My thouths about piracy (and SOPA thing)

[koberko]

I was inspired by recent events related to SOPA and PIPA, and start to think about piracy in general... Here are my thoughts:

http://www.brobible.com/brommunity/story/let

First of all, I will like to apologize if my grammar and spelling won\'t be in line; English is not my first language, and I mainly learn it by my self...

So, let\'s start with topic (if you don\'t mind, i will copy-paste couple of comments I have made on FB);

I was quite pissed of by all this SOPA stuff going on last couple days, so it made me think a bit what was origin of that. Way are they even considering something like this?

Unauthorized use of digital footage and piracy...

First 'unauthorized digital use of footage'

So, they have a problem with someone using part of song/movie/tvshow to produce their own clip or song... In general they want to prosecute you if you make a remix of some copyrighted song. But they don\'t understand one fact, and that is that this use of 'unauthorized digital footage' is ACTUALLY PROMOTING THAT DIGITAL FOOTAGE!!!!

How many times have you heard about some artist just by fist hearing remix of his original song?? How many times have you start to watch some TV show just because you have seen some fan made video on YT?!

I have one personal example; I have made personal video for my wife couple years ago, using song from Josh Groban... It was actually couple photos of my wife and her friends, made as video gallery with background music from that artist. And Josh was more or less unknown in Croatia (where I live), and most of my friends and relatives, got first contact with Josh\'s music by my video. Some of them liked it so much, that they purchase albums from that artist.

Couple months lager, I got personal message on Youtube, that on my video audio track has been disabled due to copyright clams. So, basically, they destroyed my video (it wasn\'t much, but it was made in sinc with audio track) that actually helped in promotion of that music and author, and they had direct financial gain from that video.

On other hand, I didn\'t have any financial gain from that video, eider did I clam that I\'m author of that music (I have even put in description name of original author and link to his personal webpage), but they still felt like that video is making them lose money.

Now, let\'s talk a bit about piracy.

Let\'s first take example of video games:

You can often hear how piracy has killed PC gaming, and most of developers are turning to consoles as their main platform. In general, that\'s true. But why is that?

I don\'t think that I have ever heard that some indie game was pirated. Reason why? Realistic price. You get regularly more 'bang for money' from indie game, then from some AAA title. Usually AAA titles get you max of 10h of gameplay for price of 50$ or more, while indie games give you less game play, but way lower price, and when you put all together, it turns out that you get more gameplay per dollar with indie games then with AAA titles.

Let\'s take one example; Modern Warfare 3; approximated length of single-player campaign is around 8h, and price tag is 60€ or 77$ (source: Steam). That\'s 7.5€ (9.6$) per hour of game play.

Serious Sam 3, indie game by Croatian developers Croteam, is 28€ (35$; that\'s one of more expensive indie games; source also Steam). To finish singleplayer campaign, it took me also around 8h. That\'s 4.75€ (6$) per hour. And personally I had more fun playing SS3 then MW3.

But let\'s compare that '€/hour of fun' in games with same thing in movies. Average ticket price for movie is 4,7€ (6$). If we take average of 1.5h per movie, then we get 3,15€ (4$)/hour of fun. That\'s more then double 'fun' then you get from Modern warfare 3. So for price of Modern warfare 3, you could get 19h of movie watching.

- note; I haven\'t intentionally taken in consideration multiplayer, because they are selling this games as single player with addition of multiplayer, but in reality is other way around. But they can\'t admit that, because 60€ for multiplayer game is way to much.

So, they keep crying how people download pirated games, but they don\'t think that reason for that is to high price, that most of gamers worldwide can\'t afford. How can you expect that someone here in Croatia, who has 500$ monthly income, gives 10-15% of that for a game?? And there are many other examples beside Croatia (for example China and Russia, as countries with most of pirated materials).

And what will happened if they cut price of top titles in half? They will earn same amount or even more money then before price cut! Reason; more people will be able to afford that game, and I can bet that most of people will actually like to have original game (i remember how happy I was when I got my first original game).

I have mentioned movies... They are apparently also affected by piracy, and piracy is their main excuse for justifying lower incomes of movie industry.

Well, I personally go to see some film in theater 2-3 times a month... And I have never come to movie theater that wasn\'t crowded! Last time I waited for 20min just to get tickets! And there was more then 10 boots opened! And just for relatively mediocre Sherlock Holmes 2.

But, let\'s take a look at Annual Ticket Sales (for US, but it will be good for this example): 2011 was one of worst years for movie industry when it comes to income (source: http://www.the-numbers.com/market/).

