this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2022
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I don't.
The argument for adblockers being a form of piracy is that there is an implicit contract. The content creator gives us the permission to watch the content with the implied requirement that we watch the ad that comes with it. So, we are paying for the content with our time and attention when watching the ad. By using an adblocker, we refuse to pay this price, violating the terms of the implied contract, thereby forgoing the permission to watch it. In this argument, the definition of piracy used is that of using (by watching) a work protected by copyright without permission.
I don't agree that there is an implied contract for watching an ad any more than there is an implied contract for watching the full video. Not watching a full video impacts the statistics of the creator in a negative way, so there is an implied contract that if you begin watching the video you will watch it all. By this logic, it is also a form of piracy to stop watching. There are many things that the creator or YouTube might like you to do, but that does not spawn an implied contract. If they want a contract, they will have to add it to YouTube's ToS. Then it might be piracy by some of the looser definitions.
This comment sums up my feelings really well. In general, ad blocking in no way constitutes piracy because most piracy laws focus on the redistribution of pirated content and not the consumption. It's why piracy cases are so difficult to persecute.
Perhaps at worst it's like ~~sneaking~~ walking in to a movie theatre without paying โ one without attendants checking your tickets.
And the tickets are free coupons you cut out of your junk mail. No one cares, because the film creator only gets 1ยข per coupon anyway.
You'd throw a few dollars in an honesty box on the way out, but either they couldn't be bothered setting one up or the theatre wouldn't let them put one there.
I've never heard the above situation referred to as piracy.