Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - (Opinion) What's worse, file-sharing or the Record Companies/Movie Studios?

Mac Howard · 09-11-2009, 08:05 AM

I think one of his points has been missed. He's not just arguing that stealing from thieves is not stealing or piracy is better than the behaviour of the publishers but also making the point that if the companies do not pay the royalties then you're not stealing from the artists because they don't get any of your money anyway.

He's trying to answer the anti-piracy argument that piracy steals from the artists not just the rogues running the film/music companies.

Two problems with this:

1) Even if some are, not all artists are ripped off and therefore these will be the victims of the piracy crime

2) those who are ripped off at least have the legal opportunity to sue for their royalties and their claim would be based on turnover. Piracy will reduce that turnover and therefore the claim, and also justification for the claim, made by the artist.

In either case the artist is a victim.

09-11-2009, 08:05 AM	#54
Mac Howard Sick as a Parrot Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Surfers Paradise, Australia	I think one of his points has been missed. He's not just arguing that stealing from thieves is not stealing or piracy is better than the behaviour of the publishers but also making the point that if the companies do not pay the royalties then you're not stealing from the artists because they don't get any of your money anyway. He's trying to answer the anti-piracy argument that piracy steals from the artists not just the rogues running the film/music companies. Two problems with this: 1) Even if some are, not all artists are ripped off and therefore these will be the victims of the piracy crime 2) those who are ripped off at least have the legal opportunity to sue for their royalties and their claim would be based on turnover. Piracy will reduce that turnover and therefore the claim, and also justification for the claim, made by the artist. In either case the artist is a victim. Last edited by Mac Howard : 09-11-2009 at 08:17 AM.