Comment Re:Either way it's going to be used as skew. (Score 1) 291
The main groups of pirates are young people with little money availible, pirating because otherwise they wouldn't get the product - here the industry isn't loosing sales, but is generating future customers, and creating more buzz and knowledge about the products and consumers who want to try before they buy, who would often not buy products, but due to piracy get the chance to try a product and enjoy it, encouraging them to buy it.
I'm glad somebody pointed that out. some of us are actually stuck at colleges with small libraries , and we can't afford to buy all the books we'd like to refer, piracy becomes helpful. Some of the software whose pirated copy I use, I wouldn't be able to afford even if I starved for a month(yes even the student editions, that's the case with students in most developing countries from what I know.), some times open source versions might not exist or be too hard to use without much help. Using these software tools can make a difference in getting a better hold of what you're learning. As we learn to use these tools more confidently, we would probably prefer them for a long time to come in our career. And by then we'd actually be able pay for them, and of course I'd love to do that.
And earlier someone else said,
digital pirates are taking things that don't belong to them generally because they can, not because they are trying to meet a basic human need for survival. And I don't see a gray area. They are copying an artist's work without permission or compensation, and that violates a law in most democratic countries.
Yes a graduate degree is not a basic necessity for survival, also yes i could somehow make through college with only the texts i'd be able to afford, and with minimal exposure to the software tools. But even if i wanted to pay I can't afford to do so anyhow. Piracy is helping me level the field with someone who could afford these things, I just have to save up enough for a second hand computer find a cheap internet plan or find someone who does and a number of problems will be solved. I'd say there is a gray area
Ok but those are only for studies, I am guilty of downloading illegally for entertainment. But I don't feel I'm hurting the artist, the director and the major artists of the movie have been dead for over a decade, I don't want to pay an amount equal to a quarter portion of monthly rent to be able to see it. Is it fair to charge so much? And even if a movie happened to be new there is no possible way i can afford to buy it, so i'll do the right thing and not see any of those, will that help the artist?
