Monday, May 30, 2005

Piracy?

What is happening in our world today? Piracy it's a much talked about topic in our sunny island Singapore. I guess living next to almost every pirated supplier in the region puts us in a great position for Pirates to promote to us "Cheaper" software, games, music. Sometimes I wonder if paying these Uncles is the right thing to do. They got it for free. Mass produce it and sell it to us at cut throat prices. No proceeds go to the people who wrote the software or the music.

What about downloads of MP3? Well I'm not a very very great music fan but I do believe in music. I guess the we are trying to move from a society that buys the whole album to one that just gets what they need. Lets look at it this way, at 2 bucks a song cheaper then a Single but if U look at the maths it still a lot of money. What is the point of an Ipod when you need to fill it up with 5000 songs. Each being $2 so legally we need to fork out $10,000 just to fill up the $500 device with 5000 songs. Madness I tell you. I doubt your average school kid is able to afford $10,000 of songs let alone 100 songs. It's a vicious endless cycle even if the record industry were to lower the prices of songs to lets say $0.50 cents each people will still try to get it for free no matter what.

What about TV-Rips? If it's a show that is free for view why is it that there are legal bounds to it. If you air something it should be for public view. It's like asking your friend to record an episode of friends and sending it to you when he's in Australia and you in Singapore. What about Fan-subs? I generally feel that they should be allowed in all context, after all they are just TV-Rips and are aired for public viewership, the production companies already have their share from sponsors. Those that ask cash in return for these Rips/Fansubs should be jailed for piracy. Well it's hard to draw a line on what is right and wrong in this area. But for those that stay away from their TV the only place for viewing stuff is on our computers, it's a way for us to learn of new cultures, ideas and share thoughts and theories on forums. So please do not take that away from us.

posted by SerSiTiv emoTiOns @ 5/30/2005 06:31:00 PM