[Belfaborac]

Originally Posted by stonetools

NO. I'm sorry but this is dead wrong

No need to be sorry, but even if you are it actually it isn't wrong at all.

What I said was: "every independent study I'm aware of concludes that pirates have either little, none or a positive impact on sales."

I've underlined the important parts. Firstly: independent. To repeat: research that is funded by an interested party is worthless, or very often worse than worthless, in that it is often commissioned purely to obfuscate the issue.

Secondly: [that] I'm aware of. I have obviously not read every independent study, but I have perused all those most well known and many not so well known. In regards to all those I have come across, been made aware of, or unearthed myself (probably 30-35 in all) every one has concluded as I stated.

In other words: not dead wrong at all.

As far as the document you link to, I've no idea if it is in fact an independent study in itself. Hence I have no way of determining whether or not is has any value (according to my own standards). I can no doubt find out by doing a little digging, but not right now.

Secondly I have no way of reading the vast majority of the sources it lists and hence I can verify neither their quality, their conclusions, nor their independence for myself. Just saying they're independent does not make them so.

Finally and most peculiarly: none of the most publicised independent studies are are among those listed among Dr. Tschmuck's references. It can hardly be an oversight, so presumably it must be by design. I find this very strange, if not outright suspect.

His conclusion is stunning: “file-sharing has caused the entire decline in sound recording sales that has occurred since the ascendance of Napster.”

Now, I've yet to do more than skim the document, but if that is an accurate description then it's obviously an entirely bogus study. No-one in their right mind could possibly present such a patently laughable conclusion, disregarding entirely every point which has previously been mentioned in this thread and many more besides, thereby apparently wilfully ignoring the digital revolution which has taken place over the last decade in its entirety.

Looks to me like the MAJORITY of academic studies say that unauthorized downloads(piracy + casual sharing) is hurting the recording industry. One could even call it a consensus.

Hardly. My points still stand, comfortably.

Whats interesting is that why many, many piracy-friendly posters could ever say stuff like " there's no evidence that piracy is a problem" and "independent studies confirm that piracy causes no harm".

Etc, etc.

These are just assumptions made with no basis in fact and as such are worthless. Simplistic pop psychology, based on nothing more than what you yourself would like to believe.

Personally I am neither for or against piracy, just like I am neither for or against gravity. The two are almost equally inevitable and almost equally pointless to attempt to negate. If piracy could be stopped completely, or even substantially, I would have no issue with that whatsoever, but neither will ever happen.

What I am against is what I am convinced (partly on the basis of all the independent research I've read) are the blatant lies told by those who sell us entertainment and who wish to adopt draconian measures in order to ensure their survival, rather than to evolve with the times.