JP Shaware YOU a pirate?
It's Saturday morning and I have a cup of coffee in my hand, I'm nestled on the couch cross-legged (sorry doc) who often warns me of sitting this way, but alas I love cutting the blood flow off to my legs--let's me know I'm alive when the pain hits later in the evening.
Anyhow I'm browsing the Internet (of course) which I usually do, searching for various things, music, movies, television, reading up on all my blogs, checking my e-mail. You know the basics, before I settle down to write a chapter or two on my latest book or story. When I came across an article from Fox News about a 20 year old young man being sued by the record companies for copyright infringement and piracy.
Now the article was dated last Feb 2007. But the content is just another roller coaster we've all ridden again and again concerning anti-theft laws, copyright laws, and the throttled thwarting of piracy online against the motion picture and music industries--who in turn have filed more lawsuits than I or you or the billion people in the world have toes.
If you read the story, which you should because it's written well and it's interesting, and because I SAID SO which yes makes me bossy but I don't give a crap. You will read on to discover that the boy counter charges the industry for basically defrauding the United States courts.
Now mother always told me (stealing) is (stealing). If you take something that doesn't belong to you without asking, it's stealing. I know if I ask the nice record companies may I please download all the music from artists I love for free--they are going to say no. They are mean that way.
I could always claim ignorance. Worked when I was a kid. "But I thought dad said I could stay out late!" I truly swear I thought he said he could. *Snicker. It was worth the grounding I got too, a whole month for claiming not to know better. But I'm not sure if I want to spend my life in jail for ignoring my elders (the big bad industry parents) for not following their rules.
Personally everyone has their own opinions on the matter. I'm an author, and I know I wouldn't like it if someone stole a copy of my book. But mind you the problem I would have with that would only be if they claimed the book as their own.
Everyone downloading, music, videos, music and so forth are simply doing it to enjoy what's out there. Those who ARE downloading for distribution for profit should be punished by law. That is not fair to the industry, the actors, writers, musicians who spent time and money putting their projects together.
But to download for enjoyment. I just don't get why it's such a big deal? I mean yes they are losing money spent on the project, which in lamens could spell disasture for companies who spend over a million in budget to make a film--only to have people turn around and download it for free. But there are two things the industry could do to help anti-piracy issues slow down, because let's face it. It will never stop. Not when the information on the Internet is widely spread out and accessibly to all of us.
1.) Stop paying actors the obscene amounts they make per picture. 10 milion dollars to make one film, for six months of filming on location. Please. Pay the writers what they are worth first. You know big name actors only became big name because people liked them. Want to know why McDonald's is a popular place to work? Because everyone starts at the bottom, works their way up, and if you quit it's okay because there's always another 16 year old to take your place.
2.) Stop charging insane amounts for purchase of movies. Music I can't say much because prices of cd's have come wayyyyyyyy down in Canada. I can buy a new cd for less than 12 dollars legally, and I can go in and listen to the album before purchasing it. But when Transformers came out it was 28 dollars for the movie. So my kids want that, and Ant Bully, and Curious George and now I'm homeless.
LIke I said though, everyone has their own opinion. I can sit here and argue all day what I think is right. What I think is wrong. The truth is until there are restrictions on the Internet content available for download--piracy will continue. Either that or until harsher sentences are introduced.
Then we can all be in jail together along with all the marijuana smokers, while rapists, child molesters, and murders roam free.
They have Internet access in jail--don't they?
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