Honest Thief compares sharing MP3s with shoplifting

ToshiroOC · Feb 22, 2003, 04:46 AM

The various record industry associations are likely to go up the wall when they discover what Honest Thief is up to. The Dutch firm has effectively raised two fingers to the music industry and blown a raspberry. It has stated its intention to add another file sharing program to the Net and do it quite legally.

"Call it file sharing or shoplifting, here in Holland we call it good business," says The Honest Thief. The company points to rulings in a Dutch appeals court that let Kazaa off the hook. The court ruled that file sharing software was no different legally than a photocopier or CD burner. While all can be used to infringe copyright, they also have perfectly legal uses.

With a ruling like that we have to suspect that the judges never actually tried Kazaa but the analogy is reasonable. The court decided that the copyright infringers were the users of the software who traded copyright files, not the programmers who created the software. Again, quite reasonable. Except of course to the record companies who decided the ruling was an "aberration".

The Honest Thief seems determined to rub the record companies' noses in it. "We Dutch are a free thinking people and we've never been the type to legislate morality. With our file sharing service and our new software, we hope The Honest Thief will become to file sharing what the Swiss are to banking."

--By Inquirer Staff, source: The Inquirer

Article can be read here.

Saint_K · Feb 22, 2003, 04:44 PM

Thank god i am dutch

Veeoh · Feb 23, 2003, 08:40 PM

Nice one the Dutch!

digitalwanderer · Feb 23, 2003, 08:51 PM

*cough-cough*

ToshiroOC · Feb 23, 2003, 09:57 PM

Ah, but that one wasn't front page, Digi

And yes, I'm getting slow... I already reposted one article! /me goes for more caffine, opens another 1 gallon jug of coke syrup...

digitalwanderer · Feb 23, 2003, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ToshiroOC
Ah, but that one wasn't front page, Digi

Yeah, but that's only 'cause I can't post front page.

Saint_K · Feb 24, 2003, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by digitalwanderer

First they give me Heineiken, now they'll give me my filez...I think I'm starting to really like Holland.

Filez and heineken is just 2 things of much goods we have here

digitalwanderer · Feb 24, 2003, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Saint_K
Filez and heineken is just 2 things of much goods we have here

Is it true that pot is legal over there too or is that a myth. (If it ain't a myth, I have found my next vacation spot!

)

Saint_K · Feb 24, 2003, 01:40 PM

Yes its legal

Also legal is mushrooms etc and other "soft" drugs

Feb 22, 2003, 04:46 AM	#1
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Honest Thief compares sharing MP3s with shoplifting The various record industry associations are likely to go up the wall when they discover what Honest Thief is up to. The Dutch firm has effectively raised two fingers to the music industry and blown a raspberry. It has stated its intention to add another file sharing program to the Net and do it quite legally. "Call it file sharing or shoplifting, here in Holland we call it good business," says The Honest Thief. The company points to rulings in a Dutch appeals court that let Kazaa off the hook. The court ruled that file sharing software was no different legally than a photocopier or CD burner. While all can be used to infringe copyright, they also have perfectly legal uses. With a ruling like that we have to suspect that the judges never actually tried Kazaa but the analogy is reasonable. The court decided that the copyright infringers were the users of the software who traded copyright files, not the programmers who created the software. Again, quite reasonable. Except of course to the record companies who decided the ruling was an "aberration". The Honest Thief seems determined to rub the record companies' noses in it. "We Dutch are a free thinking people and we've never been the type to legislate morality. With our file sharing service and our new software, we hope The Honest Thief will become to file sharing what the Swiss are to banking." --By Inquirer Staff, source: The Inquirer Article can be read here.

Feb 23, 2003, 08:51 PM	#4
digitalwanderer Colour Commentator Join Date: May 2002 Location: Highland, IN USA Posts: 5,619 Rep Power: 0	You're getting slow Tosh. cough-cough __________________ WTF is up with the sigs?

Feb 23, 2003, 09:57 PM	Thread Starter #5
ToshiroOC Unbiased. Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 4,812 Rep Power: 0	Ah, but that one wasn't front page, Digi And yes, I'm getting slow... I already reposted one article! /me goes for more caffine, opens another 1 gallon jug of coke syrup... __________________ [img][/img] [color=White]Peace be with you, Joe.[/color] Driverheaven Staff Member (Supermoderator)

Feb 22, 2003, 04:44 PM	#2
Saint_K InSaNe Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Den haag, netherlands Posts: 836 Rep Power: 0	Thank god i am dutch

Feb 23, 2003, 08:40 PM	#3
Veeoh DriverHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: South UK Posts: 23 Rep Power: 0	Nice one the Dutch!

Feb 24, 2003, 01:40 PM	#9
Saint_K InSaNe Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Den haag, netherlands Posts: 836 Rep Power: 0	Yes its legal Also legal is mushrooms etc and other "soft" drugs