Hacker News

Article URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-00996-8

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954474

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I saw a post on Hacker News that made one of the better arguments against piracy. I want to be upright and give up piracy if convinced but I’m unsure of the soundness of this argument. It went something like this:

1) It is immoral to willfully break an implicit agreement 2) Piracy willfully breaks an implicit agreement 3) Therefore, piracy is immoral

The first premise (it is immoral to break an implicit agreement) is doubtful. Consider the following info about Rosa Parks.

She enters into implicit agreement with Montgomery Buses: You agree to give up your front seat if you ride the Montgomery Buses. She enters the bus with the intent of sitting in the front seats even if they fill up (aka enter with the intent of breaking agreement). She clings to front seat after the section fills up. We celebrate her moral achievement.

And consider the similarity of the situation with me and piracy.

I enter into implicit agreement with Bard Press: I agree not to make copies of books published by Bard Press that I have access to. I enter a shadow website with the intent of making a copy of a book published by Bard Press (aka enter with the intent of breaking agreement). I make a copy of the book. What should be the reaction?

I think if one is freed, they both are freed, on the basis of this argument:

1) One has a moral responsibility to break unjust agreements 2) The agreement with Montgomery Buses/Bard Press is unjust 3) Therefore, one has a moral responsibility to break the agreement with Montgomery Buses/Bard Press

And so it seems to me that wherever the agreement is in the wrong and where defiance is in the right, the defiance is illegal but moral. Suspect the true issue of piracy lies with premise two: “the agreement with Bard Press is unjust”. This is an expression I might hear from the shores of The Pirate Bay and among the leaders of the Copywrite Abolitionists. Pirates denounce today’s agreements unjust while the law prescribes them just. This to me is the crux.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954450

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954422

Points: 3

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954406

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954398

Points: 3

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954391

Points: 2

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954390

Points: 2

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Article URL: https://meaningness.substack.com/p/ultraspeaking

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954388

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Points: 3

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Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/apr/06/behavioural-scientist-michael-norton-rituals-beyonce-psychology

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954351

Points: 2

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Article URL: https://globalmarketsinvestor.substack.com/p/the-us-labor-market-is-much-weaker

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954347

Points: 3

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Article URL: https://www.preethamrn.com/posts/southwest-flight-bug

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954333

Points: 4

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954331

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Article URL: https://github.com/tajnymag/tinder-deblur

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954130

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954128

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Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39954125

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