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Comment by bcrosby95 | Hacker News Reader

Fair use isn't about how you access the material, its about what you can do with it after you legally access it. If you don't legally access it, the question of fair use is moot.

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Hence, "should"

It’s the sign of a health economy when we respect the creation of content.

It's a sign of rent seeking economy in decline. Rising economies never respect IPs.

IP protections are in the US Constitution. Has the US been in decline since the late 1700s?

Yes. Great recession was its death throes. It would have fallen by now if it wasn't the only economy not damaged by Second World War and as a result economy that put its currency as currency of global trade. Since then it's mostly sustained by selling freshly printed paper and bullying everyone around with IP laws.

With respect to the IP protected under the Constitution of the United States, unquestionably and absolutely. The past 50 years of macroeconomic activity is basically a warning sign that says "your IP is basically worthless" in big red flashing letters. China mass-manufactures ARM chips and turbojet engines using unlicensed stolen schematics - Russia endlessly pirates foreign entertainment with impunity. These are entire nations of people who benefit from American financial assets without paying us a dime for them.

In case you missed it, the other day China showed off their F-35 clone for the PRC military parade. Your constitution can say pigs fly for all George Washington cares, trusting absolutely in IP protection is a game for butthurt chumps.

Look into how the US industrial economy started. It was "stealing IP" from the english and not respecting copyright. Would be interested if there are any cases in history of rising economies respecting IP and succeeding because in every case I know about they flagrantly disregard it while developing

And the British "stole" from Dutch before that.

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