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3 comments
  • I love TomSka and this video.

    One quibble I have is his use of "freebooting" to mean uploading something and passing it off as your own. Freebooting to me has always meant sharing a work without directly compensating the copyright owners of the work, without the connotation of falsely taking credit for it. The term was invented and popularized by file-sharers whose copyright indifference was frequently termed "stealing" - when it has little in common with theft of a physical object.

    Before file-sharing was popular, bootleg copies of live performances were a normal part of band fan culture, and bands would countenance or even encourage it. Bootleg recordings were never intentionally falsely attributed. Likewise, freebooting compares what file-sharers are doing with the bootleg recording industry; one that is nominally illicit, but complements the artists' reputation and status.