Interesting News

I regularly check out the "Latest Headlines" button of Firefox 3.0, and here are some socially and technologically significant articles I found interesting, all from BBC News UK.

Google must divulge YouTube log

Warning letters to 'file-sharers'

After that, I grew a little curious on statistics, so I researched a bit. And I came to this website - http://w3.bsa.org/philippines/press/newsreleases/globalstudypr.cfm. There are some other articles from that site which I read, but that one gives the most recent view, I think.

I've been thinking about piracy for quite a while now - why it exists, why it never seems to stop, and why it's like an epidemic. I was actually planning to write about this issue before I read these articles, and now, I am. But I'll try to keep it short.

For one, I am not really sure how the BSA gets the statistics on "losses" that amount to US$ 147 million. If they base it on the sales of pirated software, do they take into account the actual capability of the consumers to purchase these software by their actual costs? Like if a person buys a CD of pirated security software for like PhP 60, wherein the market price is like around PhP 2500, do they consider the 'capability' of the consumer to pay for its actual price?

If not, their statistics might be flawed.

Should they consider losses they would make if they lost the exposure they get through piracy? With all the fuss going around them because almost everyone can use them? Because, if not for piracy, maybe fewer people would use them and they would lose their popularity.

These pirated software, or maybe also movies, music, and other media, actually are very popular among the less-capable to buy original copies because of the fact that they are more affordable compared to original copies. Of course, there are some of those who have the resources to shell out, but still opt to buy the cheaper alternatives, but how many could they be? We can think that those who really do have the extra money won't buy pirated stuff as it can be considered a social stain, which they would think as "mediocrity" or "so not their stuff."

For the middle and lower classes, they think that by using such software, even through "copyright infringement," would somehow let them be in the league and have the same "leveling" as with those who are financially capable. It is an illusion of grandeur, just like what all the malls in the country provide. They think that by using these software, they get an edge. And they think that piracy makes it easier for them.

And these lead us to setbacks. Yes, there is more than one.

Technologically, it somehow slows down the drive of open source developing, as more people use pirated software, the demand for the real free alternatives lessens, too. It somehow makes the minds and imagination of some stagnant, or might lead to the open-source developers to be hired by the commercial world. Anyway, many technologies have developed because of open-source developing. There are even rumors that some commercial establishments take advantage of open-source code.

Socially and morally, it can be one of two things, or maybe both. It can show how desperate most of the world is wanting to reach equity in status, especially among the middle and lower classes, as they also want to be recognized and not be treated as guinea pigs of the richer. Or how each one wants to just get ahead of the other by any means possible, that money is just what everything is, that we think that those who have more money than us are happier in every sense, that trying to be richer in money will make us happier. Or by doing what the richer in money do, we would also be happy. This idea is just so wrong. It is cliché, but thinking that way is still very wrong.

I guess, I myself would feel bad if someone stole my pictures and claimed it was theirs. Yeah, I would. But, it would certainly be OK if proper citation be used. So, I guess, commercial software developers should be thankful that the "pirates" still include their company logos - and some even try to imitate the original box cover in slim jewel cases.
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See? How piracy has brought my thoughts to things that I think I can write a paper for Sociology. It even contains more words than most the papers I have made. I may stand corrected on some info, especially on factual things – please feel free to do so.