General Discussion

Xithras

(16,191 posts)

57. China had no concept of copyright until the 1980's

Mon Dec 30, 2013, 02:54 AM

Dec 2013

Throughout most of human history, people would have thought you insane if you claimed to "own" a song, or a story, or a concept. Then the profiteering capitalists stepped in and decided that the most fundamentally human of all concepts, the sharing of stories and songs, was somehow "theft" and a criminal act. Copyright laws only work in societies that put profits before people.

China was one of the last parts of the world that still embraced the older model of human sharing. Ideas should be shared and dispersed widely for the good of all. Songs should be sung and resung for the benefit of human happiness. Art should be shared to make the world more beautiful.

China only implemented copyright laws in the 1980's when international trade organizations threatened to isolate it if they didn't. The Chinese people, on the other hand, still don't accept the laws. It took generations for these laws to become accepted as "normal" in the rest of the world, and it will probably take generations for the Chinese as well.

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Your view on media piracy. How strongly are you against it? [View all] Locut0s Dec 2013 OP

You know - I'll take grief for this - but it's just ripping people off el_bryanto Dec 2013 #1

I don't think you should receive grief for it at all... Locut0s Dec 2013 #2

I agree. zappaman Dec 2013 #11

No, they're not Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #18

Ummmm... 99Forever Jan 2014 #121

You are 100% correct! nt Logical Dec 2013 #30

Except the victim of the teleporter can point to an empty spot on his shelf. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2013 #40

More like a gun that makes me a perfect replica of something in a store, Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #78

Your analogy doesn't find the situation. Imagine your device is a 3d printer and it recreates.... Taitertots Dec 2013 #95

Well JJChambers Dec 2013 #3

Did you mean to lay that out like a poem? Locut0s Dec 2013 #5

I believe this is a scene from the movie 'Office Space': Common Sense Party Dec 2013 #106

I pirate to the extent that I feel I have a right to do so FreeJoe Dec 2013 #4

Agreed this is one of the largest sources of "piracy" Locut0s Dec 2013 #6

I wouldn't call what you do piracy kcr Dec 2013 #12

I don't think of it as piracy... FreeJoe Dec 2013 #13

Indeed. kcr Dec 2013 #14

I do the same! But always buy it. Most do not! nt Logical Dec 2013 #32

A thief is a thief. Agnosticsherbet Dec 2013 #7

It';s not theft Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #19

When a person takes something that doesn't belong to that person Agnosticsherbet Jan 2014 #116

But traditionally the definition of theft... Locut0s Jan 2014 #119

Agree! theHandpuppet Dec 2013 #66

So you would have no problem with the various industries being forced to replace and Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #114

You bought a recording, a copy, not an infinite number of copies. Agnosticsherbet Jan 2014 #117

Not according to RIAA. You should learn about something before you decide whether Egalitarian Thug Jan 2014 #120

The complexity surrounding media ownership muddies what is right and wrong. onehandle Dec 2013 #8

When it comes to movies. Incitatus Dec 2013 #9

I don't do it. Agschmid Dec 2013 #10

Perhaps this video will explain my thought on Piracy MattBaggins Dec 2013 #15

if you're a professional songwriter that latest miley cyrus song download is stealing your living. spanone Dec 2013 #16

No, it's not Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #20

I feel if I purchase an item, I don't need to repurchase it mythology Dec 2013 #17

If it's available legally, I will pay for it. Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #21

I am a creator and have strong feelings against it. nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #22

But there are also ways to put out your own RPGs Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #24

Yes and no' and I ran my own small company for a few years nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #25

How so? Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #27

Just getting a table is expensive as hell nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #29

Thanks, that explains it Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #35

I agree... Locut0s Dec 2013 #28

Believe me, no I would not. nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #31

I think Steam has moved things in the right direction Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #34

And so has drive through nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #36

I self-publish too Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #38

I have an occupy book on smash words nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #39

It IS fun to write them Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #47

I actually am dealing with male rape nadinbrzezinski Dec 2013 #52

I'm middling on it Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #23

Off topic. Being a big super hero fan... Locut0s Dec 2013 #26

New 52 is ugh Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #33

A few other decent New 52s... sweetloukillbot Dec 2013 #43

Oooh, hadn't heard about a new Sandman mini Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #45

It's a prequel to the original series sweetloukillbot Dec 2013 #54

And just ordered it from Amazon Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #55

I view it as easy shoplifting. ZombieHorde Dec 2013 #37

I'm old enough that most of my music is on record albums. lumberjack_jeff Dec 2013 #41

I have 1000s of records, CDs, DVDs, books and comics.... sweetloukillbot Dec 2013 #44

This is why there's been a big push to PPV Prophet 451 Dec 2013 #46

I really don't care if people pirate stuff. Vashta Nerada Dec 2013 #42

I have to pay for anything else I buy. Why wouldn't I buy the movie or song I plan on liberal_at_heart Dec 2013 #48

