The Telegraph | JTA – Jewish & Israel News

Though the amoraim and tannaim, the authors of the Talmud, were unclear on the issue of copyright infringement — making cases for and against it — several poskim [Jewish legal authorities] of latter ages, such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg and Rabbi Chaim Sofer, consider copyright infringement a violation of the eighth commandment: “Thou shalt not steal.”

Even if one were to differ with these authorities, nonetheless Coleman believes “there are serious considerations of dina d’malchusa dina [obeying the law of the land] and chillul Hashem [tarnishing God’s name]” that are less open to interpretation, and “which may be far more relevant in the context of a Jewish-identified Web site engaged in copyright infringement.” By this rationale, when a significant number of ultra-Orthodox Jews are engaged in the overt violation of Jewish law, it reflects poorly not only on the ultra-Orthodox community, but on God Himself.