Q: Who are the kind of people that pirate music?
A: People that really like music.
Q: Who pirates movies?
A: People that really like movies.
If these people did not enjoy movies or music, there would be no incentive to download them. Even any perceived benefit (like a good ratio on a tracker, for instance) is only a benefit insofar as it helps the user obtain more content. That the RIAA and MPAA do not understand this baffles the mind.
TorrentFreak posted an article today about a report that 1) reaffirms the above and 2) shows that people that download movies and music are also more likely to pay for more music and movies. This report, paid for by the industry, was immediately shelved and not released because it would unravel the dominant argument of the film and recording industries, that pirates are nothing but thieves and horrible, horrible people.
Here are some examples illustrating how wrong the RIAA and MPAA's approach is:
If you enjoy listening to some sweet tunes and you find someone talking about an artist you've never heard but sounds like you might, you go snag their album. When that artist comes into town, hey look, you're now a fan and you go to the show and buy a t-shirt and maybe an album or a limited-release vinyl single or something, not to mention you're a lock for their next album. Doesn't sound too horrible to me.
If you are somewhere between a casual movie-goer and a cinephile and you happen across someone talking about a cool film, perhaps with a couple scenes or some screenshots to illustrate a point, you go and download a copy. You really admire what a particular actor or the director did, and so when their next film comes to theater, you make the effort to show up on opening weekend. Doesn't sound too horrible to me.
Does it work like this every time? Surely not, but the aforementioned report says it happens more often than not. But what happens when these supposedly evil, horrible people get punished by the ancient, crumbling establishment? The accused get angry after being burned and not only do they increase their "illegal" activity, but they do so with a fervor and a zeal and the intention of causing harm to the Man. They become less likely to go to the theater or to the concert, because in doing so they know that they would be supporting the digital Spanish Inquisition.
So, dear MPAA, RIAA, and anyone else: welcome to 2011. Your shit is going to get downloaded. Deal with it. Instead of spending billions of dollars on punishing your consumer base and tying up hundreds of police for your bullshit raids that could be, you know, actually helping people, invest in making a better product with more ways for your consumers to buy it. Just an idea.
Oh, and while you're at it, stop with all those silly anti-piracy ads. If your car gets stolen, you have no more car. If your movie gets downloaded 2,635 times, you still have a copy of it in your hand, and so so 2,635 other people. Don't even get me started on the unskippable ads and warnings on DVDs, either.
0 comments: on "Aaarg, Matey"
Post a Comment