... Gravitycollapse Dec 2013 #53

If there was essentially an infinite amount of bread RedCappedBandit Dec 2013 #75

I wish China would follow copyright laws. Rex Dec 2013 #49

China had no concept of copyright until the 1980's Xithras Dec 2013 #57

My music collection is approximately 130 gb. Most of it was torrented Gravitycollapse Dec 2013 #50

I am divided in my opinion on it. KitSileya Dec 2013 #51

I think it doesn't matter how we feel - it's here. MannyGoldstein Dec 2013 #56

Very true davidpdx Dec 2013 #60

Media companies have shown an amazing unwillingness to accept reality. KitSileya Dec 2013 #65

Yep davidpdx Dec 2013 #70

Oh, don't I know what it's like to live in different time zones! KitSileya Dec 2013 #94

If you can prove damages, its too bad for the songwriters. You can't though NoOneMan Dec 2013 #58

I used to think it was wrong goldent Dec 2013 #59

Being outside the US I have a different take on piracy davidpdx Dec 2013 #61

I blame the content distributors who... Locut0s Dec 2013 #63

The pirated DVD stands have become rare in Korea davidpdx Dec 2013 #71

Thanks for the info... Locut0s Dec 2013 #72

I can believe the DVD stands still exist in China davidpdx Dec 2013 #74

I kind of get that, in that I like to watch foreign shows treestar Dec 2013 #68

It is getting harder to limit the content davidpdx Dec 2013 #73

Piracy is inherently sharing. joshcryer Dec 2013 #62

We'll the question is. Do you have the right to share it? Locut0s Dec 2013 #64

Do I have the right to share my potato chips after I buy them? Vashta Nerada Dec 2013 #90

Only if you can un-eat them. Glassunion Dec 2013 #100

Where in the law does it say that? Vashta Nerada Dec 2013 #103

I was using your analogy. Glassunion Dec 2013 #104

This is where bootlegs come in. joshcryer Dec 2013 #108

See post 101 Glassunion Dec 2013 #109

That presumes you would've sold those copies without Napster. joshcryer Dec 2013 #111

You're right I guess. Glassunion Dec 2013 #112

I think there are always unfortunate side effects. joshcryer Dec 2013 #113

You are correct, that most viceral artists do not care about popularity. Glassunion Dec 2013 #115

When a thing has zero marginal cost is is unethical not to. joshcryer Dec 2013 #98

I've never done anything like that treestar Dec 2013 #67

Actually there is a huge brouhaha on YouTube going on right now surrounding copywriter issues... Locut0s Dec 2013 #69

Strongly, once they return copyright to 20 yrs. until then, required on point Dec 2013 #76

My views on such a thing... Xyzse Dec 2013 #77

Thanks for the link!... Locut0s Dec 2013 #81

No prob. Xyzse Dec 2013 #84

I agree with the pre-'80s court judgments. When the company sells it's product Egalitarian Thug Dec 2013 #79

In college, we had to... bobclark86 Dec 2013 #80

Adblock adds another interesting kink to the mix... Locut0s Dec 2013 #83

If you want money... bobclark86 Dec 2013 #92

+1000 Vashta Nerada Dec 2013 #93

I'm ambivalent bhikkhu Dec 2013 #82

As someone who has made his living with words since 1974, MineralMan Dec 2013 #85

I wrote a paper on this back in 2000 tabbycat31 Dec 2013 #86

I took my family to see the Hobbit... SomethingFishy Dec 2013 #87

Give your music away for free and make your money from the concerts ...like usual. L0oniX Dec 2013 #88

If someone doesn't want me to share their art I don't. hunter Dec 2013 #89

I think knowledge and all forms of art should be free. Neoma Dec 2013 #91

there has to be a way for the artist to make a living. Some have suggested that liberal_at_heart Dec 2013 #96

To me, it's whether you're doing it for the sake of art or not. Neoma Dec 2013 #97

Does *yawn* count? Tierra_y_Libertad Dec 2013 #99

Speaking from experience. Glassunion Dec 2013 #101

I feel complete indifference about it. nt bemildred Dec 2013 #102

Welcome to DU! Another Cheesehead always appreciated (assuming). Scuba Dec 2013 #107

Software I use freeware as much as I can. Initech Dec 2013 #110

I don't illegally download music, movies, etc, and think it is wrong to do so. n/t tammywammy Jan 2014 #118

What if you pay for an album... lame54 Jan 2014 #122

Unfortunately it doesn't matter what the artist thinks... Locut0s Jan 2014 #123

i'm not asking about the written law... lame54 Jan 2014 #125

I have nothing against it, except... Locut0s Jan 2014 #127

Completely opposed. MadrasT Jan 2014 #124

I do it and I think it's wrong, but I don't care... penultimate Jan 2014 #126

The only thing I pirate is premium channel content BarackTheVote Jan 2014 #128