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CommanderROR · 10-03-2007, 06:32 AM

I think this whole copyright and DRM stuff is really shooting your own foot.
While I am all for buying your own software, music and books, I don't see any reason why this should be more time-consuming than just downloading them illegally and for free.
Ripping your own CDs so you can use them on your mp3 Player or iPod should however always be allowed, no matter what, just like creating mp3 CDs. Not allowing that is simply stupid and more or less forces people into illegality...and once you have gone one step into illeality then you can go all the way right...?

There are ways to fight piracy. I can speak from my own experience.

I used to download music from time to time...I'm a musician and sometimes needed a certain piece that I had to prepare and wanted to listen to. Now, CD stores in town usually have lots of crap(Pop)music CDs, but very little in the ways of classical music. So getting what I wanted was quite difficult usually. Also, I often neede a certain piece, not a whole collection of tracks, and getting that in a CD shop was of course out of the question.
Illegal sources usually had what I needed, they also had it immediately (no need to order and wait, pay shipping...) and for free.
So, of course the temptation to sownload illegal stuff is huge...

Today, I have iTunes. Ever since I installed this software I have been down to alsomst 0 illegal downloads.

Why "almost"?

Well, sometimes I just can't find what I'm looking for on iTunes. I then go to town. If I don't find it there (which is almost 100% sure since iTunes has quite a lot of music available) I download it where I CAN find it. But it hardly ever happens. And this is exactly the way to reduce piracy.
Of course iTunes has DRM, they force you to use an iPod if you want to take your music with you (or burn it on a CD and use any CD-Man so that's Ok) but the only problems I have with their current system are:

1) My girlfriend can't use my music and vice versa
2) I can't redownload tracks for free if I lose my iTunes folder
3) Soemtimes I have to buy the whole CD if a track is longer than a certain, set time

Apart from 2) these are not big issues, so this system works, and someting similar for books, movies, games and software would help a lot of people and of course also keep music sales high.

But if the RIAA and their friends continue the way they are going at the moment, making life difficult and still doing nothing about piracy, then more and more people will move to the pirate bay and just take what they want for free without the hassle...and I would understand and even support them!
Piracy should be discouraged, but it's the "how" that matters!
Stop making legally purchasing and using stuff more difficult. A certain amount of protection is needed to discourage "casual" pirates, but that's it. You can't stop the real hardcore hackers. That's a waste of time and money.

10-03-2007, 06:32 AM	#21
CommanderROR eink fanatic Posts: 2,022 Karma: 4924 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Germany Device: STAReBOOK, iRex Iliad, Sony 505, Kindle 2	I think this whole copyright and DRM stuff is really shooting your own foot. While I am all for buying your own software, music and books, I don't see any reason why this should be more time-consuming than just downloading them illegally and for free. Ripping your own CDs so you can use them on your mp3 Player or iPod should however always be allowed, no matter what, just like creating mp3 CDs. Not allowing that is simply stupid and more or less forces people into illegality...and once you have gone one step into illeality then you can go all the way right...? There are ways to fight piracy. I can speak from my own experience. I used to download music from time to time...I'm a musician and sometimes needed a certain piece that I had to prepare and wanted to listen to. Now, CD stores in town usually have lots of crap(Pop)music CDs, but very little in the ways of classical music. So getting what I wanted was quite difficult usually. Also, I often neede a certain piece, not a whole collection of tracks, and getting that in a CD shop was of course out of the question. Illegal sources usually had what I needed, they also had it immediately (no need to order and wait, pay shipping...) and for free. So, of course the temptation to sownload illegal stuff is huge... Today, I have iTunes. Ever since I installed this software I have been down to alsomst 0 illegal downloads. Why "almost"? Well, sometimes I just can't find what I'm looking for on iTunes. I then go to town. If I don't find it there (which is almost 100% sure since iTunes has quite a lot of music available) I download it where I CAN find it. But it hardly ever happens. And this is exactly the way to reduce piracy. Of course iTunes has DRM, they force you to use an iPod if you want to take your music with you (or burn it on a CD and use any CD-Man so that's Ok) but the only problems I have with their current system are: 1) My girlfriend can't use my music and vice versa 2) I can't redownload tracks for free if I lose my iTunes folder 3) Soemtimes I have to buy the whole CD if a track is longer than a certain, set time Apart from 2) these are not big issues, so this system works, and someting similar for books, movies, games and software would help a lot of people and of course also keep music sales high. But if the RIAA and their friends continue the way they are going at the moment, making life difficult and still doing nothing about piracy, then more and more people will move to the pirate bay and just take what they want for free without the hassle...and I would understand and even support them! Piracy should be discouraged, but it's the "how" that matters! Stop making legally purchasing and using stuff more difficult. A certain amount of protection is needed to discourage "casual" pirates, but that's it. You can't stop the real hardcore hackers. That's a waste of time and money.