Illegal downloads.

What are your views on illegally downloading music, movies, etc..?

Personally I don??????t really think its problem at all. Many people try and reference illegal downloading to teens that doesn??????t have the money to purchase the material but from what I??????ve experienced is wealthy investment bankers over 40 years of age doing exactly the same. Running bit torrent with at least 20 copyrighted objects in the queue.

The question is: If you see a $100 lying on the sidewalk due to negligence, do you take it or just walk past it? (I can assure you someone else will just take it)

Or would you try and be the good citizen and find the owner for it that will reward you with a handshake and ??????Thank you??????? (How many people on the internet informs the RIAA of piracy material on sharing sites)

Originally posted by dj-dj

How many people on the internet informs the RIAA of piracy material on sharing sites)

I didn't even know this existed. Thank you, your invitation to online piracy will be punished.

[:D]

Trust me this is not an invitation. I just laugh at the negligence of digital media corporations for not being ahead of the ball game to start off with. It?????????ll cost them way more in raw cash and consumers than the piracy itself causes now if they have to try and change their methods.

While I am not what one might call "against piracy", I do think it's become a problem. I know people who simply have decided to stop paying for media. Of course, when it's easier to pirate something than it is to download it legally, and when downloading it legally means you can't ever share it, who can blame them? I have a feeling that this discussion will lead to a discussion about ACTA and the like, so I'm going to go ahead and start here: these bills are a) completely useless and b) even more useless than "completely". Like I said, the problem lies in how easy it is to pirate media and how expensive/restrictive the legal alternatives are. If all legal media was just like their pirated counterpart, only it cost $0.99 and was of much better quality, I don't think many people would even think twice about buying it. Sure, the record and movie companies might not make quite as many billions of dollars off of us, but that's not really a problem in the long run. My point is that the big corporations need to realize that they cannot stop the Internet. In fact I would say that nobody can. They have to make their products better than those of the internet if they wish to compete. It's simple economics.

The RIAA and the MPAA need to realize that their profits are no longer in the recorded media. They should be focusing their efforts towards live shows and for the MPAA, movie releases. The sooner they get with the program, the better they can make the industry.

i would take the 100 dollars and run home

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by NightwindElf
The sooner they get with the program, the better they can make the industry.

The underlying hope you have is hilarious.

I know, but it would definitely make each side happier. Or they could do more stuff like VIVO on Youtube.

[Turbo]

I buy CD's and DVD's.

Seeing as you can get all the music you want for free from public library's anyways It doesn't seem that big a deal to just download it. Same with movies. I buy most of my games unless i don't really want to keep them, then I'll essentially "rent" it. download, play, and delete it. Exception is if I really like a band, then I'll buy their music.

On the one hand, yes, I can see how it is very illegal. But on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have discovered most of my favorite musical artists, which I have now gladly bought and paid for, if it weren't for download services like Ares and mp3skull.

So, yeah, I'm kind of mixed.

The one strong opinion that I have is that all media licensing companies really need to chill out about things like Youtube clips. I can understand them getting upset at full episodes of TV shows and things like that being posted, but their crackdown on fan-made content like AMV's, reviews, favorite-clips compilations and the like is downright stupid. It's basically just turning down a ton of free publicity and making the company really look like a**holes in the process.

The big labels and the music "industry", love em. I download a lot, though not much of it would fall under the umbrella of either of those two things, but I also buy a lot of CDs and LPs from bands and labels (Hydra Head, Subpop, T&G, Temporary Residence, etc) that I want to support. I also don't like paying for something that's not physical. I have no problem paying $30 for an LP, but I won't pay $.99 for a song on iTunes.

The big labels aren't losing money because of piracy, they are losing money because pop culture love blows and that's where they are dumping all their capitol. It changes too much, and there really isn't a long term return. The latest fad of freaks with makeup singing into a computer with bleeps and bloops is about to die, lasting what, 4 years? As soon as the masses figure out it sucks (which takes way too long) they just move on to the next.

The small labels are successful because they are respecting artists and not trying to fulfill a current 'brand'. They are actually about the music and not pampering the current freak with makeup or their shitty 13 year old girl fans.

