Does illegal downloading or viewing of copyright material violate the second precept?

General Theravada topics
1

I think it could violate the second precept. We have to be careful about this. Even watching Netflix at a friend’s house might be breaking the second precept if you don’t have a Netflix subscription and if you have an intention to watch without paying Netflix. However, if you are just visiting a house and they are watching a Netflix movie on the TV and you don’t know that it’s Netflix, then it might not break the precept especially if you have no intention of stealing. Friends without a subscription are generally not allowed to watch Netflix through another person’s account, as Netflix enforces restrictions on password sharing outside the primary household.

Netflix says this on their website:

You may not share your Netflix account outside of your household. A Netflix Household is a collection of devices connected to the internet at the main place where you watch Netflix.

People who are not in your household will need to create their own account to watch Netflix, or can be added as an extra member.

So if a person watches something illegal, they are not technically taking any physical object, but the person would be “stealing” the money that the companies are supposed to get when the person uses their service. Another way to think of it is if someone uses a service without paying, they would be stealing the service itself and also the money that the service provider are supposed to get when someone uses their service.

So, we should always pay for the services we use or the movies/tv shows we watch. We should do things legally.

I hope everyone can observe the five precepts well.

1 Like
2

There should be no problem watching with a friend at their house since you will be their guest. However, password sharing and using another persons account when you are not a named person on that account, is another story.

R

1 Like
3

An arguement can be made that it is those who share online these items that are the ones stealing, but the ones taking whatever is given for free is not.

Imagine if a bunch of pirates steal a bunch of laptops, then put them in the market for free. The ones who take the laptops are not the ones stealing. Even monks can accept stolen items.

2 Likes
4

Bhante, is this true even if the monk knows that the item was stolen? :folded_hands:

R

5

Yes, but vinaya is not law of the country. Some stolen items maybe sought by the police and if found in possession of a monk, there could be legal troubles.

1 Like
6

Very interesting. Thank you, Bhante. :folded_hands:

7

We must follow the laws of vinaya and the laws of the land both.

Although it is legal to accept stolen goods, it is not suitable probably in any land or time.

There is a dhammapada story about this.

2 Likes