Am I a thief?

E

epicstruggle

Passenger on Serenity
Veteran
Ok, so i work the graveyard shift and i try to study on my free time. So Im really short on time. So this week I downloaded a movie that I really really wanted to see, but did not have the time to go to the theater for. Watched it on my computer and really loved it. :) Yesterday I went and watched it in the theater.

So my question, did i steal anything from anyone? I did pay for a ticket and watched the movie at the theater. What if i had only bought tickets online but did not go, would it then be stealing?

later,
epic
 
Somehow, I feel compelled to respond to this post. ;)

The act of downloading and watching it on your PC is theft IMO. So yes, you are a thief. ;) You wathced it twice, and only paid for it once.

Now it's time to start splitting hairs though....

I might not consider it theft if you

1) Bought tickets to the theatre....THEN
2) Instead of going to the theatre, you downloaded it, watched it on your PC, then deleted it. (Viewed it once on your PC after purchasing the tiket.)

The way you did it, you'll never be able to honestly answer these questions: would you have bought the movie ticket if you did not like what you saw on your PC? Instead of going to the theater once, and watching it once on your PC...would you have paid to see it twice in the theater instead?

I'm also going to assume that you ONLY watched it once on your PC....have you watched it again on your PC?

We can even split hairs some more here too :D ...by purchasing a ticket and watching the movie "once" at home, you have thus "justly" compensated the movie distributor. However, you may not have justly compensated the movie theater. ;) Do you usually or even occaisionally buy concessions at the theater? Movie ticket prices take into account expected sales from concessions, etc.
 
What if you did not like the movie and it was in fact terrible, so bad that you did not watch it at the theatres? Are you a thief then?

You got two showings of the movie for the price of one ticket also (once at home, once in the cinema) so did you still steal or did you pay back for what you did?

Is it possible to steal a movie by simply downloading and watching it and then removing it from your computer and not distributing it further?

Current copyright laws state that what you did was against the law but I guess what you are asking is, if this law correct. Withut answering the question when you watched the movie you were aware that is was copyrighted (I am merely assuming this), so if you were prosecuted for preaching this contract and were ordered to pay some sort of penalty there would not be any substantial case for your defence.

What do you think? Maybe you should pay again for a ticket and not watch it to pay for the two showings you had of the movie?

If I were a judge I could only judge you with regards to the current law, and that states you broke the law...but perhaps there are other lws that protect you that you could use to defend your behaviour. I'm not a lawyer or a judge, I dont think anyone on this board is either. They would be in a better position to answer your question rather than the laymen, as you are asking us to judge you.

At the end of the day I am not going to judge but only because I am not in a position to judge you with regards to whether you are a thief or not - but if you dont like a law it doesnt necessarily mean you are excused from it.
 
thief.jpg
 
I'll judge. You are a rotton thief. Not that I don't approve of what you did. As a matter of fact if Microsoft made movies (and that was a microsoft movie) I'd give you a a big fat wet kiss.
 
epicstruggle said:
So my question, did i steal anything from anyone? I did pay for a ticket and watched the movie at the theater. What if i had only bought tickets online but did not go, would it then be stealing?
Click to expand...

It's only stealing if you get caught.
 
1) Bought tickets to the theatre....THEN
2) Instead of going to the theatre, you downloaded it, watched it on your PC, then deleted it. (Viewed it once on your PC after purchasing the tiket.)
Click to expand...

no, ny that line of reasoning you paid for the ticket which gives you the 'service' of watching the showing at the time and place on the ticket.

that will be all.

PS: tihs could very well be a long night.....
 
The ticket prive nowadays only covers the viewing of the movie, theatres dont make a profit (or any reasonable profit) from ticket sales.
 
I did feel bad that I had to download the movie. Watched it and then deleted it. This "movie", I would have watched later in the theater no matter what. Somethings just must be experienced in a big screen. I wont name the movie, but i think most people can guess what it was.

I never, ever buy anything from the concession stand. Too expensive, and im trying to watch my weight.

I went to the theater with my friends so I did plan on going whether good or bad. We had already heard some unflattering reviews and that did not phase us. And I might watch the movie at least one or two more times.

In my mind I did not steal. I wish there was a way i could skip the theater experience sometimes. annoying people in front, kids screeming in the back. sticky floors. people and their BO problems. Id pay an extra 10 dollars to just download the movie and watch it on my big screen. ;)

later,
epic
 
epicstruggle said:
In my mind I did not steal. I wish there was a way i could skip the theater experience sometimes.
Click to expand...

But you just said some things you "have" to experience on the big screen? In other words...while the theatre has it's disadvantages, you still see enough advantages to go and see it there.

...annoying people in front, kids screeming in the back. sticky floors. people and their BO problems. Id pay an extra 10 dollars to just download the movie and watch it on my big screen. ;)
Click to expand...

I know what you're saying....but there is a way to do this.

It requires that you wait a few months for the DVD to come out. Watch it on your big screen all you want then :)
 
Joe DeFuria said:
epicstruggle said:
In my mind I did not steal. I wish there was a way i could skip the theater experience sometimes.
Click to expand...

But you just said some things you "have" to experience on the big screen? In other words...while the theatre has it's disadvantages, you still see enough advantages to go and see it there.
Click to expand...
Thats why i said sometimes. ;) Not every movie requires a big screen experience. Some are just aweinspiring on a 60foot screen. Shawshank redemption does not need a big screen to make it a compelling movie. Star Wars "X" is a movie that is infinetly better on a big screen. Specially the opening credits part.

Yes, dvd are an option, but going to the theater with a dozen or more friends is more convinient (read, not enough couch room.)

later,
epic
 
epicstruggle said:
Yes, dvd are an option, but going to the theater with a dozen or more friends is more convinient (read, not enough couch room.)
Click to expand...

Right...then the theater is giving you something of value.

Go to the movies and pay for them when you think the theater adds value. Wait for the DVD to come out when you don't.

I'm not sure what the dilemma here is. If you're in doubt use the following rule:

* Never download and watch a movie that you don't own the DVD for.

If your answer to that is "but I don't want to wait for it to come out on DVD", then the movie theater is providing that extra value of you being able to see it "now", and go to the theater and see it.
 
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