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Here's a moral question: Lets say someone only torrents shows that can otherwise be had from free OTA sources. Say their option is either to record a show OTA onto a Tivo, and watch it time shifted while skipping commercials... OR... download the show off of a torrent network, watch the show, then delete it. The difference in the end result is the method of delivery and nothing else. If something can't be had OTA or from Netflix, that person can purchase it from iTunes. So where is the line?


I don't argue that morally/ethically. I have no problem with it. Every instance in which I got caught was when I was downloading a show that I could have watched on TV. So yes, I only argue legally. Like Bruno said, the problem is when I'm uploading to others.

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Do you have a Tivo? If so do you skip commercials? If so how do you separate that morally from downloading a show? Honest questions.

Technically I don't feel much worse than I did when I recorded shows on a VCR and fast forwarded through the commercials. From a moral standpoint, I would say that I never agreed to have commercials subsidize my programming. Besides, I buy most of the shows I watch on DVD. So, you're right, I'm skipping the commercials that bring me the content. The argument here is that so far, it's not against the law.

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Another question: How are people getting "caught"? From whom were the warnings and by what methods did the warner obtain the info?

At the time, my best guess was that the studio who owned the content I was downloading hired someone to monitor torrents and gather IPs. It's pretty easy to do. Then they notified my ISP and they suspended my account for a couple days until I called and "swore" that I deleted what I'd downloaded.

My favorite notice from my ISP was one in which they essentially told me that if I really had to download stuff, just don't share my downloads. Clearly this doesn't work with bittorrent, but I thought it was hilarious just the same.
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Matt