The Truth About Piracy (Blog)

[Natsu]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Then you have people like Seth Godin. He published an 100+ ebook and put it out under Creative Commons.
Then someone went and published it as a paper book.
He wasn't exactly happy about it.

But if someone did that, Seth Godin could have sued and would have won (unless his Creative Commons had specified free commercial use). I mean... If you are an unknown author, and publish an e-book, or a paper book under an ordinary copyright license, and someone else plagiarizes it... You're just as much f**** up as if the book was Creative Commons, no more no less. If an author faces the possibility of the need of defending his rights in court, and doesn't have much money for lawyers, copyright laws don't defend his rights any better than creative commons. When we get to the point of a big company taking your work and you having to sue them, the problem is the lack of money for lawyers, not the artistic license. Big companies have abused many small owners of everything, not only authors, trusting that most people don't have enough funds to pay lawyers for years to defend their rights. What happened to Seth Godin had nothing to do with Creative Commons, but with some company's unethic behaviour... which unfortunately is not that uncommon these days.

[nvictor]

Steve,

I have decided to read my diary today. And wow! I never thought I was such a creative, intelligent, and funny person. And you know what? I'm still persuing these values today... in the wrong places. I have them all in me.

Ok. Back to the subject of piracy. I have written something about it Friday, the 20th of January 2006:

"""
I'm guilty because I use cracked/hacked/pirated softwares. But I'm not guilty because what I do with them serve a lot of people. One way to achieve great results is by doing bad things. Well when I say bad things it is not like killings, rape, or any other immoral acts. Now I'll give the term "bad" a new name: cold. By doing cold things, those things are bad, but over thought for great results. This is how I see things now.
"""

Notice the next last sentence? I have used the expression "over thought" I don't understand it now, but at the time it should have meant something...

Victor

[Natsu]

Originally Posted by silicon toad2000

It's probably a poor excuse, I d/load so I can try before I buy.

How is that a poor excuse? With so many bad movies and books out there, why is it a bad idea to download before you try? For example, I no longer listen to the radio: I download all music. And frankly, there is some stuff I wouldn't have found in the likes of MTV. Many times I download things and won't support the artist... because I didn't liked the music. Others, I found jewels and started not only buying stuff, but also recommending it to others. For example, I was recommended Sigurd Ros and didn't like it at all. But I was recommended Eleftheria Arvanitaki and The Black Moon Chronicles soundtrack, and went to buy their stuff immediately. Only difference with average methods of getting to know the music, is that Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Black Moon Chronicles would NEVER have been aired on TV, and I wouldn't ever have gotten to know about them. So, on that point, I feel totally guiltless. Many authors such as David R. Hawkings or George R.R. Martin owe my buying of their books to the fact that I downloaded them first. When it's worthy, I buy. Of course, when I was a teenager with no money, even when e-mule wasn't around, I copied in cassette tapes and photocopied books when I couldn't afford them. And I do not regret it: I bought most of them when I started making my own money.

Originally Posted by silicon toad2000

I got so sick of paying to see a movie and feeling ripped off so now if I like a movie I WILL go to see it at the movies or buy the DVD.

I totally agree with you. Specially with theatre movies, the quality is so awful that nowadays downloading first is a must. And I must add that I have resorted to see older movies, since I can't stand the bad scripts and bad plots of today's ones.

Originally Posted by silicon toad2000

If the movie people want my money, they need to make sure the rest of the movie is as good as the trailer. I hate seeing a good trailer and finding out the rest of the movie is pathetic.

Amen

Originally Posted by Max0r

I think what Steve meant is... to really make sure you're staying true to your core. And that his core was contrary to him pirating.

My core is totally pro-downloading stuff for private use. If I publish a book (am working on it), it will be free to download and distribute noncommercially, so I am doing to others what I would have others do to me: check out if you like it for free, buy if you really loved it and can afford it (if a teenager likes a book but keeps his 10 bucks to go for dinner with his boyfriend, I'm totally fine with that... Just because you can't buy culture, it doesn't mean you shouldn't have free access to it). I suppose it's all about respecting your own beliefs.