I agree with Freddie. I buy hard copies of what I like the most. Just having the full CD feels better when it's one that you really like. Kind-of like framing some of your favorite pictures.

Originally posted by cjd

on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have discovered most of my favorite musical artists, which I have now gladly bought and paid for, if it weren't for download services like Ares and mp3skull.

EXACTLY.

I discovered a band called Interpol (some might know about them) and have actually been in love with them for a few months. I got all their songs on my phone to listen to them all the time. This could be piracy, and this is.
BUT
I do buy their albums too. I did last months and today. It's just the fact that you have the album, with the CD. If you really like an artist, yo want him to get paid for its talent or for the effect he/she has on you. Otherwise you're an ugly disrespectful person. That's how I think; all the time when I discover a band, it's on the Internet, by "piracy". come on, how can they sell their albums when they're not know across? You see an album you don't know from an artist you don't know a s*** about, and say to yourself "hey I'm gonna buy this thing"? [;)]

Originally posted by cjd


The one strong opinion that I have is that all media licensing companies really need to chill out about things like Youtube clips. I can understand them getting upset at full episodes of TV shows and things like that being posted, but their crackdown on fan-made content like AMV's, reviews, favorite-clips compilations and the like is downright stupid. It's basically just turning down a ton of free publicity and making the company really look like a**holes in the process.

Some TV series on youtube aren't available for viewing at other places than sites like youtube, I believe it is what keeps these series popular. If they block al of these series no one could watch them anymore and they will be forgotten.

I would give it 3 months before the big corporations start losing massive amounts of money because so much of the free marketing is gone.

[TheArchitect]

i think illegal downloads are just sick and wrong and i hate all of you for doing it.

[/sarcasm]

Downloading movies and music is legal for me (really, it is legal in the Netherlands!)

Meh, I don't really have a problem with it. I think without illegal downloads a lot of bands would have less fans and thus have less people coming out for their concerts.

From personal experience there is a lot of music that I would have never come across if I hadn't shamelessly ripped it from youtube. Some of the artists, particularly in my latest musical taste of Australian hip-hop, don't have most of their albums on iTunes and aren't really big enough to have their cd's widely distributed for sale in the States.

Originally posted by raptorTC

...my latest musical taste of Australian hip-hop...

Sorry, but that made me chuckle.

I always buy my favorite music... but it's sometimes hard because a lot of the music I like is only on vinyl, and not owning a record player forces me to find a download (Plus I want to put it on my Droid).

Originally posted by boneplaya
that made me chuckle.

I would have said the same thing a few weeks ago. The stuff isn't half bad really.

[coolbeans326]

I've given many more bands a chance because I am able to listen to more bands that I would otherwise never have the resource to give them a chance. I will often see bands that I like live. This is $15-$30 per ticket per person. I typically go with me and girl at the very least. Though we'll often times bring a couple other. on average we pay about $20. and if 4 of us go, that's $80, significantly more cash then the $12 cd. Im sure many other fans are the same way. There's a whole segment of the musicians who owe their careers to piracy. The main people who are affected are the top tier of artists. They no longer sell 10+ million albums. Instead they only sell a mere 2 - 5 million. They now have to depend on radio and media usage royalties. They couldn't afford the jumbo jet with the blue ray player, instead had to down grade to just a dvd player. poor things.

[Coasterkidmwm]

Originally posted by cjd

but their crackdown on fan-made content like AMV's, reviews

I fully support never having to click on an AMV ot "review" ever again and removing them because they're so love annoying.

Originally posted by cjd

On the one hand, yes, I can see how it is very illegal. But on the other hand, I probably wouldn't have discovered most of my favorite musical artists, which I have now gladly bought and paid for, if it weren't for download services like Ares and mp3skull.

So, yeah, I'm kind of mixed.

The one strong opinion that I have is that all media licensing companies really need to chill out about things like Youtube clips. I can understand them getting upset at full episodes of TV shows and things like that being posted, but their crackdown on fan-made content like AMV's, reviews, favorite-clips compilations and the like is downright stupid. It's basically just turning down a ton of free publicity and making the company really look like a**holes in the process.

Allowing these clips/videos are now a standard for MOST companies in the video game business, look at call of duty, for example. When will the other groups learn?