Re: Watching TV Shows & Films Online

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Forget about whether or not it's illegal or immoral. If I watch a copy of a TV show or film that someone else posted online and I don't pay for anything, does that make me a pirate?

Er, yes? For one particular definition of the word 'pirate', anyway...

This is not a reason to start wearing an eyepatch.

not sure why you'd be concerned if not for legal/moral reasons... but to answer your question: no.
In a modern context, ignoring how piracy may have been seen previously, all you're doing is watching a stream. The one streaming / hosting / uploading is the one who's a going to be in hot water if anything.

If you were to download a movie or a tv show, then you would be considered a pirate. In any case, you're not proving anything to anyone with whether you're a pirate or not (I'm saying this because I remember an annoying kid in high school who would brag about how he would pirate as if people cared), and you should just choose to consume the media through the most convenient means for you personally.

This has been a controversial subject ever since the internet became public. It's been nothing but media propaganda BS, to try to control access to information on the internet. In essence, Big media was trying to destroy net neutrality, and turn the internet into a "so-called" cable-TV like network, in which they would have complete and absolute control over content. So if you really think that what you are doing is wrong and immoral. Then ask yourself this question.

If a thief steals your bicycle, and you call the cops. What is the real reason why you would called the cops?

a) Because the thief has your bicycle?
or
b) Because you don't have your bicycle?

I know that this is a trick question, but I think you'll agree that "b" is the correct answer. After all, would you really care (or even notice for that matter.) that the thief use a cloning ray, and made a copy of your bike. You still have your bike, and have not been depraved of it.

You don't see much of this propaganda anymore since media companies finally gave up fighting it and started working with it. If you look at history. The movie industry hated the VCR, and felt it was a threat to there business, until they learned to work with it, and in the end, it turned into one of their greatest assets.