[ProDigit]

I download illegal sometimes!
It all started with the movie industries! They did get too much money for what it's worth, especially if they get people like Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, etc.. in their contracts!

However what I hate most, is not that they get a lot of money. What I hate most, is paying for a seemingly good movie or CD, and regretting you paid as soon as you actually listen to it!
Many crapware is overcharged!

And although everyone's ideas about doing harm is different, for me personally I would never have given my money to 50% I own, if I had known it would be so crappy!
(like that terminator or Streetfighter knockoff movie that sucked more than Mr beans on BBC).

My policy is, I download, I see, and if I like it, I buy it!
Many never get to that second stage, but I actually do buy the things I like!
Among the things I purchased after seeing them online, are a whole bunch of disney movies (including Aladdin, the Lion King, etc..), the whole Star Trek Series (and those are a few hundred dollars for all the seasons (both the originals, the pilots, the animated versions, the next generation, and all following); a whole bunch of anime, and techno-trance CD's.

As for books, I'm mainly reading free ones. Once I caught up to that, I will read free PDF's, mainly science and engineering. The ones you can read for free in the library too.

As for books, I find myself less eager to buy them, nevertheless I do have found a few exceptional books that I purchased, (some I've purchased even more than three of the same book, to give to friends).

I want to have control on what I want to pay and not. I'm by all means not a poor man, but neither rich enough to be able to afford all the media I consume.
I think I should pay for those things that you find worth buying, after all, what do you do when your new car constantly breaks down? Don't you take it back to the dealer, and get of another model or brand instead?
Something you can't do when a book, or video is not what you expected it to be!

Besides, I don't believe in 'harming' the industry! It's a term widely used, but many movies and songs are bought by radio and television stations, which many will see 'for free' anyways, only a bit after they could get it off the internet.

If there was no illegal file sharing, there would be more radio and TV addicts.

For books this might be a bit different, though I presume there will be more people in the library. If people want it free, they will be able to get it for free, even if it means spending a few days in the library; but hopefully paying for a copy if it proves them to be a good item or help in their lives.


It's a misconception to believe that 1000 illegal downloads mean 1000 copies lost to sale!

Many of the illegal downloads are actually file hoarders. Those who download copies to make them available to others. I had a torrent site once, and of the 1000 downloaded copies, I know that about 600 are by file hoarders, perhaps 90% of those hoarders will never open or read or see the file other than to store to share it with others.

I'd roughly say that 50% of the downloads are potential customers (500), meaning people who download for more than hoarding files.

out of them (the 500) more than 25% will never have bought the book or video, even if it was priced at 50% off, because they find no interest in it, or the book/video/music just does not speak to them (125)!

50% of the potential customers (250) will not pay, even if they liked it; and only 25% (125) would support the author

Out of these last 375 people, about 25% of them do pay for the book or video or CD either by buying a legal copy, or supporting the author through other means (100 people).
60% (225) won't pay for the book, and about 50 of them pay for the item they would never had a chance paying if it wasn't for meeting that book through illegal channels.

In other words, 4 people out of 10 buy the book, where as before (when illegal download rules would be restricted) 7.5 people would have bought the book.

That concludes, out of 1000 illegal downloads, about 150 people buy the products.
Without illegal downloads, about 325 people would have to buy the products, however for half of those that won't pay for it, would probably still try to save their money.
So in the end if file sharing would be impossible, about 215 people would be buying the book.

That's a difference of 65 people, or less than 7%

For this reason not much is done about illegal file sharing, because it takes a very high toll and cost to try to find them, and reducing the network in the end, would only amount to 7% revenue increase! Of those 7% there will be some that aren't too happy buyers, who want the product badly, and have cashed out the money, but who would have easily bought it if the product was only priced lower.

Ofcourse media wants you to believe that they are losing 1000 sales for every 1000 illegal downloads, in reality they only lose about 65 sales; or about 6.5% of their revenue.

Although the number rises significantly for popular downloads (like bestsellers), but also decreases for small releases.

This system is actually a great system to make sure some people on the top aren't earning too much money, while the unknown writer would actually gain popularity and sales thanks to illegal file sharing!