You see, Mr. Merrill has declared that those who would turn in someone for stealing software, a snitch. A snitch has a very negative meaning, and it is usually brought about by those who would either condone an illegal activity, or one who is partaking in such an activity. The history of the term culminates in the current modern meaning that a “snitch” is one within the set of scofflaws turning in the other members of the group. Such is the same when someone mentions killing all of the attorneys. It is to allow a nefarious deed to take place.
This perpetuation of telling authorities of an illegal act as being negative; “You are a Snitch!” is what has allowed unethical behavior to take place forever. From grade school playground politics, to plagiarism in college which I’ve witnessed but could not present evidence to, to my very own witnessing of a student using notes stashed in the coin pocket of her jeans during a test. You are not a snitch to inform authorities of a wrong. At some point, the person cheating, stealing, or doing a wrong, will get caught. They may have attained some position that puts others in harms way, and it is your duty to prevent that attainment.
A member of civilized society should not allow such behavior to take place. It allows those of questionable integrity to reach goals that others acquire through hard work and determination. By allowing that behavior to take place, you have people who show up to perform surgery drunk, or drive home drunk as is the case of an associate who had to have her chest stapled back together after her ribcage was put back into position. Because a surgeon drove home drunk and blindsided her at an intersection, witnesses at the place the surgeon was drinking at were bound by ethics to prevent him from driving. To Enron energy traders telling power companies to shut down generators so that costs go up, fellow traders were ethically bound to inform authorities of the fraud. Even to situations such as NASA administrators knowing that there were issues with insulation, and o-rings yet doing little to nothing about it. In effect, temping fate, and eventually leading to the loss of life.
Now, we have an economy that should not have boomed, and would not have popped if not for unethical behavior, such as oil futures traders betting against other traders instead of realizing the impact of their raising oil prices to $150 per barrel. Loans given to those who couldn’t possibly pay them back. I overheard a conversation between a daughter and her father wherein the father reported that the bank has manipulated his numbers so that he could qualify for a loan over $2 million. He eventually remedied the situation with the builder directly. But not to his benefit, he lost the property, but ethically, he was on solid ground. He was not a snitch for informing authorities of the potential fraud.
You are not a snitch for doing the right thing. Laws do not exist because people do the right thing 100% of the time. They exist to prevent harm and abuse from the few who commit criminal acts, and as much as people want to say otherwise… taking movies, music, and software without compensating the actor, artist, and programmer; are crimes. Entire micro-economies exist around those sectors. If you disapprove of the situation, such as musicians not making what you feel is adequate; don’t listen to the music. Write the artist and protest directly. If the artist is content with the situation, so should you. But don’t steal the music or whatever else.
Do the right thing, pay for it. Or you’ll pay for it later.