• sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works
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    5 months ago

    Right, and I’m arguing that it’s not piracy. Piracy is a copyright violation, and blocking ads isn’t violating copyright, it’s only violating TOS. “Piracy” is the informal term for “copyright infringement,” at least in my jurisdiction (US).

    Here’s a law stack exchange answer about it:

    First the broad strokes: It’s not illegal to block ads.

    But… that doesn’t mean your use of an adblocker isn’t in violation of US law.

    The crucial issue with legality when it comes to adblockers is less about blocking ads, and more about circumventing a websites measures to defeat adblockers.

    So I might be violating the DMCA by circumventing protections on the website, depending on what exactly the ad-blocker is doing, but just blocking URLs isn’t a copyright violation, it’s a TOS violation, which may or may not hold up in court. Therefore, not piracy.