| ] But from what I can tell, the penalties laid out for] downloading one season of a TV show with BitTorrent are
 ] much harsher than if you actually stole a DVD set of the
 ] same show from a government store. I lay out a practical
 ] example in detail below, but to cut to the chase: For
 ] stealing the DVD you could face no more than up to 1 year
 ] imprisonment and up to a $100,000 fine; for downloading
 ] the same material you could face statutory damages of up
 ] to $3,300,000, costs and attorney's fees (ie: the other
 ] guy's attorneys), as well as up to 1 year imprisonment,
 ] and up to a $100,000 fine.
 An interesting analysis of the punishments set forth for shoplifting a physical item versus downloading a tv show off of bit torrent.  I like the summary at the bottom, where Winona Ryder's shoplifting experience is used as an example. Dolemite Off The Shelf - Stealing is cheaper than downloading |