Re: n...

[CUTblakeney@home.com (Jeff Blakeney)]

On 06 Dec 1999 02:01:16 GMT, obsbedia2@aol.com (Obsbedia2) wrote:

>...ahh, I guess that you are the only person who didn't watch the O.J. trial.  

That's quite possible.  I had no reason to watch the trial as I could
have no impact on the result and I had much better things to do with
my time.  All I cared about was the verdict.  He was found innocent so
that's all I need to know.

However, _IF_ he did commit the murder then yes he did do something
illegal regardless of whether he was convicted or not.

>	You would get an "A" in Law 101, because you are right: nothing illegal would
>have occured.  If they were caught and charged with some illegal act, then they
>have allegedly committed an illegal act.  If they are convicted, then they did
>commit an illegal act, but if they are not  convicted, then no illegal action
>occured.

The police would disagree with you.  If a murder is committed and the
person who is tried for that crime is found innocent, an illegal act
has still taken place and the police then go about trying to find the
person who actually committed the act.

By your definition, police would never investigate anything because
unless someone has been convicted, no illegal act occurred and no one
can be convicted until an investigation takes place to find the guilty
party.  This is a chicken and the egg problem.

Definition of illegal:

     adj:  prohibited by law or by official or accepted rules

If the law says you can't do something and you do it, by definition
you have done something illegal.  Being caught, charged or convicted
has nothing to do with it.

Therefore, if you distribute copyrighted software against the express
written wishes of the copyright holder and in opposition of the law,
you are doing something illegal.  Period.  Whether you will ever be
caught, charged or convicted is another thing altogether and totally
irrelevant to the point I was making.

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