"Sharing community" believes online piracy is moral

Starting this year, Canada's Internet Service Providers will send warnings to customers who are caught illegally downloading movies, music or t.v. shows. It's part of the Copyright Modernization Act, which was passed in 2012, but some section took effect this January 1st.

But Travis McCrea says the warning letters won't stop him from pirating content. In fact, he feels he has a moral obligation to share digital content.

McCrea, a former head of the Pirate Party of Canada, believes media piracy isn't theft, and is beneficial to society. He feels it encourages pirates to buy digital content they otherwise wouldn't, pointing to this 2009 study from IFPI, an international music industry lobby group. Further, he believes that sharing content online is not only justified, but is a benefit to society because it helps spread worldwide cultural content to people who might otherwise be unable to access it.