Piracy

funklovesfootbag · Post by **funklovesfootbag** » 20 May 2006 12:10

What are your thoughts on piracy... mostly I mean downloading shit for free off the internet. Personally, it was one of the happiest days of my life when I found out I could download free movies and games off the internet. I'm 100% for it.

I see those advertisements in movies now, where they're trying to tell you the guy who paints the set is getting fucked over because people are downloading movies. Wrong. Worst case scenario, actors and the people involved higher up are condemned to a life of only semi-luxury. (thanks, south park.)

"You wouldn't steal a car would you? You wouldn't steal a dvd... So why would you steal on the internet?"

BECAUSE I CAN GET AWAY WITH IT. I'd steal cars everyday if I could get away with it so easily.

Piracy gives me exposure to tons of media I'd never have had access to otherwise.

Also, if I download music from a band and I like it, I'll pay $$ for merchandise and or to go see their show. No one's suffering here.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 20 May 2006 15:19

Stealing shit on the high seas would be one of the best lives I could imagine.

I don't know. I'm not for piracy, but I'm not against it. I use it occasionally.

brinard · Post by **brinard** » 20 May 2006 16:33

i think piracy is fine. your not handleing anything. just information... ish...

i dont think the price to download is wrong either tho. i can understand a quarter for a song, but a dollar is pricey for a song. fuck paying for what i can get for free.

shouldnt this be in discussion section?

so i guess im undecided.. but a poor kid too... so i gotta rip dvds and cds from my friends...but if its that good, id buy it.

Iron Clad Ben · Post by **Iron Clad Ben** » 20 May 2006 16:40

I think it's different for movies vs. music.

Actors are way overpaid and can *%^&ing $%#! my &*%$ for the 20 bux they would have made on their DVD. Hollywood sodomizes the american people on a daily basis. I'll rip a DVD rather than pay for it any day.

But music is different. Musicians don't make nearly as much money as actors do. So in that case I think the concept of "supporting the band" is much more realistic.

brian relly · Post by **brian relly** » 20 May 2006 16:50

Iron Clad Ben wrote:But music is different. Musicians don't make nearly as much money as actors do.

That's because the record company takes it all.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 20 May 2006 17:50

I think it's different for movies vs. music.

Actors are way overpaid and can *%^&ing $%#! my &*%$ for the 20 bux they would have made on their DVD. Hollywood sodomizes the american people on a daily basis. I'll rip a DVD rather than pay for it any day.

But music is different. Musicians don't make nearly as much money as actors do. So in that case I think the concept of "supporting the band" is much more realistic.

Doesn't change the principle, because you're still doing the same thing. I understand where you're coming from but realistically this is a pretty black and white issue. A lot of people are saying they're undecided (Me included I guess) but that's really just because people know what they're doing is wrong, but after being ripped off by the record companies for ages, no one really cares.

pips · Post by **pips** » 20 May 2006 18:30

I guess I could care less either way. I used to download music, then I lost it all, cuz my computer was retarded. Then I got a job and was able to buy stuff. I like having official cd's over mp3's and burned cd's anyways. So it's all good.

james_dean · Post by **james_dean** » 20 May 2006 21:24

that's really just because people know what they're doing is wrong, but after being ripped off by the record companies for ages, no one really cares.

amen. I'm against piracy, but have used it a little bit recently because I have zero (0) dollars. so I've downloaded a couple of albums that I really like, but will buy them when I have money. I also like having the actual cd and the cover and everything as opposed to a digital copy. I also think the music has more value to me if I had to sacrifice for it, even if the record companies are ramming me like a bitch for doing the right thing

cd's are most definately too expensive and record companies can %#*$#%& my @$%^$@#.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 21 May 2006 13:51

Fuck monetary transactions.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 21 May 2006 15:32

Fuck monetary transactions.

You're such a bitch.

Scott · Post by **Scott** » 21 May 2006 16:20

Piracy is great, its not hurting anyone.
In China you can buy the copied version of any movie and cd for less than $1 and their music and movie industry is going fine.

These big companies who are complaining are just trying to protect the monopoly they have enjoyed for too long. If they want to continue they should cut profit margins to compete with the pirate copies.

cd · Post by cd » 21 May 2006 17:05

Nagasake wrote:Fuck monetary transactions.

I gotta agree. Information wants to be free... and people should be creating music for the sake of creating music, not to become rich and famous. There's something inherently wrong about artists wanting to be paid so you can experience their creations.

Although if there's a small, struggling band that I really like then I would rather pay for their CD and go to their shows to support them.

sampotter · Post by **sampotter** » 21 May 2006 18:27

BainbridgeShred wrote:
Fuck monetary transactions.
You're such a bitch.

Blow me.

Don't believe anything the record industries or music industries say about their business hurting because of piracy. It's bull shit. Not only do they take a lot of what the artists make as middle men, piracy basically doesn't cut into sales. These factors combined result in little loss to artists. What company is going to acknowledge the truth of the matter? "Oh, yeah, go ahead, steal our products, it isn't hurting us!" Please.

Chris also brings up a good point about the artists and the free flow of information. A lot of these people aren't even artists. They're ideas and symbols that have been worked up through a lot of very skilled artistic manhandling that results in a flashy product consumers love to lap up. Wonderful. I don't want to kick my money their way, anyway. Further, what's more valuable? The couple hundred dollars someone may invest into a record company (resulting in even less for an artist), or the unrestrained knowledge of music, entertainment, and whatever all else is fostered by what piracy has accomplished?

