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Stealing

zpwestonzpweston Explorer
edited October 2010 in Buddhism Basics
What do consider as stealing, do you think that getting a movie from the library and copying it for future personal use. The reason I am asking is because my library has Discovering Buddhism but they only let you check it out for three days. I don't want to do something if it's stealing but I don't have the 55 dollars to buy it. What should I do?

Comments

  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited October 2010
    zpweston wrote: »
    What do consider as stealing, do you think that getting a movie from the library and copying it for future personal use. The reason I am asking is because my library has Discovering Buddhism but they only let you check it out for three days. I don't want to do something if it's stealing but I don't have the 55 dollars to buy it. What should I do?

    I'm not sure. I remember reading somewhere that it's legal to make copies of movies you own for personal use, but I don't know what the law is regarding movie rentals or things you've borrowed from the library.
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Digital copyright laws, at least in the US, have always been clear. Copying rentals can get you fined or jail time; read the FBI Warning(s) at the beginning of DVD movies for instance.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Cloud wrote: »
    Digital copyright laws, at least in the US, have always been clear. Copying rentals can get you fined or jail time; read the FBI Warning(s) at the beginning of DVD movies for instance.
    And in other countries as well.We have had this same discussion on dhamma books.You are going to get differing answers from different people.In my opinion it goes against the precept to abstain from stealing.Others are going to disagree with me.:)
    As a monk,I would advise against it,but I can not tell you what to do.
    With metta.
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited October 2010
    How long are other DVD's at this library lent? How long are books lent? What if you were to copy this DVD, use it for a period of time equivalent to a book check-out, and then destroy it? The problem for you is that it is lent from the library for only three days. What if you were to copy it and then destroy it after a reasonable period of time?
  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited October 2010
    We spend a lot of time trying to justify, or bend, the precepts. Though they are more guidelines than rules, the amount of effort we put in to get around them in order to satiate a desire of ours definitely constitutes weightier and weightier karma. There's so much free information such as on the internet that there's no question you can download/copy for yourself; I'd stick with that, or just actually watch the DVD during the time you've rented it. Take notes. :) Something.
  • JasonJason God Emperor Arrakis Moderator
    edited October 2010
    Cloud wrote: »
    There's so much free information such as on the internet that there's no question you can download/copy for yourself; I'd stick with that, or just actually watch the DVD during the time you've rented it.

    Yeah, thinking about it more, this seems like the best advice.
  • zpwestonzpweston Explorer
    edited October 2010
    Ya I pretty much came to the same conclusion. I will rent it and enjoy it as I can and then try to find it elsewhere on the Internet. Thank you very much. Please be peaceful.
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited October 2010
    This is an offshoot of the seemingly never-ending thread on whether it constitutes stealing to download music without paying for it. In my mind, the upshot is, if you have to ask someone else whether it's stealing, then it's stealing. If you didn't pay for it, it's stolen unless the owner specifically says you can download or copy it.

    If you purchased a DVD for your own use, then yes, you can copy it to your heart's delight. You just can't give or sell it to someone else legally.

    As someone who has had his work illegally copied and sold on numerous occasions, I can tell you that while the monetary amounts may sometimes be small, that's not the issue at all. The issue is, the law is the law. And in this case, the precepts are the precepts.
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