But why is that?

Reason nbr.1

Ticket price:

From 2000. to 2010, ticket price has raised approximately 50% (source: http://www.natoonline.org/statisticstickets.htm)

So, they have raised price of ticket, but still made less money... Apparently, that had some negative effect on number of people in theaters.

Reason nbr.2

Quality of movies:

On IMDB top 50 movies from 2000-2009, there is 20 movies made after 2005 (low point in movie revenue).

From those 20, just 2 made after 2005. are in top 10 of pass decade.

On over all list of best movies ever, in top 100, there is just 9 movies made past 2005.

But on list of WORST movies ever made, in bottom 100, there is 26 movies made past 2005.

They raised price of tickets, made less good movies, and more then ever bad movies, and they wonder why they earned less money?!

Overall, it\'s easy to blame it all on piracy, and try to push some laws that will apparently reduce 'damage from piracy', but in realty, those laws will just made problem even worse, and problems that ware reason to push those laws will not get solved, because they are dealing with nus-product of problem (piracy) and not source of problem.

I hope that someone will find this interesting and will make him think about real problems that in mine opinion are main reason for large amount of pirated content on internet, and that if nothing else, will give him something to read on toilet...

P.S. I apologize one more time for my English, and I hope that it was good enough to get point of it.

Thank you.

[Caesar15]

Take a look at wikipedia

[Scruce]

I am opposed to both SOPA and Wikipedia\'s takedown. Since the bill is in America, why should the servers in the UK suffer? Why should I go without a day of information for KSP Addon Developing, for a rule that isn\'t going to pass anyway and it half way across the world?

[Tosh]

I second this.

A couple more thoughts about \'books piracy\' which is constantly discussed in Russia. First of all, these \'pirate fighters\' speak about \'protecting an author\' while an author currently gets less than 0.5% of book earnings. Guess whom are they really \'protecting\'?

And the second note. A publisher uses to talk about pirated book as it were money stolen right from his pocket, eh? A stupid son of a... female canine. If someone could not pirate books he would not go buy them. He would read less instead. Just win the fight against those pirates... and you\'ll not be getting more money. You\'ll get less. \'Cause destroying that free advertising mechanism that pirates provide will make less people know an author whose books you\'re trying to publish.

Both notes are quite obvious and were widely discussed for last several years (not only in Russia). And -- finally here\'s that SOPA. \'Cause nobody fuckin\' cares >

[DYJ]

I am opposed to both SOPA and Wikipedia\'s takedown. Since the bill is in America, why should the servers in the UK suffer? Why should I go without a day of information for KSP Addon Developing, for a rule that isn\'t going to pass anyway and it half way across the world?

Because it\'s not about your 'suffering',taking the site down is Wikipedias last resort when it comes to expressing what they believe. And thinking that just because it\'s an American bill that it won\'t affect you is simply ignorant. That goes for things unrelated to the Internet too, but especially when we are talking about the Internet. We all use the same Internet, that\'s the beauty of it so we are all in the same boat here.

[Scruce]

Because it\'s not about your 'suffering',taking the site down is Wikipedias last resort when it comes to expressing what they believe. And thinking that just because it\'s an American bill that it won\'t affect you is simply ignorant. That goes for things unrelated to the Internet too, but especially when we are talking about the Internet. We all use the same Internet, that\'s the beauty of it so we are all in the same boat here.

You don\'t understand, there are UK servers for the English Wikipedia that were taken down aswell. Should SOPA pass, the UK servers will be unaffected, since they are based outside US law. I\'m fine with taking down the USA servers in protest, heck, I would even support it. But not the UK servers.

[DYJ]

Wikipedia is a global organization, they are taking a stand globally.

The SOPA bill would have affect people outside the US too, like I previously stated, we all use the same Internet.

Tldr: Stop being ignorant and If you want to use Wikipedia during it\'s blackout you can simply disable javascript in your browser.

[Scruce]

If you want to use Wikipedia during it\'s blackout you can simply disable javascript in your browser.

Or use the Simple English Wikipedia, their space articles are a laugh! ;D

Besides, some think it\'s possible to start the \'Web 2.0\', which is a theoretical second internet, if the bill does pass, hopefully it will be immune (but I don\'t know) to the DNS blocking.

But yes, you\'re right, Wikipedia is a global organisation and they have to take a stand globally if so.

Now, I\'m not ignorant. =P

[Tosh]

there are UK servers for the English Wikipedia that were taken down aswell. Should SOPA pass, the UK servers will be unaffected -snip-

Wut? Unaffected by wut? By numerous pleas against them for providing \'pirated\' information or links to the sites providing an \'illegal\' content?

