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Originally Posted by Moejoe
Piracy, although I hate that word for what is essentially "sharing" is, or at least was, part of our cultural heritage. Campfire stories and music, oral tales passed on from generation to generation, embellished or rather, remixed as they passed from one creator to the next. We lost sight of this at some point, our culture was reigned in, stamped with a pricetag and carefully controlled by gatekeepers and taste makers, in the hopes of maximising profits.
Now we're coming back to those old times where culture is once again a shared experience, and even more, a geographically unrestricted experience. The creator in this instance has the ability to tell their campfire story to an audience far surpassing any reachable beforehand.
"Piracy" in this brave new world we're living through is no more than a societal backlash to restrictions that no longer hold true. A return to what once was, and will be again. The means of production are now in every single person's hands. Creator and audience are no longer separate entities, but both at the same time.
Is this positive, very much so. Culture doesn't grow too well when its restricted, given free reign, the possibilities are endless. Speaking as a writer, or writer-in-waiting, I'd much rather be at the top of the Piratebay or Mininova or Demonoid's download list, than I would be reviewed in a print journal or on the best-seller list. That to me, monetary issues aside, is where the culture is most relevant and where any writer, new or old, should want to be if they hope to keep writing in the future. The downloaders are the audience of the future. They're the ones, through donations most likely, who will support the writers in the future. And even if they don't donate a penny, isn't it better to be read, than linger in some bargain bin at a local supermarket, or pulped into oblivion?
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Moejoe, you make some very good points, particularly about the importance of sharing culture and participating in it.
i actually also disagree with the word "piracy" used in this context : *real* piracy is something completely different, an act of violent theft committed at sea ; i think the use of the word in this context both trivialises *true* piracy which is a grave problem even today in some parts of the world, and also tends to be used in an alarmist manipulative way by huge corporations intent of maximising profits, usually with little to no respect either for the creators or the consumers of the media they are selling ; however since it's the term used in the article i preserved its use here.
i think the large-scale sharing we're experiencing is a direct reaction not only to restrictions that no longer hold true but more specifically to restrictions who *never* were true, and which have become so abusive and unrealistic that they are completely detached from the reality of culture and society. when the first copyright laws were being discussed, Macauley argued that if copyright is extended beyond what the average person considers reasonable, they will stop viewing it as a "necessary evil" and see it only as evil (sorry, i can't find the exact quote just now... i'm sure you've read it elsewhere anyway). in this case, copyright loses its meaning and the respect of the population.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vivaldirules
My upbringing (most people's, I'm sure) makes me skeptical of comments like "Obscurity is a far greater threat to authors and creative artists than piracy." It strikes me as an easy way to rationalize one's theft - a bit like saying that if we steal lots of oranges from the grocer everybody will want some from him. But, to avoid prejudging, I'll shut up and go away and read the article and think about. Thank you for posting the link.
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thanks for not prejudging.
and i'll point out that the article was actually written by an author and publisher whose works are often the object of online p2p sharing. come back and let us know what you think after you've read the article.
