Thought DMCA was harshing you bro?

[markseven]

This piracy crackdown is going to be just like Prohibition and the War on Drugs, and we all know how those turned out. When you make things illegal, it just ends up creating a black market for criminals to thrive.

Now, I am not saying that piracy should be legal, but what I am saying is that the entertainment industry needs to change it's current business model. The problem with the current business model is that they spend millions upon millions of dollars on the same garbage movies and music. These costs are then passed on to the consumer in the form of high prices. The industry thinks of a film or album like a filet mignon and they want to serve it to you in a fancy restaurant with full service. The consumer views an album or movie like a mcdonalds cheesburger which is cheap and disposable and they can grab on the go. So, there is a huge gap between what the industry deems is the value of the product, and what the consumer deems is the value of the product.

The way to combat piracy is not to throw people in jail. The way to combat piracy is to make quality and affordable products (which, like I said, the entertainment industry mostly does not) and embrace subscription services like Hulu and NetFlix.

Or, 'consumers' (pirates) should embrace ethics. Aren't character and integrity worth more than an mp3?

[mar1t1me]

"But, you know, part of the American way is, you know, you can just keep on making it if you’re providing a good product or providing good service." was to caveat that statement to make him look more moderate and to cover his tracks and not look the devout marxist that his actions, and speeches show him to be.

Obama is a Marxist? And I suppose you think we live in a capitalist society? We have nothing even close to laissez faire in this country and haven't for over a century.

[mar1t1me]

Or, 'consumers' (pirates) should embrace ethics. Aren't character and integrity worth more than an mp3?

The problem, at least for younger "consumers" is one of peer pressure. Anyone who actually follows the current laws regarding piracy and pays for things is put down as a sucker, or idiot. I've seen it with my kids. Their friends brag they got the (insert digital object of desire here) free! They've been to friends houses where mom illegally downloaded movies for the kids to watch. It's like a little thieves club and the parents enable it, and normalize it. And now my kids want to know why I won't do it.....

[LBJefferies]

Or, 'consumers' (pirates) should embrace ethics. Aren't character and integrity worth more than an mp3?

This is such bullshit. Go ahead and try telling three hundred million people to embrace ethics, that worked really well with the drug war. :roll:

Also, piracy is not theft because scarcity does not exist in the digital world. It costs the same to produce one copy as it does to produce a million copies. The industry does not lose ANY real money when someone pirates something. And I can guarantee that if piracy didn't exist, most people would just do without music and movies because the products that are churned out by the entertainment industry are not worth the prices that are charged.

[decay]

And now my kids want to know why I won't do it.....

"i'm sorry sweetie, but Daddy's a sucker and is willing to give his paycheck up in exchange for a feeling of moral superiority. now eat your happy meal and pretend it's a ribeye, and we'll all sleep well tonight knowing that every business in America approves of our consumer habits."

[joshh]

This is such bullshit. Go ahead and try telling three hundred million people to embrace ethics, that worked really well with the drug war. :roll:

Also, piracy is not theft because scarcity does not exist in the digital world. It costs the same to produce one copy as it does to produce a million copies. The industry does not lose ANY real money when someone pirates something. And I can guarantee that if piracy didn't exist, most people would just do without music and movies because the products that are churned out by the entertainment industry are not worth the prices that are charged.

You have that justified pretty well. But fortunately there are people out here with ethics and morals that know better than that bullshit.
If you ever invent something and find after you dumped millions of dollars and thousands of hours of work into that product that there are people out there making free copies of it, you'd feel a hell of a lot different.
Pirating is theft.
Each company should have a choice in their product being copied. Most will wholeheartedly disagree with you. Because they were the ones that dumped millions of dollars and thousands of man hours into that product.

"i'm sorry sweetie, but Daddy's a sucker and is willing to give his paycheck up in exchange for a feeling of moral superiority. now eat your happy meal and pretend it's a ribeye, and we'll all sleep well tonight knowing that every business in America approves of our consumer habits."

You might want to find a moral compass.

[joshh]

Obama is a Marxist? And I suppose you think we live in a capitalist society? We have nothing even close to laissez faire in this country and haven't for over a century.

That doesn't change the fact that he is a Marxist.

[Wiglaf]

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20090624/0253385345.shtml

http://www.ebooksyearntobefree.com/2009/09/09/infinite-goods-and-artificial-scarcity/

What this all amounts to is infinite goods and artificial scarcity, and how business models can adapt.

A better analogy would be if the replicator only made tomatoes. You could have as many tomatoes as you wanted, they'd always be perfect and delicious, and they'd always be free. This would put tomato farmers out of business. But these tomato farmers could likely start growing something else instead. And what happens to the rest of the economy? Pizza and pasta restaurants suddenly find that a major ingredient in many of their dishes just became free. Now, for the same dish, they can charge less, or buy higher quality ingredients, or make more profit. And if you're a really talented cook specializing in tomatoes? Your skills are now in very high demand.

And there is still a demand for the people who bring the tomatoes from the replicator to your table. There is still a demand for the person who stews and cans the tomatoes, or dices and seasons them. And all the other food items, the ones that aren't in infitnite supply, still need people to produce, process, and distribute them.

This is what's happening in the music industry, and starting to happen in the publishing industry. Some parts of the industries are finding their functions obsolete. Instead of looking at the money they could save with electronic distribution, and what good use they could put that money to, the industry is seeking new laws and regulations to limit the infinite supply so business can continue as usual.

Even if every single song, book, and movie was distributed digitally for free, there would still be a need for the music, publishing, and movie industries. There would still be demand for editors, producers, marketers, and all sorts of other services that these industries have always provided.

Reasonable people aren't calling for the abolition of the music, publishing, and movie industries. They're just asking these industries to look to the future, and stop trying to limit supply to protect obsolete business models.

[mar1t1me]

That doesn't change the fact that he is a Marxist.

I thought he was a socialist. Or is it a communist?

[mrsleeve]

I thought he was a socialist. Or is it a communist?

Just slight variations of the same thing, just like Lutherans and Baptists, BMW and Audi, same thing just slight variations in outward appearance.

[joshh]

I thought he was a socialist. Or is it a communist?

Six of one, a half dozen of the other.

Just slightly different forms of slavery.

[decay]

You might want to find a moral compass.

yeah, because playing fair with the same corporations that fuck us over at every turn is absolutely the "right" thing to do.

the MPAA and RIAA are our friends. really.

i'm guessing you have some very good excuses for AIG and goldman-sachs as well. let's hear 'em, you useful idiot.

[z31maniac]

You guys are completely right.

There is definitely a good business model in giving away your product. Sounds like a great way to make a living, where do I sign up?

[joshh]

yeah, because playing fair with the same corporations that fuck us over at every turn is absolutely the "right" thing to do.

the MPAA and RIAA are our friends. really.

i'm guessing you have some very good excuses for AIG and goldman-sachs as well. let's hear 'em, you useful idiot.

Your lack of a moral compass is showing.
Trying to justify stealing because companies make money is why people like you are in jail spending time getting ass raped.
And yes it is the right thing to do.

[Wiglaf]

You guys are completely right.

There is definitely a good business model in giving away your product. Sounds like a great way to make a living, where do I sign up?

i know you wree being a sarcastical ass, but it's 100% true that if you are a music artist, giving away your albums for free will build you a fanbase way faster than if each person had to pay $12 to give it a listen. That fanbase is worth a lot more in concert tickets and t-shirts than the pennies that the album publisher would pass along.

consumers win. artists win. the only losers are the publishers, but with each growing year they become less necessary for an artist to even be concerned with.