“Young people, using computers to download digitized intellectual property, are today’s pirates.” (Steinmetz, Tunnell, 2013, p.53) While many of the pirates may be young people I would suggest a significant number of ‘older’ more seasoned computer pirates exist too! To provide evidence for that statement I direct you to observe the clientele at a Best Buy or Future Shop on a Saturday!
Reading through “Under the Pixelated Jolly Roger: A Study of On-Line Pirates” by Steinmetz and Tunnell I learned “four motivations for engaging in piracy… (1) to share culture/content, (2) to sample, (3) the inability to afford content and (4) to undermine the current copyright regime.” (Steinmetz,Tunnell, 2013,p.56) From the perspective of a typical university student, “Sampling is particularly important to young people… Sampling allows them to make discretionary decisions on how they spend their limited funds.” (p.59). Now this makes sense to me!
In the article “Cultures of Music Piracy” by Ian Condry, I identified my family in the discussion referring to “sharing of music without exchange of money.” (p345) Not only us, but majority of people like to “get the most possible stuff for the least possible money.” (p348) I had never thought we were doing anything illegal when music is purchased, downloaded onto the family computer and then copied to a MP3 player. Didn’t we buy the music? Aren’t we allowed to copy it onto our mobile devices? This type of behaviour has brought about legal aspects such as the “Recording Industry Association of America initiated lawsuits against its own consumers.” (p343) Is this having an impact on consumers? “Are lawsuits changing file-sharers’ behaviour?” (p350) A 2004 survey “estimated that the lawsuits convinced around 6 million former down-loaders to stop, but also estimated that 5 million new users started up in the same period (Rainie et al., 2004).” (p350)
An analysis of the Japanese anime and the concept of the “fansubs” should be performed. The fansubs have allowed “some copyright infringement” but it has not “caused the ‘fall of the anime industry’.” In fact, there is speculation it “may well have contributed to its world-wide popularity” (p355)
I absolutely agree that we should teach “‘respect for property’ while building a healthy music market in the digital age.” (p344) however it’s time to catch up with technology and “develop new alternative compensation systems” (p344).
Condry, Ian. (2004). Cultures of Music Piracy: An Ethnographic Comparison of the US and Japan. International Journal of Cultural Studies. 7 (3), pg. 343-363
Steinmetz, K., K. Tunnell (2013). Under the Pixelated Jolly Roger: A Study of On-Line Pirates. Deviant Behavior. 34 (1), pg. 53-67
Leading to Engage Employees 
Posted by ap09ti on June 21, 2013 at 10:47 am
I have been reading this weeks initials posts, and have come to one conclusion. “Young people, using computers to download digitized intellectual property, are today’s pirates.” (Steinmetz, Tunnell, 2013, p.53). I found your comments about older piracy offenders existing and the evidence you gave with Best Buy very funny! I understood exactly what you were trying to portray right away. It is nice to see the older generation getting in on the new technology and seeing how everything is changing. I love that my mom using an Ipad, she informed me yesterday that it was the best gift I ever gave her! In my opinion it almost feels rewarding to see them almost “growing up” in a way.
Posted by alenasaric on June 21, 2013 at 12:40 pm
I agree that it is time for us to embrace this new technology and to develop new alternative compensation systems. Like I said in my blog post, this technology is here to stay. There are no rules, laws, or regulations that one can impose to eliminate this technology. I also agree with your point about copying purchased music. If you purchased the music, you should have a right to copy it to as many mp3 as you would like as long as its for personal use (which was the case in your situation). It is the same thing when I purchase a movie. I should be able to watch that movie, and I should be able to borrow that movie to my mom so she can watch it as well. If I purchased a movie, and was then charging people to watch that movie, that may be a different situation. I think in some ways the industry is trying to be too strict which is causing many people to revolt.
Posted by Little Fish on June 21, 2013 at 8:47 pm
I definitely agree with “we should teach “‘respect for property’ while building a healthy music market in the digital age.” (p344) however it’s time to catch up with technology and “develop new alternative compensation systems” (p344).” This is the goal we should pursuit. As a fan of Japanese anime I didn’t pay for watch them after I was 10. It is the benefit that new technology brought to us. Like you said“get the most possible stuff for the least possible money.” That’s kind of “common sense” for everybody. If we can watch Japanese anime on a free website, then no one will bother to think about the copyright. I don’t support piracy or any kind of illegal actions, but we do need to learn how to accept new technology and new culture. We have to find a balance point can satisfy side, the music producers and the consumers.