A question: in what country are ICANN and IANA located and what are the functions of these authorities?

Everyone\'s affected.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people\'s access to online information. This is not a problem that will solely affect people in the United States: it will affect everyone around the world.

Why? SOPA and PIPA are badly drafted legislation that won\'t be effective at their stated goal (to stop copyright infringement), and will cause serious damage to the free and open Internet. They put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. Small sites won\'t have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn\'t being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won\'t show up in major search engines. And, SOPA and PIPA build a framework for future restrictions and suppression.

[Scruce]

Everyone\'s affected.

Yes, that is true and I was given false information during a lecture this morning. I withdraw my earlier post.

[koberko]

You don\'t understand, there are UK servers for the English Wikipedia that were taken down aswell. Should SOPA pass, the UK servers will be unaffected, since they are based outside US law. I\'m fine with taking down the USA servers in protest, heck, I would even support it. But not the UK servers.

Your access to UK based Wikipedia from UK won\'t be affected by that. But it can affect access form US to UK wikipedia... or one other example:

You make your own website; some small online businesses located in UK, and you aim to have world wide customers.

Many of your customers are form US. But, someone posts link to some web site or clip on your site (it could be spam bot), and US government will block your website for all US citizens, because by that law, you are responsible for post made by users.

Or one more example; you (from out side US) post something on website hosted in US (for example, let\'s say is this site; Kerbal forum... Even I don\'t know where they are hosted), and US government can block this site for entire world, because it falls under US jurisdiction.

Or you post link on Facebook of some remix of popular POP song from Youtube...They can clam that this remix breaks copyright rights, and just by that, they can block access to Facebook and Youtube alike! They won\'t process you who posted that, but they want to make so that website where that is posted is responsible for that post, so they will block entire website!

Oh, and one more example how this might be used in wrong way... That example of your imaginary online business .... Let\'s say that you have competition in US.... to bring them down, all you will have to do, is post a link on their website with some copyrighted material, and send message to owner of those copyrights, and they can legally ask that your competitions website gets blocked.

But, luckily, apparently that law won\'t pass...

[Tosh]

But, luckily, apparently that law won\'t pass...

Let\'s hope.

I\'m afraid these laws will pass. Sooner or later. They just have too much money to spend on this matter

[Technical Ben]

I am opposed to both SOPA and Wikipedia\'s takedown. Since the bill is in America, why should the servers in the UK suffer? Why should I go without a day of information for KSP Addon Developing, for a rule that isn\'t going to pass anyway and it half way across the world?

Why should you complain about a free service you are not paying for? It\'s not down, they only show a warning page of what Wikipedia will look like if SOPA is passed (the UK already extradites people to the USA over copyright infringement. If you think that they won\'t shut down sites as well, your most probably mistaken).

So, Wikipeda is saying 'this is what will happen if people don\'t pay attention'.

Turn off javascript and you get your wikipedia back today...

[Scruce]

Guys, I have already stated that I was wrong. Please stop bashing me.

[LukeTim]

I am opposed to both SOPA and Wikipedia\'s takedown. Since the bill is in America, why should the servers in the UK suffer? Why should I go without a day of information for KSP Addon Developing, for a rule that isn\'t going to pass anyway and it half way across the world?

The UK government (along with many others) is considering similar legislation if SOPA passes and is 'successful', since the US will then have set a precedent which will be expected to be met.

[koberko]

Guys, I have already stated that I was wrong. Please stop bashing me.

I apologize; I was writing my post in same time when you posted that last post. And I didn\'t have attention to bash, but rather to try to explain best I can.

Anyway... This what they are trying to do is not a way to fight piracy... There are far better ways to do that, but only if they show will and understanding to do it in right way.

I\'m usually not guy who will see conspiracy in everything, but this forcing of repressing laws, looks to me like they are trying to force some law, with excuse of fighting piracy, but in reality they just want to censure and control internet.... I hope that i\'m wrong, and ones who suggest this kind of laws, are just ignorant and shortsighted....

[Tosh]

I\'m usually not guy who will see conspiracy in everything, but this forcing of repressing laws, looks to me like they are trying to force some law, with excuse of fighting piracy, but in reality they just want to censure and control internet.... I hope that i\'m wrong, and ones who suggest this kind of laws, are just ignorant and shortsighted....

I\'m observing similar measures not even capable to \'censure\' something (that Russian campaign against book piracy, etc.). Seems that people just want moar money... and don\'t care that they\'re destroying their audience.

