Digital Shoplifting From Bookstores?

ipandithurts writes "According to a report from Tokyo via IOL, Japanese publishers have launched a campaign to stop 'digital shoplifters.' These 'digital shoplifters' are using cellphones to photograph magazine pages in bookstores, rather than buying them. 'Digital shoplifting is becoming a big problem as camera-equipped mobile handsets are spreading fast and their quality is improving greatly,' said Kenji Takahashi, an official at the Japan Magazine Publishers Association. Will entry into a bookstore soon include a 'cell-phone patdown?'"

Comments

"Digital Shoplifting" a misnomer

[Raindance]

It's troubling that the intellectually unwholesome analogy which the record and movie industry lobby groups in America, that copying is identical to stealing, is finding purchase in other cultures.

Copying is one thing, stealing/shoplifting is another. Copying may not be good, but for goodness sake it's different than stealing! This press release, and the 'educational' campaign that it outlines, clouds thought in contexts where it need not be clouded.

Re:"Digital Shoplifting" a misnomer

[nettdata]

If the guy copied the material, without having purchased it first, or took it home and photocopied it for all his friends, I don't care what you call it, it's still illegal.

And rightly so.

You can call it copyright infringement, which is probably the correct terminology, but "digitial shoplifting" is a pretty reasonable description of what he's doing, in my opinion. Because he's not copying something that he's purchased for his own use, he's STEALING it for his own use.

The magazine is there to be bought. If he goes in, and gets the "service" of the magazine without paying for it, then that is wrong.

(next bit not directed at you, just a generic rant)

I'm really getting sick and tired of people with an overinflated sense of entitlement. "Everything should be free!" Well, welcome to the real world... it just doesn't work that way, nor should it.

Now, if the people that "liberate digital content" gave back as well as they take, I'd probably not be that pissy over it... but the odds of that are EXTEMELY low. For that matter, I've found that most of the people that create things that are generally prone to "copyright infringement" are the first ones to pay for other people's works, while the ones that STEAL it are angst-ridden drama queens with that overinflated sense of self-entitlement.

"But it's too expensive, and they're charging too much for it!". Then don't buy it! You don't NEED it, and it's not a human right for you to have it, so show some moral backbone and don't steal it.

Really makes you wonder about the state of family values these days...

*sigh* ...end rant...

Re:"Digital Shoplifting" a misnomer

[AceM2]

They may not be EXACTLY the same thing, since you're not actually removing a product from distribution, but..... I'll never understand why you people say that you don't have to play by the rules if you don't have money.. Sure, someone can still buy the magazine so you aren't stealing it off the shelf, but the price tag is there for a reason.. Saying you wouldn't buy it anyway is just an excuse to be lazy.. If it's not worth a few bucks, not even an hour of work at mcdonalds, why in the hell are people standing there copying the things? I mean come on.. We have radios for music if you don't have the cash to buy cds, and you're allowed to browse magazines if you just want to catch an article in one of those.. If you wanna live in a socialism or whatever.. Then make that point known.. However, the countries where most music, magazines, movies, etc are being produced (and at least the ones most people seem to enjoy) are capitalist countries. Everyone works to get ahead.. Most of us play by the rules, we give money so other people can have it.. This system works great because of people playing by the rules..
If you like the product, just...pay for it.. You wanna make a stand and buy free music instead that's one thing.. It's totally different though if you're going to benefit from other people's work without paying for it..

Re:sounds like a big hassle

[The Cydonian]

Not sure about other places, but the Kinokuniya (which is apparently a Japanese chain) store in Singapore has some of its books and magazines in shrinkwrap, ostensibly to stop buyers (and digital "shoplifters", if you like) from browsing through the books.

If you ask me, that's simpler, yet more effective, than posters, paranoia and hype.

Re:cell phone camera resolution

[green pizza]

They're supposedly banning cellphones at swimming pools because of people taking pictures of kids.

Sadly that sounds pretty typical of so many modern regulations. Ban cameras at public pools and the parents will no longer be able to take photos of their kids at play. But the pedaphiles, who already have plenty of screws loose, will continue to snap pictures... either hidden camera or at a distance with a telephoto lens.

Does anyone else notice the pattern with bans?

Re:Newspapers

[jayoyayo]

it will happen eventually-- but give it a generation. when people like me, who were introduced to online news sources early in life become the head of households, print newspaper readership will decline severely. it is already begining to happen, newspapers basically just print yesterday's news and all the other interesting content they offer is available online from their website or from other online sources. once it becomes more and more common for the average person to find out about breaking news instantly then you can kiss print papers goodbye. enjoy those inky fingers while you can, it seems very possible we'll be telling stories to our grandchildren about how the news use to be printed on paper and delivered to our house every morning. sheesh, it already sounds ancient.