Bible Question: Some people may download copyrighted material from the internet. Is this stealing? What would you tell people of faith who do this? I am not talking about on this website. It has become an issue on another site I use. It would be like making a copy of a book and supplying access to it for free while the author's site sells the material. What does the bible have to say about this? Please reference verses. Thank you, Val |
Bible Answer: Hi, Val... We want to emulate the perfect righteousness of our Lord (Matthew 5:48), and that includes even the appearance (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Intellectual property should be dealt with just as we would any other property, loving our neighbor and seeking to protect what is his (Romans 13:9). Think in terms of full and open disclosure, for we are creatures of the light, not creatures of the darkness (John 3:20). We thrive in the light, while the things that are not of God either whither in it or flee from it. In the case that you are talking about, why not email the author and ask for his permission. If we're uncomfortable with asking permission, it is probably a pretty good signal that we're straying from the high ethical ground. In Him, Doc |