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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.
Or they could get respectable jobs like: middle management, where they try to pass off their employees' work as their own. Or law, where they encourage weak people to sue blameless corporations for high fees. Or on a school board, where they try to decide which of the topics they know nothing about their kids should learn about next. Or as policemen, where they have power over anyone who annoys them. Or as soldiers, killing innocent people for the good of the country.
The world is unfair, and people are unfair. Pirates pirate because they're just like everyone else. They just do it more openly. Try not to feel so morally superior, it makes people dislike you.
ResidntGeek