Stealing from the Rich and Giving to the Poor

"All stealing is comparative. If you come to absolutes, pray who does not steal?" (Ralph Waldo Emerson).   Let's be honest, once an innocent man becomes introduced to the idea of free music, software, movies, and other expensive items, he'll get attached forever.   Kleptomaniacs are created every day as more and more join the "warez scene," a global reference to the collection of warez groups.   "Warez" was coined to indicate more than one piece of pirated software and refers primarily to copyrighted material traded in violation of copyright law (Warez).   Despite internet piracy exploding recently as a world wide industry, it is being frowned upon as well as illegal in most countries; although, it will never be completely hindered due to the mass number of violators.
The law varies throughout the world, however, there are four elements of criminal copyright infringement that are universal: the existence of a valid copyright, the copyright was infringed, the infringement was willful, and the infringement was either for commercial gain or substantial gain (Warez).   The law behind internet piracy in the U.S. falls under the Copyright Act of 1976 which gives the author the exclusive right to reproduce, display, distribute, and sell his original work.   It is part of the Federal law and is authorized by the United States Constitution.   The power to enact copyright law is granted in Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, also known as the Copyright Clause, which states: The Congress shall have Power [. . .] 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 (Article One of the United States Constitution).
The growth of computer network communications, especially the global internet, has made illegal copying of expensive easy and nearly untraceable (Piracy).   One of the biggest examples of this was "Napster."   "Napster" was a nickname given by friends to Shawn... [continues]

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