See \'Tragedy of the commons\' article when Wikipedia goes back on-line.

So I doubt these laws are intended to censure. But if they pass they will be used to censure, to destroy competitors etc. By some other people.

[mincespy]

What wikipedia should have done is said \'\'if this passes we will never go online again\'\'

[LukeTim]

What wikipedia should have done is said \'\'if this passes we will never go online again\'\'

They should all do it.

Wikipedia, Facebook, Google, Youtube...

Although, then the US Government might try to call their bluff... and things could get nasty.

[Tosh]

They should all do it.

Wikipedia, Facebook, Google, Youtube...

Although, then the US Government might try to call their bluff... and things could get nasty.

Huh. Imagine they all do it... and then US govt says \'Problem. Fucking. Solved.\' :-\

P.S. Google, Facebook and YouTube want their money too. So they will rather bargain till they they\'re dead than go off-line on their will.

[koberko]

Here is comment I made on FB later today:

OK, they want to play like that?? No problem! If that will pass, I won\'t share single clip, trailer or anything that can PROMOTE some movie, song or anything else!

Because they are idiots who don\'t understand that this use of 'unauthorized digital footage' is ACTUALLY PROMOTING THAT DIGITAL FOOTAGE!!!!

How many times have you heard about some artist just by fist hearing remix of his original song?? How many times have you start to watch some TV show just because you have seen some fan made video on YT?!

So, if this passes, let\'s us, internet users, expand prohibition on all movie trailers, movie reviews, official music videos and other stuff that is produced by ones that want to prohibit our content!

Just stop sharing stuff....

They don\'t understand that people who they are trying to prosecute are ones that actually help them earn more money... But we can also help them earn LESS money, if they continue to act like this...

[Tosh]

They don\'t understand that people who they are trying to prosecute are ones that actually help them earn more money... But we can also help them earn LESS money, if they continue to act like this...

\'Tragedy of the commons\' is called the \'tragedy\' exactly because each single person clearly understands that he must dispose of available resources wisely while the common as a whole just senselessly wastes all that it have. \'Resources\' here being the consumers of content.

[Technical Ben]

Guys, I have already stated that I was wrong. Please stop bashing me.

Oh, sorry, I missed that post. As you said, you were given wrong information. As far as I can tell, Wikipedia is hosted on US servers. So even the UK site would go down. Although, SOPA applies to non-us site apparently. The main problem seems to be with it allowing accusations (without proof) to cause take down actions. This would be extremely dangerous in it\'s self.

[bandit4910]

Your access to UK based Wikipedia from UK won\'t be affected by that. But it can affect access form US to UK wikipedia... or one other example:

You make your own website; some small online businesses located in UK, and you aim to have world wide customers.

Many of your customers are form US. But, someone posts link to some web site or clip on your site (it could be spam bot), and US government will block your website for all US citizens, because by that law, you are responsible for post made by users.

Or one more example; you (from out side US) post something on website hosted in US (for example, let\'s say is this site; Kerbal forum... Even I don\'t know where they are hosted), and US government can block this site for entire world, because it falls under US jurisdiction.

Or you post link on Facebook of some remix of popular POP song from Youtube...They can clam that this remix breaks copyright rights, and just by that, they can block access to Facebook and Youtube alike! They won\'t process you who posted that, but they want to make so that website where that is posted is responsible for that post, so they will block entire website!

Oh, and one more example how this might be used in wrong way... That example of your imaginary online business .... Let\'s say that you have competition in US.... to bring them down, all you will have to do, is post a link on their website with some copyrighted material, and send message to owner of those copyrights, and they can legally ask that your competitions website gets blocked.

But, luckily, apparently that law won\'t pass...

OK, Instead of Way on the sentence way are they even considering this try putting why.

I\'m not trying to be mean or anything.

Having corrections from people can help you learn better.(Or atleast it does for me.)

[koberko]

Hm...

One interesting news.... Today they shut down Megaupload and arrested his directors, by accusations from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America):

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399105,00.asp

The effort was spearheaded by Megaupload Limited founder Kim Dotcom (aka Kim Schmitz or Kim Tim Jim Vestor), a 37-year-old resident of Hong Kong and New Zealand.

:-\

And just to clarify things; personally, I\'m against piracy, but as I have stated in start of this topic, I believe that piracy can be reduced drastically (they will never remove it completely) if they solve other problems that are causing increase in pirated materials online.

Repression is never the answer... and it can just make things worse.