I liked the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. I didn’t like ‘Hook’. I guess that means I have mixed feelings on pirates? Right? Wrong. The entertainment industry is fighting what appears to be a losing battle against “pirates” who operate torrent websites that freely distribute and share copyrighted material. Some people think it’s highly acceptable and others are venomously against it. The real concern though are the people caught in the middle, the masses.
It is those internet users who are undecided by the whole illegal file sharing issue that hold the key to what happens next. Some people think the idea of being a “pirate” is rather cool and sexy. Others think it sounds highly incriminating and don’t want to be connected (literally!) in any manner to such activities. Sure, the music industry, record labels especially and legal eagles would love to think they are in control of what the future holds for the music industry specifically but frankly all they can do is steer the ship and hope no-one else jumps off on to that torrent bandwagon. Of course if that ship is destined to go to a better place then it is much more likely people will buy into what they have to offer. It has been a long time coming but in recent times the music industry has woken up to the fact that it must change to survive. The torrent sites will not vanish overnight no matter how much certain sectors of the industry would love them to.
While record companies are smelling the coffee, the pirates are smelling something more pungent to say the least. Now more so than ever, it really feels like the tide is turning against them. It’s true to say they’ve had it too good for too long. How it got to this stage is anyones guess but with more pressure on them more so than ever before perhaps now really is the time for change. I hear it’s quite fashionable at the moment! It’s easy to argue that if one torrent site gets shutdown another one will just pop-up elsewhere. People said that about Napster too. We all know what happened there. Fact is, it can be done but the question is will it be?
The masses stuck in the middle, some who download illegally and others who do not dare commit such an act through morals or uninitiated in the process, are the ones who actually yield the most power here. The choice is simple but dilemma is not. To illegally download or not? Some do and don’t talk about it, some do and pontificate with unwarranted pride. Those who choose specifically not to do so will tell you it is not worth the risk for damage to their computers, plus of course the fear of the authorities taking action against them. It is also now more affordable than ever before to download digital content legally. Some sites like Kerchoonz.com allow you to do it for free while they give something back to the artist. Other sites charge around a £1 for a song. A nominal fee for a track and not too dissimilar to what we’ve been used to paying in the past for various physical formats. There is also a sense of appreciation if you pay for something. In this digital age it is all too easy to delete music before giving it a chance. If you pay for it in some form, be it directly or getting it for free through an advert based website then you will respect the music more. It won’t feel so disposable and if you download something that is not instantly enjoyed by your palette then it is likely you’ll give it another try. How many songs and albums do we love that we weren’t sure about on the first few listens? Nowadays though, some people don’t even give a song it’s duration before deleting it. Harsh, but true.
There is however a recession on. People are penny pinching. This should mean the temptation to get something for free, legally or illegally, is much greater. On the surface that is indeed the case but take a moment to consider that the recession affects everyone on many levels. The pirates will always throw up big names to raise the flag of their mission, declaring certain musicians don’t need the money. Maybe they are right but it’s not really for them to decide. More importantly is the knock on effect. If that big famous musician’s sales are affected, Office Joe with his mortgage and 2.4 children will feel the brunt, no doubt long before the musician in question will. Rightly or wrongly his job will be on the line, even more so at this time.
So the BIG question really is, what will happen next? The answer is easy, that is down to you. What will you choose?
Tags: Music Pirates Torrents Downloading Industry File-sharing P2p
