Greg London [[EMAIL PROTECTED]] quoth:
*>
*>Napster is a musical version of a SCM. You do a search,
*>push a button, drop in a blank disc, and blammo, you've
*>got the object of your desire. Sony and friends are going
*>through the roof.
While I don't wish to prolong this thread and argue ala wimbeldon, I must
admit that I don't understand why people don't seem to grasp why people
who make their livlihood on selling products might be unhappy about their
piracy. I buy a lot of books and a lot of software and, while I'm not
happy that an average book can cost between 18-30 bucks, technical
between 40-80, I do it because I want the product and I have never
expected something for nothing nor did I ever believe in Santa. Napster
won't survive if it goes to a fee based model. When I see a sexy bald
starship captain saying 'Earl Gray. Hot' to the replicator in a future
utopia, I'll hope that IP and copyright are a distant memory, that
illiteracy is non-existant, that everyone gets a good and free education,
that there is no hunger left in the world and that everyone gets to choose
a career of their liking without having to worry about money. Until that
time though, having the attitude that 'well officer, the front door was
wide open so I helped myself to everything in the house because, you know,
they asked for it' is uncivilised and something we put people in prison
for.
Technology has made it trivial to pirate products but just because it has
doesn't make it right to do so with glee. I think most of the patent/IP
wars going on now are a bit tragic since the victims most often seem to be
the artists and not the corporations who profit both coming and going.
I don't see the technology driving this as the problem, rather the people
unwilling to accept that there are people getting hurt in this process of
mudslinging and legal angst. I do think there is a solution but it won't
happen while each side is yelling at the other for seemingly all the wrong
reasons. I also sincerely hope that artists whose income has been damaged
by all of this won't have to stop their creative endeavours in order to
eat and pay rent.
e.
