Is piracy really THAT big of a deal?

Question

I stay up at night thinking of all the celebrities that have to get the watch that is encrusted with platinum instead of diamonds, I just feel so bad for them! =P

What do you think?

Answer 1

Think about it this way. After years of effort, you finally finish your novel. Your agent loves it. She finds a publisher who's excited about it. They're cautious, so the first print run is small. They don't pay you much, but they're confident there will be more printings and you'll make enough money to live on for a few years at least while you write your next book.

But someone who buys one of the first editions loves it so much they post the entire book online for their friends. Word spreads, and soon the book is a big hit. Thousands of people are reading it and talking about it. But the publisher tells you sorry, since it's available for free online, they don't see much point in printing more. You wrote the best book people have read in years, but you have to go back to work at the car wash.

Sound fair to you?

Answer 2

Well, let's put things into perspective. . .

1. Most of the time, those artists don't own that diamond encrusted watch - someone lent it to them for PR. They have to have at least 2 huge selling albums to make up the money the record company gave them to record the albums, tour, promote, and make the videos.

2. They were the ones that created that music, recorded it. Why not pay for it?

3. If people keep on thinking the way you are, then what is going to happen is that there won't be any money for recording cd's. So we are going to end up relying on American Idol for our "new talent". THAT sickens me to even think about it.

Let's face facts - if it is something that has a price on it, and you take it without paying for it, then it is stealing. You are committing theft. And if they can prove that they could have made a great deal of money from the music you stole, you could be charged with grand larceny. I don't know about you, but if I am interested enough in an artist, and I like some of the songs on the cd, I have no issue paying for it. If you don't like it, then don't buy it. But don't steal it. If you want to download it, then pay for the download. Is $1.99 really such a great price that it will break you? If you can't afford it, then you can't afford it, and you don't get it. Not everyone can afford an Escalade, but that doesn't give one the right to go down to the local Cadillac dealership and steal it. I mean, GM makes millions of dollars every year - they won't miss one Escalade. . . But they will miss one million, which is the number of people that have the same thought and do the same thing. If you were the only one stealing, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But you're not.

Pay for the music, and invest in the future of music. Not paying means you don't care what trash gets released in the future. . .

Answer 3

Only big time musicians get their music "stolen". Small time bands don't make enough money either way, and they are not well known enough to even be traded on p2p programs. They know it and it doesn't affect them. The real theft is record companies charging $18 for a disc that costs $0.10 to make and giving the artist like a nickel for each one.

Answer 4

You only see the artists with their platinum instead of diamonds, but not the one's struggling to survive that depend on royalties for their work - royalties pirates don't pay them.

Answer 5

Yes, piracy is that big of a deal. But, I am not worried about the stars, they already got paid. I am worried about the thousands of others how are employed in the music, movie, and television industry. When you steal music you are stealing from their wallets as well.

Answer 6

Ok how about I take your paycheck next week from you, and see if you would not get made.

Answer 7

Is it okay if you don't get a pay check for your work?