Is it okay to download what is not available where you live?

[callmetheseeker]

Long story short, I want to download some stuff in order to learn Spanish. They aren't available in my country, only at international websites. I can't purchase anything without a card. I tried. I read somewhere that it's fine to take something that wasn't freely given if the owner has no interest in the thing. Well, in this case they are interested in and hold the copyrights tightly but can't be bothered selling them here for some reason. Is it okay to download them in this case? Anyway, as I said, I want to download it. I don't have to. If it's wrong, I might just as well forget about it. It's better to learn things in a more wholesome way. Opinions?

[Mkoll]

You might glean some insight from this massive thread: http://dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=7499

There are other threads that you can find with the search function as well.

[Sokehi]

That you ask this questions shows that you feel not too sure about the purity with regards to sila when downloading something like this. As a advice I share you my practice if something like this comes up to me: if in doubt I don't do it. This is not for the sake of being evangelical but out of experience this gives me a lot of joy: to look back and recall those incidents where I have abstaint from doing such and such a thing. This joy is much more valuable than any item that could be downloaded.

To learn spanish there are many available teachers, tools, books and cd's in any country (or almost any country) on this planet. To please your interest in learning the language those downloads are surely not essential.

[LXNDR]

if you don't have a way to get something directly, regard it as a kammic obstacle and forget about it

the thread would be more apt in the Ethical Conduct subforum