Piracy

[Feral_Punctuation]

While it's not a moral thing to do, I don't think it has anywhere near as big of an effect on music, software, film or whatever industries as they and the media like to make out. Only a small percentage of pirated copies are lost sales and it certainly doesn't justify the DRM they're increasingly putting on their products - pirates don't have to deal with DRM, only paying customers do. It's not equal to stealing (morally or otherwise) because you're not depriving anyone of their product. It's just a copy. You could equate it with shoplifting, but, as I said, only a small percentage of pirated copies are lost sales.

AH SHIT GOT TO GO WILL BE BACK SOON
In the meantime, discuss.

[Ian]

Can you give us some numbers of what "a small percentage" has done to the music industry over the last ten years?

Anyway, I thought this might've been a thread about Somalia. Silly me.

[Feral_Punctuation]

Yeah, sorry, had to leave halfway through posting. Could have written it all again later, but I couldn't be bothered. I'll get back to you ASAP.

[Azathoth]

[Robert_S]

I download stuff. If it's any good, I'll feel bad about it and buy something off the artist.

If it blows, I'll feel very good and delete it and not buy anything off the artist.

By the way, 8 out of 10 times I get out to see a band, it's because I've downloaded their stuff, played it for friends, and gotten them to come along. That's an average of about 3 tickets they would not have sold and at least one CD that they've sold from their booth at the show and therefore didn't have to pay for a downloading service or shelf space at some record store.

I feel pretty OK with this. I spend about the same amount of money on music as I did before, yet the quality I get for my money has gone way up. Bands that get their shit ripped off should try to adjust their music to appeal to a more enlightened segment of the population.

[Dory]

I don't take stands, I just download illegally.

But seriously...if you're well-to-do, I'd say pay for that shit. If you're poor or fiscally-conservative...you're off the hook if you ask me.

[DRSB]

There are many online libraries too, on Wattpad almost anything is available: http://www.wattpad.com/

[Trolldor]

If I download anything, it's because the copy protection gets in the way of me playing it.

DRM has already caused my OPD to burn out once already.

[Mallardz]

I think with a interest in music that 99% of people have never heard what I want hard to find in stores.
So I download it but then usually support the artists by buying into shows, mechanise and usually the CD itself when I can get it.

I guess most people obtain pirated copies but if they couldn't and had to pay would just suck it up and go with out. Piracy is for people who aren't going to pay for it ever and just see it as their solution.

[Trolldor]

Oh, I also don't buy music from dead artists.

[Mallardz]

Oh, I also don't buy music from dead artists.

That I approve of!
But in the case of a band all members must be dead. No point in helping the bastard industry if there's no money going to the musicians themselves.

[owtth]

When the major labels decided to cash in on the change over to CDs by enticing people to buy a new copy of something they already had, they were warned by many, many people that digitising music would make it very easy for people to copy and share it, this advice was ignored. The internet was in its infancy so they figured 'who gives a damn if a few nerds copy some Kraftwerk' they made a killing by encouraging folks to buy things they already had and figured the risk from piracy was small beans in comparison to the profits to be gleaned from those willing to pay twice for the same thing. So fuck em.

If my favourite musicians release an album I'll buy it. If I download a movie or album that I grow to like I will buy it too. All my favourite films and albums are things I have paid full price for, eventually. Most things I download suck and I will only listen to or watch them once and then delete them. If I am unhappy with a DVD I purchase I have no right to return it purely on the grounds that M. Knight Shamalamadingdong is a talentless hack, the internet gives me that right and empowers the likes of me to make purchasing decisions based on what we actually like as opposed to what marketing departments tell us we will like. If I was to take a Toyota Prius for a ride and decide it was muck I would not expect to have to pay for the car, the film/music industry's claims that this constitutes 'theft' are laughable.

If the music industry is serious about stopping piracy they should switch back to vinyl and abandon digital formats. It may not be true that the fidelity is better than digital but at least it's a selling point that would satisfy audiophiles and perhaps become a status symbol. I'd much prefer to be given the option of buying analogue after having sampled an MP3, if I can find my turntable that is.

Don't get me started on fucking DRM.

[Feral_Punctuation]

Can you give us some numbers of what "a small percentage" has done to the music industry over the last ten years?

Yeah... About that... Erm. No. Can't find anything backing up my claims about a "small percentage", although I think the estimate is about 10% lost sales. Should have checked before I posted.

Although the decline in the music industry is most likely not to do with illegal downloads, if that's what you meant. Other industries have piracy as well and they're still growing.

[Feck]

The figures they quote are for if We paid for all our music and films at full price ....however many thousand Dollars Sony think They would have made from me is a moot point ,I've never had thousands of dollars if I had I wouldn't be giving it all to them . I'm may be Media richer thanks to piracy but they have NOT lost large amounts of money . That's the same with everyone who has or watches /listens to anything that is pirated .

Besides they keep trying to install QuickTime on my machine when I buy an audio CD.. fuck-em

[owtth]

The figures they quote are for if We paid for all our music and films at full price ....however many thousand Dollars Sony think They would have made from me is a moot point ,I've never had thousands of dollars if I had I wouldn't be giving it all to them . I'm may be Media richer thanks to piracy but they have NOT lost large amounts of money . That's the same with everyone who has or watches /listens to anything that is pirated .

Besides they keep trying to install QuickTime on my machine when I buy an audio CD.. fuck-em

I believe they base the figures off of the revenue that would have been gained if each and every pirated copy had been paid for. This is ludicrous as the digital age has made it possible to try before you buy, plus they have no idea how many copies are made once an individual downloader has pirated a single copy and distributed it to possibly thousands. I'm guessing that they erred on the high side though.

EDIT: Also fuck Quicktime, that shit pisses me off no end.