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Putting Canadian Piracy in Perspective
An anonymous reader writes "Over the past year Slashdot has pointed to many industry claims and governmental pressure over Canada piracy issues. Canadian law prof Michael Geist has produced Putting Canadian 'Piracy' in Perspective, a video that demonstrates how the claims are hugely exaggerated. For example, it shows how despite the MPAA's claim of movie piracy, Canada was the industry's fastest growing market last year. Similarly, while the recording industry says Canada is the world's top P2P country, the data shows that the Canadian music industry is experiencing record gains and that most of the decline from the major labels is due to retail pricing pressures."
the media companies are lying to us.
That's a huge surprise.
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
. . . Living the American dream.
If a million people jumped off a cliff, it'd only be a short time until I landed in a nice soft mountain of bodies.
Years ago, I found my sister buying Audio CD-Rs. I asked her why she bought those to burn her music, after all a normal CD wouldn't make a difference and the Audio CD-Rs were more expensive due to the levy of the music industry. Turned out she didn't know that data CDs could be used to copy music. I explained her that the only reason Audio CD-Rs exist is for non-computer burners and that she pays a "tax" by buying those.
The reaction was: Hey, that's cool... because of this tax my pirating is legal
Now aside form how true that statement is, my sister is an actual music lover and now that she is employed, she is in the process of buying every single CD she copied (and liked, of course) in her student years. Did I mention that she's an audio engineer now?
Ahhh...the great dumpster continuum. Many a free computer will be found there. -- sowth (748135)
Finally, we have proof. Ok, not really proof, but here's some data to back up what we've been saying all along. Piracy is not the opposite of a healthy media marketplace. It actually helps to improve the market place. Piracy gives people better access to media that they would otherwise not get to see. They see it, and sometimes buy a legitimate copy. Many times they don't buy a legit copy, but if they never knew about it in the first place, then you can guarantee that they aren't going to buy it.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Competition from online sales is not a piracy issue you cretin.
three doors down from Sam's either.
Sorry if they have an outdated business model, but that doesn't mean people aren't buying the music and movies. Most people I know get their music from either iTunes or from Amazon or other online stores. It's much easier and often cheaper to get the stuff online. STRM closed because they have no more image with the young people of today. Their stores are few and far between, and they don't advertise to the people or even attempt to have their name known. HMV on the other hand has stores on every street corner, and has partnered with Amazon to give themselves a name in the online business. STRM failed to adapt and that is why they are closed, not because people aren't buying music.
Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
Sam the Record Man was bought out years ago before this downloading hysteria. If I remember correctly, it almost went out of business then, but changed hands instead. The form it existed in for the past several years was a watered down version with much less selection. The initial downfall was not because of downloading, legal or otherwise.
Free the Quark 3 from asymptotic confinement! Bring your charm! Don't get down! All colours and flavours welcome!
Unfortunately I was unable to view the video at work, however it's worth noting for those that may not realize it that even a Canadian 'market' with no growth at all is probably almost 10% larger this year than last, when valued in U.S. dollars, by virtue of the change in exchange rates.
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Science -- Sealed, Delivered.
/* No Comment */
It's all RIAA/MPAA-manufactured crap to convince shill politicians to pass pro-MPAA/RIAA laws. Here's a story published in Australia yesterday accusing it of the same thing:
l ike-us/2007/07/11/1183833529685.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/digital-music/pirates-
China has the right idea. Keep a steamroller mothballed, ready to pull out for the bi-annual "Drive over some CDs" Show.
Selling media content on little plastic discs is obsolete and as such is a shrinking industry. When the pond gets smaller the fish must ether get smaller or some fish must die. That is just life.
Look what happened when computers with word processing software made typewriters obsolete. Should we have had our governments spend millions to prop up the Smith Coronas and Olivettis and Underwoods and enact legislation to restrict the use and functionality of word processing software, or put a tax on computer software to fund concessions for ailing typewriter companies? Of course not, that's a stupid idea and very backward thinking.
That is why Sam died--the "selling plastic discs with music on them" pond is slowly shrinking and Sam was a big old fish set in his ways. Other fish in the pond like HMV ate too much of Sam's food and Sam starved to death. That's just life. Some of those little fish will live on, eking out a modest existence in a little puddle and other fish will evolve into amphibians and hop into another bigger pond with fresher water.
