Illegal Online Activity: At a Price

[Slotback]

Illegal music downloads never killed the music industry for artists. It barely scratched the music industry for recording companies. Artists get the majority of there cash from concerts and merchandise. Never taught a generation that it's OK to steal. It taught them it's OK to copy files already on the Internet. What cracks me up though, is the fact they leave these piracy websites up and running; all while ruining the lives of a minuscule percentage of pirates. Yeah - reminds me of the war on drugs; keep the supply high - profit immensely.

It's difficult to prove the user was doing something wrong. On a conspiracy forum I go on, someone was caught by a recording company and their ISP for music piracy. Turns out they couldn't prove it, and 95% of suspects don't end up paying the fine. Wonder how much money they blow on that one. And don't forget about that 21 year old college student getting fined one million dollars despite the website he got it from profiting from it.

[quote]Gee ....sort of like the whole "economic crisis" and folks at the top end that made off with a financial killing.

[pete]

There is of course the big irony in that ISP's are desperate for customers and the reality is the last thing they want to do is shut out a paying customer.

The customer simply chooses a new ISP - there are literally 1000's begging for your custom.

The reality is this (& yes people don't like it but it's still the reality). The world has to come to a new understanding of what copyright is. (forget lawyers - they make their money out of hanging on to the past) Copyright is only enforceable if it deprives someone of something and that 'something' invariably has to be money.

[JBaymore]

What is better. to sell 20,000 copies of a book or to have 3 million copies 'shared'. If they are all READ - then definitely the latter.

Depends on what your objective is.

[pete]

[quote]How would you like it if another site started using the SimViation name and logo to its own profit?

[JBaymore]

SO I guess it it time for me to launch that line of SimViation T shirts!  

[Sir_Crashalot]

[quote]SO I guess it it time for me to launch that line of SimViation T shirts!

[pete]

[quote]SO I guess it it time for me to launch that line of SimViation T shirts!

[Craig.]

[quote][quote]SO I guess it it time for me to launch that line of SimViation T shirts!

[Steve M]

Darn it. Now I want a Simvation shirt. Like a nice golf shirt. Medium size.  

[Ang2dogs]

I'd buy a T shirt ,but only if I can" lend "it to my girlfriend.

[expat]

[quote]There is of course the big irony in that ISP's are desperate for customers and the reality is the last thing they want to do is shut out a paying customer.

The customer simply chooses a new ISP - there are literally 1000's begging for your custom.

The reality is this (& yes people don't like it but it's still the reality). The world has to come to a new understanding of what copyright is. (forget lawyers - they make their money out of hanging on to the past) Copyright is only enforceable if it deprives someone of something and that 'something' invariably has to be money.

[BigTruck]

[quote][quote]SO I guess it it time for me to launch that line of SimViation T shirts!

[KDSM]

yes I have heard about this. and one solution I am in favor is, for every downloaded song, for example, tack onto the monthly bill a fee of $0.99 . cause you cant imprison every internet pirate. and with vistas parental controls there is no excuse for illeagal activity

[pepper_airborne]

I personally don't believe they will be able to pull it off for long.
My real question is: are they really GOING to send this and take away internet services to MILLIONS of people worldwide?
What do you think?

At the end of the day peer to peer file sharing is a legal piece of software that has a 99% illegal usage. Check out any of the sharing sites and it is all ripped software, music and porn, nothing else. The excuse that it could be used by people to distribute freeware, shareware etc is a none starter, websites very very rarely use this sort of distribution and personal data, well we have email for that. So if it means that a CD will cost me $10 rather than $15, as far as I am concerned they can shut down everyone of these sites and start pulling a few a accounts. Also it is not just music and software that is traded, but a major means of sharing child porn and that alone should be reason to act.

Matt

True, but it shouldnt disappear for that reason, i usually download trough P2P instead of FTP, mods, tools etc. all legal, its a lot faster and easier then downloading trough an explorer and a FTP connection.

[drummer_tom]

You do have to wonder though - if companies lowered the prices of their software, would this combat some of the issue?

For example, Adobe's Creative Suite 4, the master version retails at around