Yes, when you download it. Specifically, when you acquire possession of the material. If you steal someone's money, but don't spend it, you still stole it.
It's not a victimless crime. The victim is the artist who should have received compensation for your acquisition of the material.
Some laws do outlive their relevance, but these laws are just as relevant today as they were when the printing press was invented or audio recording devices.
Guns made murder easier, but not more legal -- or more moral.
If you steal someone's money, but don't spend it, you still stole it.
Don't be ridiculous.
The victim is the artist who should have received compensation for your acquisition of the material.
How is someone victimized by the presence of a particular arrangement of magnetic dipoles on my hard-disk platter? The only way an artist can lose anything they're rightfully entitled to is if someone experiences what they've created without paying for it.
Guns made murder easier, but not more legal -- or more moral.
You've clearly thought this issue through, I can tell.
It's not a victimless crime. The victim is the artist who should have received compensation for your acquisition of the material.
Some laws do outlive their relevance, but these laws are just as relevant today as they were when the printing press was invented or audio recording devices.
Guns made murder easier, but not more legal -- or more moral.