The thing is, things in Canada ARE very rosy indeed relative to our southern neighbours. Our economy is more robust at the moment and demand for media content is obviously strong enough to support some kind of healthy music industry--it's just going to look different. Yes, Sam was an icon of sorts and it's never nice to see an old friend die...but it happened to other old names like Eaton's and the sky didn't fall.
The record and movie industry in my view in their attempt to control "all culture" at the same time have basically been shooting themselves in the foot. Im a perfect example, I dont have time to listen to the radio anymore so I download podcasts then listen to them when I get the time. Thhe media companies have restricted music to such a degree on podcasts that I now dont have a clue what the latest music trends are. If your name or brand or your product isnt being hear or seen by the consumers your dead in the water. Im not surprised in any way that P2P downloads increase music sales because often people dont want to take a chance on a unknown band and fork out the inflated price for CD without some pre existing listening time.
I thought Canadians were already paying media tax on blank media (cdr, hard drives, etc) to make up for piracy. In that case, you should be able to pirate in Canada. Otherwise, CRIAA is just making money off you for no reason.
The reason stores like Sam go out of business is because people aren't interested in paying insane prices for albums of mostly songs they will never listen to repeatedly. The old CD and Album model is out of date, and some stores that absolutely refuse to adapt are going to suffer as a result. The fact that in the face of competition Sam the Record Man couldn't compete has nothing to do with Piracy.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_c
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_c
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/01/19/hollywoods_c
Also the current crop of Canadian musical talent/popularity (not necessarily the same thing) is higher than it has been at any time since Rush, Loverboy, and Gordon Lightfoot stopped making records (at least south of the border, I don't know what is going on North of it, other than everyone likes The Tragically Hip and Sloan).
Some bands that have taken off in the past few years include, but are not limited by (mostly of the "indie" variety, and in SF will sell out at least a 1000 seat venue)....
On top of that there are another slew of bands quite popular up there, (they can actually make a living playing music) that rarely make it down here.
Competition from online sales is not a piracy issue you cretin.
- London/dp/B00004YTY2
Absolutely true. The prices for music has continued to skyrocket in spite of competition for the entertainment dollar.
I graduated HS in 1975. I bought a few records, but very few because they were expensive. There are many things
to spend entertainment dollars on now besides a few records (CD's now) that didn't exist then. I do spend my money on these items instead of CD's.
1 Internet access
2 DVD's Sometimes 4 for $20!
3 Games, Game PC's & Upgrades E6700 Core 2 Duo Woo Hoo
4 High priced gas from 50 cents to 3 dollars
5 Day admission to State and Fedral Parks Now $5/day was free
6 MP3 player No longer stuck with radio station commercials all day
7 Camcorder
8 Digital Camera
9 Photo printer
10 GPS and associated Maps
11 Nice car
Somehow the music industry thinks their slice of my entertainment dollar won't shrink if they raise prices to cover lower sales volume? They added DRM & copy protection to make the product more valuable to me so I'll run
right out and buy a copy?? Yea Right!! DRM and copy protection reduces the value of their product. If I can't
load it on my media server to put on my MP3 player or stream in the house, I can't use their version of the CD. I look elsewhere. DRM increases piracy as the legit product doesn't work.
The only movie I have ever downloaded on P-P is Open Season. That was until I found I could call them and get a replacement DVD for my defective by design one. The extra copy protection is why I went elsewhere to load it on
the media server for the kids.
I was in Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. Just for grins I looked for Phantom of the Opera. I have heard many dirivative works including MIDI files and Karaoke files and decided to check it out. The CD for just the music in the US is over $30.. What are they smoking?
http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Opera-Original-1986
List price 37.98
In a nutshell, I bought Fiddler on the Roof DVD and Sound of Music DVD and Sister Act DVD instead with about the same money.
The truth shall set you free!
Canada is number 1 for piracy? Funny thing is, a couple of days ago the Australian media ran a story that ranks Britian 1st, Australia 2nd and the US is 3rd in online piracy. And I personally think that none of those countries could hold a candle to some of the eastern countries - china/thailand/etc. Maybe that's a new strategy!
Step 1 : Get the local media of each country to tell the people that they are the worst pirates in the world
Step 2 : ??
Step 3 : Profit!
