All of Mp3 .com, and privateers. (Gov. backed pirates) Is there any similarity?

In My Humble Opinion
1

As I understand it, the music service allofmp3 is legal in Russia, technically.

Similarly, robbing ships and taking others property is legal, when called privatering, and backed by a government. Usually one at war with the other.

Problem is, to the government of other countries, it is illegal.

I have no backing in the argument of legality, just of degree of seriousness, seeing as how I search out Doctor Who episodes on teh interweb. :slight_smile: However, I do have a vague, half-formulated thought on the matter, and I thought putting it in print, and asking for other’s input would help.

P.S. Come to think of it, how about the legality of gay marriages in other countries. I suppose the question I am asking is,: When a foreign ruling on a legal affair makes more sense then that of the homeland, what is an ordinary civilian to do. Also, when does one countries laws overrule that of another? The obvious answer is never, but the other country’s policy makers would disagree with that. Anyone want to give me the legal terms for this?

2

I think that the analogy breaks down because the international agreements on copyright in the Berne Convention are not being violated, but privateering almost certainly violates international maritime law. This is of course assuming that Russian laws are in accordance with the Berne Convention. Drastic underselling of US media distributors can’t really be equated to privateering because it is done within the bounds of international law.

3

Oh, I never proposed it as an analogy, just that it says something about politics. I think. After all, “It conflicts with US law” is hardly a good reason to take a law, or legal process, off the books.