I respect copyright. When I need an image to use in a PowerPoint presentation, I use Google's advanced image search to find images with a non-restrictive license. If someone is going to go to the effort to produce something awesome, they have a right to charge for use or not. This makes me appreciate movements in open-source and ad-based products because they let me use great products without paying. As a programmer, I use open-source software all the time. As a consumer, I often watch YouTube and read web comics and I am happy to disable my ad-blocker for these and other sites I visit frequently (as long as the ads are appropriate). It bothers me how people disrespect others' intellectual property. I hope that we, as a global society, can learn to respect the effort that others make to create great things.
Post inspired by: Think piracy is killing the music industry? This chart suggests otherwise.
Ad-blockers are a sticky topic for me. I really, really don't want to use one, for the reasons you just described. But you also mentioned sleazy ads, and I've had a personal, really rough experience with a virus I didn't realize was getting in through a frequently-browsed-site's adds. Ad content providers are getting better and better, but I would still greatly appreciate a push on their part to ensure that the only reason to use an ad-blocker is if you just don't want to look at ads.
ReplyDeleteNow, whether advertising is viable as a more long-term, widespread revenue source is probably a question for another blog post.
I think one of the keys to helping combat illegal piracy is reducing friction. Google Image search is a *very* low-friction way to get what you need without running afoul of the law. If it were easier to pay for entertainment you're interested in, without having to jump through content distributors' hoops, piracy would go way down.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Copyright should be respected. However, I am also a believer in Copyright reform. I feel that the current Copyright terms in our laws favor corporations over individuals, and allow Copyright to be held for far longer than is necessary. The laws were originally put in place to allow creators of intellectual property to benefit for a reasonable limited time before the works entered the public domain in order to provide more benefit to the public. I feel that the laws have become a bit absurd.
ReplyDeleteI would love to learn more about the current politics of the situation. What aspects of copyright law benefit corporations and/or hurt the little guy?
DeleteSomeone once said "Piracy is a service problem". And I think it's true. Great post.
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