I’m fairly certain that everyone reading this devotional agrees that stealing is a sin. We would never walk into a store and shoplift. We wouldn’t sneak onto our neighbor’s property and walk away with their tools. We wouldn’t drive off after pumping our car full of gas. We wouldn’t rob a bank or jewelry store. And we wouldn’t hotwire the nicest car in the church parking lot and take it for our own.
There is a type of theft, though, that takes place all the time and even Christians will participate in this thievery. The reason many steal in this way is because they don’t know that it is stealing and give no thought to what they are doing. In fact, several months ago, I was guilty of doing this and didn’t realize it.
It’s called copyright infringement.
I received a letter that I thought was a hoax. It was from Reuters, claiming I had used a picture in one of my online devotionals without permission. Upon investigation, this was no hoax. It was very real. It was the nicest threat I’ve ever received but it was a threat, nonetheless. They were not wrong and there was no disputing the facts. I had used the picture they claimed I used. In my defense, though, I had done it innocently.
My rationale for all the pictures I’ve used was simple. I’m not selling anything, making money from the picture or the devotional. I got the picture from a Google search and there was nothing that said the picture was copyrighted. Anyone can access this picture for free online – no purchase necessary. The picture was used only to illustrate a point and was used in context of what the devotional was about. The picture was not altered in any way. Evidently, that doesn’t matter, and I was being threatened with a lawsuit unless I paid a substantial amount of money.
Instantly, I was sick! I try to do things right and adhere to the laws. I never want to do anything that would bring a black mark upon myself, family, ministry, or church. Certainly, I don’t want to do anything to discredit the Lord. Every time I give a quote or share information, I make sure to credit the source information so that I’m not plagiarizing or stealing intellectual property. But now, I’ve inadvertently done something that I thought I had guarded against, and this infraction has legal ramifications.
After legal consultation, the fine was reduced and I paid it – quickly! I took down years’ worth of devotionals rather than trying to scour through pictures. Now, there is a disclaimer at the end of each online devotional: Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
Books, music, digital media, and a host of other things are stamped with a copyright. The people who own these works have put a lot of time and effort into their creations. Maybe years have been invested to produce their work. When the work is sold, it serves as compensation for the work they’ve done. However, if I photocopy or record copyrighted materials to share with my friends and family, I have stolen from the author or artist.
The reason for sharing this is because on October 28, 1998, President Bill Clinton signed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). “The DMCA was written in order to strengthen existing federal copyright protections against new threats posed by the Internet and by the democratization of high technology.”1
We know that the Bible teaches against stealing. Exodus 20:17 clearly and succinctly says, “Thou shalt not steal.” If we wonder, though, if it was actually theft, we can clarify the situation with Romans 13:7. “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.” If I had been thinking, I would have realized that my use of that picture didn’t render due tribute, custom, or honor to the one who had taken it. Again, though, I didn’t know who had taken it. Google? Not hardly!
Let’s be very careful in this area, Christian. It’s far too easy to swipe the intellectual or digital property of others without giving it a second thought. We just can’t afford to do that! Let the warning of Psalms 62:10 find fertile ground in your heart. “Trust not in oppression, and become not vain in robbery: if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.”
1https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-bill-clinton-signs-the-digital-millennium-copyright-act-into-law
Images are taken from https://pixabay.com/, https://www.pexels.com/, or https://unsplash.com/images or created in Windows Copilot. According to the websites, they are Royalty Free and free to be used for our purposes.
