My take on Piracy : Good or Evil?
Piracy is starting to become a major deal around the world with the blocking of various torrent download websites. Piracy is a pretty confounded topic where we question the legality and ethical qualities of ourselves, so I don't think we should put it on one specific segment of good or bad. It probably is somewhere in the middle, at least according to me.
I have downloaded a ton of movies, music and games off the internet for free through piracy. Even though I’m sort of interested in Film making myself. And in a way, that’s kind of the good thing about piracy. I, as an aspiring Filmmaker, could download any number of films to watch and learn a lot of things from it.
Piracy actually in a way democratizes content to the open world, at least for people with a decent internet connection. Frankly speaking, 90% of the films I have seen in my life have been through torrents which I downloaded illegally online. Which means that if torrents and piracy, did not exist, Most likely I wouldn’t have watched so many films. I’m certain even in that situation I would’ve rent out few DVD's but definitely not all. In fact, I would’ve passed on a huge majority of movies.
The fact that I can come across a film of any language, diversity from any country online and immediately watch it for free makes a huge difference. On a broad level, the accessibility of all the huge content is the best part of piracy.
Now coming down from a more extensive level to a more subjective one. One extraordinary part about piracy, particularly when it comes to films, is that it gives some much-needed exposure to a lot of smaller films. For instance, one would watch a well-known film like ‘The Avengers’anytime. as a matter of fact, people would trust the big names and be willing to pay for the ticket price. In case, if an independent film with an unknown crew was to hit the silver screens, a lot of people wouldn't be willing to bet on it with their money.
But if the film has gotten a tad bit of interest from the public, they might download a free, pirated copy of the film online and check it out. If they like it, the movie gets appreciated on social media and can expect a huge following.
"Gaining credibility for their work is often a major priority for smaller films. Piracy helps this in a big way."
These sort of bans on piracy help out the bigger films that are going to be seen anyway but kill the smaller movies which might have been supported and appreciated through torrents.
Big studios never fail to act like assholes, even if it is unintentional.
Counter Point
Simply, you’re stealing someone’s work. Without a doubt, it’s not the same as strolling into a store and stealing stuff. Surely it comes quite close. When I converse with people about piracy, many of them seem to be unaffected by it. I think that’s where the problem lies.
A lot of people have the demeanor that it doesn’t make a difference at all if you illegally download a film, an album or anything else. This sounds weird I know, but even if you download things for free, at least you should feel the guilt of doing it and it's not a perfectly good thing to do.
I believe that we should start paying for the things we can. Particularly for independently produced works of art. Since that cash frequently specifically goes to the artist.
I truly think Piracy is essential for our everyday lives. But at the same time, we shouldn’t excuse every last bit of it. I have really begun to buy D.V.D’s for real and it feels entirely great to know that I’m finally paying for the films that have taught me a lot.
What I’m trying to say is that download everything you want but at least make an effort to pay for some of it. If someone has worked on something that gave you a considerable amount of joy , the least you could do is respect them for it. I’m building a collection of movies right now and despite the fact that I don’t have a lot of money on me presently, I wish that I can buy the D.V.D of every film that has educated me and entertained in cinema.
Needless to say, I do not overlook the leaks of films or any sort of art before their official release date through torrents or otherwise.
Be Patient and Wait for the thing to release!
Follow and Up Vote If u liked it @alwayzgame
I think we should punish anyone who commits piracy just as harshly as we punish librarians.
I like how we set the precedence with them and it seems like if we begin punishing others that fall into that librarian trap any differently, it might be considered cruel or unusual.
@gonzo they shud be punished but not harshly is what I feel
You realise that the solution to the problem is probably the very technology we're sharing on! Imogen Heap has been pioneering using the blockchain to distribute music, enabling micropayments direct to creators. There's a website here dedicated to the project over at Ujo Music
@dave-hughes has written an article about it here
https://steemit.com/music/@dave-hughes/how-the-blockchain-could-actually-change-the-music-industry
There's also a research department at Middlesex University working on it.
Great article. I tend to agree with your closing statement here:
I do my best to purchase the media (books, music, movies) that influence my highly. I tend to download it or stream it for free first and then buy it after deciding if it is worth my investment.
Having the media available in an open source manner is the only way to know if you are going to be satisfied with your purchase.
Thank you for taking the time to share this well written article with our community. :)
@alchemage thanks mate means a lot
Little more cautious about downloading stuff nowdays. On with you about supporting the things we like. We would be culturally much poorer without piracy.
i have to agree to that point of being culturally poorer 👍🏻