Sure, when you buy a TV, you get both the right to use the TV and the legal title to the underlying property (the TV itself). When you buy an MP3 (e.g., from iTunes), you get some rights to use the MP3 (a license), but you don't get any other property rights in the song itself. The "fundamental difference" of which you speak is really the difference between tangible property rights and intangible property rights (specifically, here, licenses). Just because the "other person" doesn't "lose" the MP3 does not mean that you haven't robbed them of a property interest. You've robbed them of royalties to which they're (legally) entitled for your use of the MP3.
Arbitrarily deciding that some arrangements of 1s and 0s is music that should land you in jail if you copy it, but that another is current news that it's immoral to censor is somewhat dumb.
Is it really? Let's try applying your argument to the real, tangible world. Would you argue that taking a TV from Best Buy without paying for it is NOT stealing, because a TV is just a different arrangement of particles than air, which is free for all?
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Anyone know why the "Y" and "Z" keys are switched?
Sure, when you buy a TV, you get both the right to use the TV and the legal title to the underlying property (the TV itself). When you buy an MP3 (e.g., from iTunes), you get some rights to use the MP3 (a license), but you don't get any other property rights in the song itself. The "fundamental difference" of which you speak is really the difference between tangible property rights and intangible property rights (specifically, here, licenses). Just because the "other person" doesn't "lose" the MP3 does not mean that you haven't robbed them of a property interest. You've robbed them of royalties to which they're (legally) entitled for your use of the MP3.
Arbitrarily deciding that some arrangements of 1s and 0s is music that should land you in jail if you copy it, but that another is current news that it's immoral to censor is somewhat dumb. Is it really? Let's try applying your argument to the real, tangible world. Would you argue that taking a TV from Best Buy without paying for it is NOT stealing, because a TV is just a different arrangement of particles than air, which is free for all?