Research and copyrighted material has become so vital in the past years. People who are attempting to spread knowledge are getting accused of breaking the law. In Pamela Samuel’s article, she wrote about a person named, Aaron Swartz, who was an internet activist and was accused of fraud and computer abuse, resulting in him committing suicide. His goal was to provide more access to knowledge in the internet. I agree that he was careless in these decisions and that he should have thought about copyright and possible consequences. In Brian Martin’s writing, he discussed what research was, and how almost every profession utilizes it. In my opinion i believe that the copyright law is overrated and the penalties shouldn’t be severe because it makes people feel limited to knowledge.
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I have to agree with your stance that copyright law is overrated. Although it might have been useful in the past, in present time it is seen as more of a hindrance than anything else really and the penalties are more than a bit outrageous. In Swartz’s cause, the fact that he was facing prison was truely unbelievable. Swartz obviously knew what he was doing was in fact wrong because he tried to do it secretly but he believed it was for the right reasons and more power to him for that. He was trying to give more people the opportunity to learn and ultimately paid the consequence.
I agree with Steve and his opinions because the penalties for copyright are exceptionally severe for a viable reason. Meanwhile the crimes that are more heinous, are giving the offenders lesser sentences, earlier probation, and even less time with “rehabilitation”. Whats the rehabilitation for copyright infringement? Why should a murder get only 15 years and early probation; whilst a copyright “infringer” gets sued and spends consecutive life sentences in jail?