" Piracy "
- Thread starter Chetan0304
- Start date
mukund_nadkarni
Club Cricketer
I think the recording bit can't really be considered the same as piracy, as usually there tends to be a massive(in most cases) difference in quality between the original and the recorded data. Not always though.
MattW
Administrator
Think about how that content is supported, it is paid for by listening/watching ads. Recording off the radio's impact is offset by the record industry getting paid to play the songs in the first place.
The amount of viewers of the material to the amount who will record it for the purpose of avoiding purchasing it is rather small compared to the amount who would have viewed the content in total (i.e. the amount of people factored in to obtaining the licence to broadcast it).
Even then, for it to be comparable to piracy, they would have had to then duplicate this content and give it to someone who never viewed it from the original source, and then that would have to be done on a large scale.
There are ad supported models for viewing full TV episodes and music subscriptions, some are quite successful, this is where I see that side of things heading. When your excuse for pirating is just 'I don't want to watch ads' you are on shaky ground, whereas for many the cost argument is quite valid.
For software, things like Photoshop, you have to look at where the losses are made. If you are just a hobbiest, they will never say it officially, but even Adobe probably wouldn't expect you to purchase the full edition (though an academic version is better than pirating it). In the end it benefits them, let's say someone develops their skills on a pirated version, they are then later on able to transfer those skills to a company which will buy the product on their behalf.
Where the issue comes, is if you are pirating for profit, which is the bigger issue. If you make money from pirating something, that is where you have no ground to stand on when it comes to software.
For games, the only thing I think is a reason to download a game illegally, is to supplement a demo. I don't see much of an issue with getting the full game, playing it for a week and then making a decision. Ideally this would be solved by PC games being available for rental, which is what you can do on consoles, but I can understand not wanting to lay down huge sums of money asked for new release games without trying them first.
But if you are going to keep playing a game after a reasonable time to try it, you don't have an excuse not to buy it. Wait for the prices to go down, because they do. You don't have to get each game immediately as it comes out, prices fall after a few months, so if you can't afford games, just go without until the price falls to what you can afford.
Yes, there are differences between what is 'affordable' but if you can afford the system to run the latest games, you obviously have some money.
What is needed in the piracy debate, is a concession from both sides, people need to accept they can't just get free reign to download anything and everything. Low cost subscription music, ad supported players for TV shows/music and more realistic price models for things in general are steps that can be made.
There is clinging to old models for making money, which is stopping innovation. The record industry is killed by digital music, legal or not, which is why they are the most vocal.
The software industry has to realise different uses, a corporate/professional user shouldn't be the benchmark cost for someone who just wants to poke around. The gaming industry has to realise that they can't DRM their way out of the problems on the PC platform, I love the Steam approach to PC gaming, it is fair for both sides, the publishers maximise profits by minimising the overheads associated with physical distribution, but it leads to lower prices for the consumer (unless you live in Europe, where Steam screws you on costs by doing a euro=dollar conversion).
I don't have sympathy for people who just pirate everything because they don't see digital things as having a cost, I do however understand when people are doing it as a way to get what I'd consider things you'd consider reasonable, like a trial period before a purchase, and pricing that reflects the changing times, where the availability of alternative content, lowers the reasonable amount you can ask for some things.
Embracing the Internet benefits both consumers and the content providers, as long as they do it smartly and consumers are willing to compromise.
Note: This post reflects personal opinion, it is not on behalf of PlanetCricket, try to use it as an excuse for posting links to pirate copies of things, I'll hit you across the head with a ban hammer.
MattW
Administrator
That's something I've almost never seen here. Libraries seem to do it occasionally (rented Cricket 2000 back when it was the newest cricket game from one), but I haven't seen any specialist game/film hire places doing it, they all sell new PC games, but they don't even let you return them after opening them, let alone hire them out.
Wouldn't say it was common here, nor is the selection that great, though I haven't really tried it out as my PC has been rubbish, speed wise, up until the new year.
Cricketdude
Chairman of Selectors
You are so lucky.
Left_Hander
Chairman of Selectors
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Online Cricket Games Owned
-
Same with me. My local Blockbuster rents out PS2/PS3 and XBOX360 games.
Kshitiz_Indian
Executive member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
- Location
- New Delhi, India
Technically though, if the royalties from the renting don't go to the game producer, it is still unethical and illegal.
Yes, that's piracy. You are a pirate. That makes you a piece of scum. You should delete that album immediately and be very ashamed for what you have done!
Technically you are right, so is using a VCR/DVD recorder, so would renting console games. It's quite a messy set of laws, very daft and doesn't work.
Kshitiz_Indian
Executive member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2006
- Location
- New Delhi, India
Indeed, but then we have to agree that the notion of piracy depends heavily on the ethics. If I buy a Blu Ray version of The Dark Knight and rip it to my PC for only my use and easy watching whenever I want, I'm sure Sony won't mind. However the moment I share this ripped copy is where problems begin to arise. So actually ripping isn't piracy, sharing the ripped copy is. Same goes for a VCR / DVD recorder.
Renting console games involves the same sharing, although if royalties aren't paid I'd say its even worse than downloading. 1. You're sharing it, 2. You're making more money off something you don't have license to rent / sell after making up your initial profits.
But once you have either sold or given away your actual Blu-Ray disc of The Dark Knight, you are obliged to delete all traces of the ripped copy found on your computer. This is the same as when people create back-ups of pc/sonsole games to avoid scratching/damaging their actual disc. This is all legal as long as you own the original purchased copy of the game.
Basically, you are only a true pirate if you either download material you do not own or intend to purchase or if you copy/distribute material from a source, whether bought or downloaded. The true scum are those who then go on to make profits from pirated material.