SandWraith · Post by **SandWraith** » 21 May 2006 18:27

Yeah, but if that's their job, then they are probably gonna want to get paid at some point.

I download, but if I like a lot by a given artist, I will go and buy their cd. I would never have found out about almost all of my favorite music without downloading, and I can honestly say I have bought at least 5 times more music since I started downloading than I ever did before. Plus, I don't get suckered into buying an album because of one good song and find that the rest of the cd sucks.

JoFa · Post by **JoFa** » 21 May 2006 18:40

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 21 May 2006 19:04

There's something inherently wrong about artists wanting to be paid so you can experience their creations.

Dude, that's honestly the worst thing I've ever heard anyone say on modified. Not bad or mean or rude or pathetic, just the worst.

Jeremy · Post by **Jeremy** » 21 May 2006 20:15

BainbridgeShred wrote:
There's something inherently wrong about artists wanting to be paid so you can experience their creations.
Dude, that's honestly the worst thing I've ever heard anyone say on modified. Not bad or mean or rude or pathetic, just the worst.

Dude, that's honestly the biggest exaggeration I've ever heard anyone say on modified. Not bad, or mean or rude or pathetic, just the biggest.

I am like a black belt pirate. Actually I don't pirate any music at the moment but I would if I had the opportunity. That said, if I really like some music I always buy the cd. For example I own all the RATM albums and DVDs - in fact I have two copies of lots (because they got scratched from being played so much I guess) and I also have a lot of singles. Some of the rarer stuff from RATM I also downloaded because I couldn't (at the time) find it on CD. Since then I've found those rare singles etc. and have bought a legitimate copy of their cd.

I am opposed to stealing off individuels (in most circumstances) but I have no problem stealing of large multinational companies compete in such a way as to put small businesses out of business, have no moral standards and have a small number of people at the top of the business who make enourmas profits.

I agree with Scott about the fact that record companies should lower prices to compete. If you look at other industries outside of the entertainment industry you see price cuts as things get cheaper to make and more popular. For example look at the computing industry - compare a computer from now to a computer from the 1980s and compare the price. These days we get a vastly superiour computer for a cheaper price. People in the entertainment industry - especially professional sport, movie and tv acting and music are proportionally way over paid. People put forward this view that they deserve the money they make because they have to spend such a long time working without getting paid. This is bullshit. People who deserve lots of money are the people who spend 5 years at law school and then go to work in a $30,000 a year job working as a community lawyer in a low income area. Yes I would love it if footbag became a professional sport and I was paid $20,000,000 a year but there is no way that I have worked harder than say my mother who spent studied to become a teacher while bringing up two very naughty children as a single mum and there is certainly no way that my contribution to society would be anything compared to her work as a teacher. If I were in that situation of being a professional sportsperson and earning a salary I figured was ridiculously too much I would definitely give the majority of it away.

So I refuse to support the mainstream music industry because I see it as so immoral and greedy. I am happy to support artists that I have a very strong support for and artists that are independent and new/struggling.

I think it's unrealistic to say "There's something inherently wrong about artists wanting to be paid so you can experience their creations." - simply because it is pretty much impossible to get anywhere in society without money. I agree with the sentiment but I think it's an issue with capitalism and the way to change this would be to move to non capitalist system - which isn't going to happen. If you want to be a really good artist you (or sportsman, or any kind of entertainer) you have to pretty much dedicate their life to that. It's hard to spend 6 hours a day playing guitar (a friend of mine who plays classical guitar) if you also have to buy food and rent. Maybe the government should support artists - I certainly would feel better if my taxes were going to struggling artists instead of buying helicopters for the navy that can't fly over water, but at this time in society the government doesn't offer substantial support to artists - so realistically they have to expect money for their work if they are to continue to be an artist.

BainbridgeShred · Post by **BainbridgeShred** » 21 May 2006 21:21

Dude, that's honestly the biggest exaggeration I've ever heard anyone say on modified. Not bad, or mean or rude or pathetic, just the biggest.

I think it's unrealistic to say "There's something inherently wrong about artists wanting to be paid so you can experience their creations." - simply because it is pretty much impossible to get anywhere in society without money.

No, their is no exageration at all, Jeremy. I should be paid for the fruit of my creations, whether formed by hand or by mind. Free exchange of ideas is one thing, but information takes time and money to provide. Whether knowing it or not, anyone who fundamentally believes that artists shouldn't get paid for their works, is against the arts.

And no, I don't want the government giving any money to any goddamnit artists either. Let 'em starve. It'll only make for better art. You honestly expect good art to be made by some idiot on a government stipend (Rap excluded)?

Anz · Post by **Anz** » 22 May 2006 03:18

Only n00b pirates ware

Troyson · Post by **Troyson** » 22 May 2006 14:53

off topic but...Dan i love the new signature

And i dont think there is anything wrong with downloading music and movies...i do it all the time because its such easy access to anything i want. If music and movies werent so expensive i would buy them, but because they are i dont even consider buying the cd.

However, i never really burn dvds because the quality is always shit, so i just buy my movies. I cant remember the last time i bought a cd, and i dont think i ever will again.

Piracy

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Piracy