Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Buddhist ethical conduct including the Five Precepts (Pañcasikkhāpada), and Eightfold Ethical Conduct (Aṭṭhasīla).
Post Reply
User avatar
Sekha
Posts: 789
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:32 am
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Sekha »

what about watching youtube videos, some of which are put online without the consent of their author, but it is impossible for the user to know which ones?
Where knowledge ends, religion begins. - B. Disraeli

http://www.buddha-vacana.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Beneath the Wheel
Posts: 49
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:41 pm

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Beneath the Wheel »

In that case, I would suppose that, since the precept is being "violated" unknowingly, there shouldn't be as much of a problem. I would assume this is the same as accidentally stepping on a bug - since the action is not being undertaken with such a thought or intention in mind.
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

I thought copyright was theft... :tongue:

Someone was thinking similar thoughts: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index ... 621AAldL1h" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Moth
Posts: 172
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:22 pm
Contact:

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Moth »

I used to download everything, now I refrain. Personally, I would argue that it is sharing but for me the risk is not worth the reward. It also prevent me from wasting a lot of time watching movies and listening to music, which are just sense desires and distractions. Ultimately I believe it is to your benefit to avoid it. The feeling of being certain in your own morality is more valuable than any torrent.
May you be happy. May you be a peace. May you be free from suffering.
http://www.everythingspirals.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

I heard in switzerland downloading will remain legal.
Swiss Govt: Downloading Movies and Music Will Stay Legal

One in three people in Switzerland download unauthorized music, movies and games from the Internet and since last year the government has been wondering what to do about it. This week their response was published and it was crystal clear. Not only will downloading for personal use stay completely legal, but the copyright holders won’t suffer because of it, since people eventually spend the money saved on entertainment products.
[...]
The overall conclusion of the study is that the current copyright law, under which downloading copyrighted material for personal use is permitted, doesn’t have to change.
http://torrentfreak.com/swiss-govt-down ... al-111202/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If I live in switzerland and download copyrighted material, do I violate the 2nd percept?
:thinking:
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Ytrog »

Jaidyn wrote:I heard in switzerland downloading will remain legal.
Swiss Govt: Downloading Movies and Music Will Stay Legal

One in three people in Switzerland download unauthorized music, movies and games from the Internet and since last year the government has been wondering what to do about it. This week their response was published and it was crystal clear. Not only will downloading for personal use stay completely legal, but the copyright holders won’t suffer because of it, since people eventually spend the money saved on entertainment products.
[...]
The overall conclusion of the study is that the current copyright law, under which downloading copyrighted material for personal use is permitted, doesn’t have to change.
http://torrentfreak.com/swiss-govt-down ... al-111202/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
If I live in switzerland and download copyrighted material, do I violate the 2nd percept?
:thinking:
The precepts are moral in nature not juridical.
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

Ytrog wrote:The precepts are moral in nature not juridical.
So, do I violate the Buddhist moral percept by allowing myself actions - downloading copyrighted material - which are juridically correct in this country? If I am living in switzerland.
daverupa
Posts: 5980
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 6:58 pm

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by daverupa »

Jaidyn wrote:
Ytrog wrote:The precepts are moral in nature not juridical.
So, do I violate the Buddhist moral percept by allowing myself actions - downloading copyrighted material - which are juridically correct in this country? If I am living in switzerland.
I think you can only know your intention, so look to that - Buddhist morality is centered thereon.
  • "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting oneself one protects others? By the pursuit, development, and cultivation of the four establishments of mindfulness. It is in such a way that by protecting oneself one protects others.

    "And how is it, bhikkhus, that by protecting others one protects oneself? By patience, harmlessness, goodwill, and sympathy. It is in such a way that by protecting others one protects oneself.

- Sedaka Sutta [SN 47.19]
User avatar
BubbaBuddhist
Posts: 640
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:55 am
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Contact:

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by BubbaBuddhist »

How does stealing someone's intellectual property differ from stealing his/her material chattels? This is the question. In my opinion, no difference.

M4
Author of Redneck Buddhism: or Will You Reincarnate as Your Own Cousin?
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

daverupa wrote:
Jaidyn wrote:
Ytrog wrote:The precepts are moral in nature not juridical.
So, do I violate the Buddhist moral percept by allowing myself actions - downloading copyrighted material - which are juridically correct in this country? If I am living in switzerland.
I think you can only know your intention, so look to that - Buddhist morality is centered thereon.
1. Then I can, hypothetically, say that a few downloads are by bad intentions. Thoughts may go like this: "this is really great material, I should really be paying for this, these people must have put a lot of effort into this, and I enjoy it without paying for it at the same time as the creators try to make a living by this product".

