and here is why: they’ve been convinced that subpoenas are court cases, and that copyright infringement is a crime, and they’ve subsequently convinced the masses of the same.

Here’s an excerpt from p2pnet that sums it up:

Subpoenas aren’t court cases
Meanwhile, subpoenas mean very little in and of themselves. They’re simply documents calling for an appearance in court to give testimony about something.

And file sharing is neither illegal nor a crime. It’s possible copyright infringement, pure and very simple.

And yet the labels have managed to convince the mainstream media that a subpoena equals a prosecution, and that recipients are convicted thieves.

However, file sharing means sharing, not stealing.

No one has been deprived of something they used to own, no money has changed hands and in fact, file sharing could be said to represent a form of unpaid advertising for artists the labels supposedly represent.

Despite the many mainstream reports of the numbers of people ‘prosecuted’ so far, not one of the victims has ever appeared before a judge.

It’s pretty interesting to see how people misinterpret the law, especially after learning some basic legal principles in school.

Taken from http://www.wrongplanet.net:

You might come across strange. You might talk funny sometimes, or walk funny sometimes. You might not know what to say, or focus on something too much for some people’s taste. Well, tough for them. Let them deal with it. Forget the criticism of others and cleave to a new set of heroes.