!)

I felt the OP was important enough to send it to DS today and remind him and for him to remind his buddies of the consequences that these actions could bring. He replied they have all been briefed on it and he understands.

I hope you are trying to make some additional points other than just being accepting of illegally pirating copyrighted material off the internet because all college kids are doing it.

Our Cadets are not perfect, but they are to be held to the highest of all standards and ethics. They are not just another bunch of college kids.

Thanks to the OP for a healthy reminder.....
There is a big difference between stealing video content and as in your example Whiskey. It costs X amount of dollars to make 10 barrels of Whiskey. If someone were to steal 1 barrel of whiskey, not only is the manufacturer losing revenue but it would cost the manufacturer more money to replace the stolen barrel. However, It cost X amount of dollars to make a movie. Once that money is spent, it doesnt cost anymore to make copies. You can have 1 copy or a million copies or downloads. If you download a movie without paying the studio, it is true that the studio is losing revenue, however, there is no cost to the studio to replace the illegal downloaded movie. I am not condoning stealing, just looking at it in purely financial way

Ok

So I have a few apple trees in my yard. I planted them years ago, and that is my only investment. They produce many apples every year costing me nothing, of which I don't sell or do anything with other than enjoy some once in awhile. I also like to watch the deer eat them as they hit the ground.
So in your logic, if someone wanted to take any or all of my apples because they were just there, seemingly free for the taking, it would be acceptable since it causes me no financial hardship?
Stealing big or small is stealing whether it's whiskey, apples, illegal downloads or anything else...
You seem to be taking a curious position on the subject of acceptable situations pertaining to stealing, and I don't expect us to agree
No, because in order to replace the apples, there would be a cost involved. That was my only point, stealing a tangible item creates a cost to replace. Stealing an intangible item like a download costs nothing. Loss of revenue is something, but I am working on the assumption that there wont be a loss because I wouldnt have watched it even if it cost one penny. Either I watch it for free or I never watch it. So it is a moral issue but since no one losses money or value as a result of the stealing, where is the harm. The problem with stealing is that it harms people. I have a situation where there is stealing but no one gets harm. I am not trying to convince you that i am right and or want you to agree with me, I am giving you a situation that is grey. Finally, I could be wrong, but i have identified it as stealing in just about every post I have made concerning it.
 
Not if you never intended to watch it and only do so because it is free. I am sure that makes up less than 1% of illegal downloads. Yes it is stealing, but there would be no loss to the studio
But it is not free. You are stealing it.
By watching it you are committing a crime. This is made clear by the FBI warning that proceeds films.
You just stand almost no chance of being caught.
The fact that there are people who are willing to make available the product for others to steal cheapens the product's potential value, there is a loss to the studio.
Forget about the FBI warning and the moral issue of stealing. If I never watch the movie, the studio will receive nothing. If I watch an illegal download, the studio will receive nothing. These are the only two things that can possibly happen in my scenario. Explain to me how the studio gets hurt either way. By the way, just to let you know i have never downloaded an illegal movie and have no intention of doing so. That isnt the point
 
The OP asked if it is considered stealing.
You are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.
It is stealing, it is more than 1% of illegal downloads, the category does exist, the studios do lose revenue.
 
It's definitely stealing. While other college students may all do it, it is a crime. Our service academies cadets should be of high moral character, integrity, honesty - follow the oath and the laws.
It only costs less than $10/month for Netflix customers to watch and stream movies - legally. Just my 2¢.
 
The OP asked if it is considered stealing.
You are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts.
It is stealing, it is more than 1% of illegal downloads, the category does exist, the studios do lose revenue.
I looked, I didn’t see a category of people who would download but only things they would have never watched or heard and therefore would have never paid. Seems kind of very specific
 
It's definitely stealing. While other college students may all do it, it is a crime. Our service academies cadets should be of high moral character, integrity, honesty - follow the oath and the laws.
It only costs less than $10/month for Netflix customers to watch and stream movies - legally. Just my 2¢.
I agree but i find it very interesting that no one is willing to discuss the grey area and just keep repeating the same mantra .
 
It’s stealing and stealing would be an honor offense (I think we had something like this at CGA when it was still new). Eventually the sharing ability was removed.
 
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