2. On the other hand, there are things downloaded that, from the downloaders point of view, are just mediocre: things that are not enjoyed very much but just interesting enough to be downloaded, but not good enough that the downloader would ever want pay for it.

For me nr. 1 is bad intention. Nr. 2 is not. Still there is probably always greed involved in both cases, but nr 2 does not count for theft, if we would consider 1 to be theft.
RinaB
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2012 8:26 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by RinaB »

I heard in switzerland downloading will remain legal.
If I live in switzerland and download copyrighted material, do I violate the 2nd percept?

It's still the same. Even if you are in other country that downloading is legal, still you did the same act that the religion does not permit us to do. Then with that, you still violated the 2nd precept. But I cannot blame you, dishonestly obtained products are widely available online. It is really difficult to remove it and I know there are a lot of people who patronize this kind of downloading (most especially songs) because of the fact that it is free and affordable. And I admit it is so hard to resist. But the US government now has made a bill with regards to this matter. The SOPA bill is intended to make these materials less obtainable, a fact that customers of the Congressional web connection appear to be reacting to by downloading more unlawful material.It is meant to make copyright protections in the United States better, but there are several opponents of the bill. Some of these opponents have found that Congressional online connections have been used to download illegally acquired products.Resource for this article: Congress supports SOPA while illegally downloading self-help books
Anything that we acquired for free wherein it is not supposed to be is illegal and not right. And if ever this bill will be approved, they should also keep an eye with their people in the government, then it will be fair for everyone.
User avatar
pilgrim
Posts: 1679
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 2:56 pm

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by pilgrim »

If I see a picture or file on the Net, I have a right to assume I can copy it unless the owner installs some software to inform me otherwise. Similarly, others have a right to take candid photos of me unless I tell them not to do so.
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

Hi and welcome RinaB! Seems to be your first post.
RinaB wrote:
I heard in switzerland downloading will remain legal.
If I live in switzerland and download copyrighted material, do I violate the 2nd percept?
It's still the same. Even if you are in other country that downloading is legal, still you did the same act that the religion does not permit us to do. Then with that, you still violated the 2nd precept.
Does the religion (buddhism) not permit downloading? Why?
RinaB wrote:Anything that we acquired for free wherein it is not supposed to be is illegal and not right.
No, not illegal in switzerland. "Not right" Why? Because the religion does not permit it. How do you know buddhism does not permit it? The problem - as discussed earlier I think - seems to be that copying is not the same as taking something from someone.

Suppose we live in a world where you have to pay money if you want to use the word "flower" in your daily talk. What if some people used the word without paying. Would that be a violation of the 2nd precept? And what if there are countries not applying this pay-for-words-law; are their people "not right" when they use the word "flower" in their daily talk?

Regarding SOPA (you have probably already heard, but anyway):
It was Google co-founder Sergey Brin who warned that the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act "would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world." Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Twitter co-founders Jack Dorsey and Biz Stone, and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman argue that the bills give the Feds unacceptable "power to censor the Web." http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57349 ... edictions/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
Jaidyn
Posts: 144
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2011 6:47 am

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Jaidyn »

To complicate the situation even more, consider that file-sharing and copying is recognized as official religion in sweden :tongue:
Since 2010 a group of self-confessed pirates have tried to get their beliefs recognized as an official religion in Sweden. After their request was denied several times, the Church of Kopimism – which holds CTRL+C and CTRL+V as sacred symbols – is now approved by the authorities as an official religion. The Church hopes that its official status will remove the legal stigma that surrounds file-sharing. http://torrentfreak.com/file-sharing-re ... en-120104/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
;)
User avatar
Alex123
Posts: 4035
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:32 pm

Re: Does illegal downloading violate the 2nd precept?

Post by Alex123 »

Metta-4 wrote:How does stealing someone's intellectual property differ from stealing his/her material chattels? This is the question. In my opinion, no difference.
M4
There is a difference. When you copy, the original is left intact. If you steal material things, you deprive the owner of them. What is wrong is to profit from copying.
Post Reply