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P2P File Sharing Ruining Physical Piracy Business

TorrentFreak has a short post up talking with a former physical data pirate, who sold his wares in flea markets and made buckets of money in the 90s. By the end of the last decade, his money flow had dried up, and he places the blame squarely on the shoulders of P2P file sharing. "Tony is very clear about why his rags to riches story has gone back to rags again. 'File-sharing, P2P - call it what you like. When you asked a customer why he wasn't buying anything, 9 times out of 10 it was BitTorrent this, LimeWire that ...' P2P is a very powerful machine and although Tony could see that his operation was feeling its effects, he admits that he sat back and did nothing about it and consequently, his business has paid the ultimate price. Other industries affected by P2P should take note: Don't be a Tony. Overhaul your business model. Quickly." One would imagine overseas media sellers will have similar issues, as P2P networks become more common outside of the Western world.

11 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. when by mastershake_phd · · Score: 5, Funny

    When will people learn that piracy takes money from the pockets of hard working people like Tony?

    1. Re:when by elronxenu · · Score: 5, Funny
      Next up ... legitimate pirates (like Tony) join forces with the MPAA and RIAA to battle the scourge of P2P.

  2. I would have RTFA... by lhpineapple · · Score: 4, Funny

    but I downloaded the audio book instead.

  3. Don't Be A Tony? by gbulmash · · Score: 3, Funny

    Don't be a Tony. Overhaul your business model. Quickly.

    Yes, you pirates. You need to find another way to make money by leeching off the honest work of others. Art forgery perhaps? Maybe consider a payday loan business... legally charge loan shark interest rates by calling them "service fees".

    - Greg

    1. Re:Don't Be A Tony? by Blue+Stone · · Score: 4, Funny

      >"Yes, you pirates. You need to find another way to make money by leeching off the honest work of others."

      Set up a record company??

      --
      Corporation, n. An ingenious device for obtaining individual profit without individual responsibility. - Ambrose Bierce
  4. Re:I think there is another morale to this story by Timesprout · · Score: 5, Funny

    Exactly. I advocated Linux during the early years and my Karma soared. Now I am in a position to say that Vista is good with out caring what the mods think.

    --
    Do not try to read the dupe, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth
    What truth?
    There is no dupe
  5. Clever Sao Paulo pirates! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    They're operating out of BUILDINGS while, for all these years, HRS Copyright has been searching the high seas.

  6. Law suit by stud9920 · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, when is the PIAA (Pirate Industry Association of America) going to sue p2p networks ?

  7. Re:Nonsense. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Yeah, they are raided every now and then in Sao Paulo too (I live here as well), but they come back... 5 minutes later (I am not joking, I actually witnessed once).

  8. Way to kick a guy when he's down by giafly · · Score: 4, Funny

    Even pirates have some standards.

    --
    Reduce, reuse, cycle
  9. Pirates VS. P2P by DrYak · · Score: 2, Funny

    Pirates useful against file sharing ?

    I feel a great disturbance in the MAFIAA.
    As if thousand of lawyer's head exploded and then suddenly disappeared in a puff of logic.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]