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Warner CEO Admits His Kids Stole Music

Posted by kdawson on from the do-as-i-say dept.

IAmTheDave writes "Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman admitted that he was fairly certain that one or more of his children had downloaded music illegally, but despite this direct admission of guilt, no lawsuits are pending. Surprised? Bronfman insists that, after a stern talking-to, his children have suffered the full consequences of their actions. 'I explained to them what I believe is right, that the principle is that stealing music is stealing music. Frankly, right is right and wrong is wrong, particularly when a parent is talking to a child. A bright line around moral responsibility is very important. I can assure you they no longer do that.' I wonder if all of the people currently being sued/extorted can now just claim that they 'no longer do that.'"

5 of 533 comments (clear)

  1. actually it may have been perfectly legal by jbr439 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Bronfman is Canadian. In Canada it is legal to download (but not necessarily upload) music. If Bronfman's kids were doing their downloading in Canada, then they were committing no offense.

  2. It's not stealing. by plopez · · Score: 3, Informative

    It is copyright infringement if anything.

    And it is a civil violation which must be enforced by the copyright holder.

    This is probably a pointless post but remember a few things:
    1) Piracy is a very specific offense and a felony. It has *nothing* to do with copyright infringement.

    2) There is no such thing as intellectual property. Property has to have some sort of physical presence. Anything intellectual is by definition in a person's mind and therefore has no real physical presence. The works such as stories, plays, music etc produced by the mind can be restricted in distribution by copyright (hence copy + right). But it is *not* 'intellectual property'.

    3) Stealing is a crime, unlicensed copying of copyrighted material is not.

    We have been so brainwashed we think that 'music piracy' is 'stealing' and a 'crime'. It is not.

    As I said. This is probably a pointless post as most people have it so deeply ingrained that there is no way to change thier minds on this.

    But I may as well try.

    --
    putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
  3. Re:All people are equal by Moofie · · Score: 4, Informative

    "It is just as morally wrong to copy a book and make it available for download as it is to copy a cd."

    Which is to say, "not at all morally wrong".

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  4. bootleggers by Potor · · Score: 3, Informative

    the bronfmans made their money bootlegging liquor. this is delicious irony.

  5. Re:All people are equal by E++99 · · Score: 3, Informative
    If the world is full of people creating music, and some do it for profit and some do it for love, what do you think will be left when the people doing it for profit leave the scene?

    Um, less talented musicians?

    content creation only costs money if you're trying to sell the content for a profit in today's market. Content creation on its own costs nothing but labor, and if it's a labor of love, you get emotionally paid.

    Which means so much when it comes to paying a mortgage and educating and feeding your children. What if really talented musicians could actually make a living by creating music, so that they could do it all day long instead of only after they get home from their day job? Wouldn't that be better for everyone? Yes, it would.