Bell Media President Says Canadians Are 'Stealing' US Netflix Content

iONiUM writes: Today the Bell Media president claimed that Canadians are "stealing" U.S. Netflix, saying the practice is "stealing just like stealing anything else." She went on to say that it is socially unacceptable behavior, and "It has to become socially unacceptable to admit to another human being that you are VPNing into U.S. Netflix. Like throwing garbage out of your car window, you just don't do it. We have to get engaged and tell people they're stealing." Of course, I'm sure the fact that Bell Media profits from Canadian content has nothing to do with these remarks.

Comments

Re:"stealing just like stealing anything else"

[mi]

And this is the problem with industry thinking. It is NOT stealing.

In that case, NSA, Google, Facebook et al. collecting our data aren't "stealing" anything either.

They are NOT property law.

Distinction without difference. The infringer gets something for nothing — like a thief. The copyright holder loses something — like a theft-victim.

The term "intellectual property" is an intentional obfuscation

Had the Commandments been the "living and breathing document", that certain folks like to pretend the US Constitution is, something like "thou shall not enjoy artwork against the artist's wishes" would've been found in it by now.

Ideas can NOT be owned.

Why not?! Inasmuch as anything can be owned, why can't ideas be? The deed on my house is just as much a "piece of paper" as anything granting rights to a song. If you can download a song against its owner's wishes, why can't you move into my home while I'm away and change the locks? It is (or ought to be) just as socially (un)acceptable...

They do not exist for the benefit of the copyright holder. They exist for the benefit of society as a whole. [...] Read Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution.

There is nothing in the article affirming your Socialistic view, that my idea exists for "society as a whole". All the section says on the matter is: "To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;"

So, you said an untruth (most likely, lied): the Constitution acknowledges the benefit the authors may derive from their writings and discoveries and leaves it to Congress to develop a system to reward them. Which Congress did — long ago — and it is referred to as "intellectual property".