>Similarly, while the recording industry says Canada is the world's top P2P country
Since I paid those starving musician wages when I purchased blank cd's to backup my photos and my server data I sure as hell will be downloading LEGALY all the music I find worth downloading.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Yup I think that's very true. I know I get tired of mainstream music after hearing the song on the radio 10 times I'm sick of it - no need to buy it or bother to download. Good indy music I'm willing to pay for and support the little guy.
Website Just Down For Me? Find out
Is he talking about:
A) "the truth" as told by the movie getting in the way of the **AA's accusations?
B) "the truth" as told by the **AA getting in the way of the movie's accusations?
Since when did vague, contextless comments count as +1 Interesting?
And by contextless I mean, 'what truth' and 'what facts support it'.
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
We all know from past news stories that, according to RIAA/MPAA, having 4 32-speed CD burners actually equates to having 128 CD burners, so...
1. Population of the USA: 295,734,134 (July 2005 est. (CIA World Factbook)).
2. Population of Canada: 32,805,041 (July 2005 est. (CIA World Factbook)).
3. Ratio of Canadians to Americans: 1:9.015.
Therefore, according to standard RIAA/MPAA accounting practices, every act of Canadian piracy equates to over 9 acts of American piracy.
Now you know why they're so damned worried about Canadian file sharing...
"Accept that some days you are the pigeon, and some days you are the statue." - David Brent, Wernham Hogg
Unless I get popcorn at my next meeting, that wasn't a "movie".
I have the same CD/DVD usage problems, too, with one difference: I'm 70% deaf. I can't use their product in a normal stereo or DVD player at a level *I* can hear without drawing noise complaints from neighbors. However, they've decided for me that I can't watch/hear it on my PC with headphones. Why? Because they're worried Billy Jo Ray Jim Bob Roy is P2Ping his entire collection of bad porn, Rob Schneider movies, and 1970's country-western to the world...
In short: Wal-mart doesn't pat me down every time I leave their store, nor WILL they. RIAA's shooting themselves in the foot by mistakenly assuming I'm a criminal.Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!
Enough.
Why does the slashdot community continually support this criminal BS of pirating music and slamming more than the RIAA's tatics, but even their right to protect their intellectual property? When did theft become cool? Oh ya, I remember. From the first time I heard about it, I thought Napster's rampant copying and theft was not cool and revolutionary, but more like the punk ghetto kid who suddenly became popular with everyone - by selling drugs. It's ridiculous.
If you do not think that THEY have a right to keep you from copying and YOU have no right to copy, at least in the U.S. then perhaps you have forgotten that our most fundamental law states that Congress has the authority "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." YOUR interpretation of this is not relevant so I don't want to hear it. Only the Supreme Court's is, and if you have a problem with that, good luck with your constitutional amendment or revolution.
On the other hand, if you are going to advocate socialism, please be consistent. There are a lot of software developers here. How do you expect to make money if everyone copies your work? Are you going to make money on product support? Tell me, how much money have you spent on product support in the last few years?
If you have a problem with the RIAA's tactics, fine. I do not have a problem with the articles and the outrage. But what point is this article trying to make? It's easily refuted with one simple counterexample which is self evident: China.
The slashdot groupthink on this subject is off the charts. A lot of folks here could benefit from a realistic and balanced discussion that properly respects the right of others to protect their property and the right of government to implement public policy according to properly established authority as provided by the people.
Well the Supreme Court of Canada seems to think that peer to peer file sharing networks do not infringe copyright. Even having your shared folder accessible is not infringement. One good summery is found here http://www.bereskinparr.com/English/publications/u pdate/update-mar-31-2003.html.
Also in Canada there is a levy on blank recording media such as CDRs where money is collected and divided up amongst the artists so every time I back up to CDR or copy my digital pictures they get a cut.
Seems to be pretty good for the copyright holders as they seem to be making more money than ever. And very good for our culture as more things are shared.
Culture should be spread.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_totalitarianism
Sure have. Kept walking, as I know I have my receipt....but I'm the kind of guy whom, when asked by a security guard for his ID, responds "May I see your identification as a peace officer of (or for) the state of Texas or any local or federal agency?"
Jus' 'cause the Sheeple buy that sort of treatment doesn't mean the rest of us should.
Don't tell me to get a life. I'm a gamer; I have LOTS of lives!