Piracy Is Wrong, Period

The following was actually meant for a previous post (the one on being regarded as a computer genius) – however, I rambled so much in my initial write-up that I simply couldn't leave this all in the same post. It had become far too big, and a post all its own. As you may know, that other post was already long enough! This one is about media sharing and piracy. Touchy topic, I know. There's also some smaller bits about CD visors and generosity.

To get things rolling, I would like to point out that music, movies, and, in general, things you think shouldn't be free, are never actually free. Sure, you can get them for free online - illegally. If your local computer genius promises you a free copy of Photoshop, for instance, be very skeptical and ensure that they are not doing something that is against the law. I don't care what edition it is; enterprise, professional, teacher, student, or hobo - if it's free, there is a 90% chance of something illegal going on in obtaining it. I'm a computer genius - I should know, right?

The worst part that only adds insult to injury is that most of the sites claiming to offer such “free” goods are the worst sites to visit, if purely from a safety standpoint. They are often bloated with malware, and links to gambling and porn sites galore. It’s simply a nightmare, and it’s not made any better by the fact that the people who, often unknowingly, access these sites have no virus protection on their computer. They end up getting something for nothing, certainly - a free computer meltdown.

Just because the RIAA, or the standards bureau for whatever industry is involved, can't prosecute 99% of the cases of media piracy (or unauthorized reproduction and distribution, whatever you want to call it) that occur online is no reason to condone it. I certainly don't, and you shouldn't, either. Don't claim that the distribution system is flawed - come up with one that isn't. Don't claim ignorance - I've now rid you of that excuse. Just pay up.

Getting something for nothing is a ridiculous idea that is taught by a society addicted to gambling, massive debt (or rather, living beyond one's means) and other such vices. Don't be taken in by the lie. Anything worth having is worth earning or buying. Getting it for free may feel great now, but it destroys your character. Free things are temporary and will only decay and wear out with use. Character is powerful and eternal. It's easy to see which matters most.

Burning CD's and DVD's is illegal too. That's not necessarily piracy - piracy in the strictest sense is copying and then selling something you don't have explicit permission to copy (much less sell). However, unauthorized copying and distributing is just as illegal as piracy. That, and the fact that "piracy" is a lot less of a mouthful than "unauthorized reproduction and distribution" leads to the popular belief that the two are the same thing. It doesn't really matter though - one is just as illegal as the other.

Now, with CD's I admit there is certainly a valid reason why so much of it goes on, perhaps more so than in the other markets. Notice, I didn't say there is a valid reason why it is legitimate. It isn't legitimate in any sense. However, many people seem to think it's okay because it helps generate interest and that any "woe" over lost sales is ludicrous compared to the buzz factor gained. I won't get into that debate; but again, I must draw the line clear and simple, black and white: it's illegal. Does that word even mean anything these days? If it means something to you, or if you have any desire to consider yourself a decent citizen, don't do it.

Technically, copying (a.k.a. 'ripping') any copyrighted CD to your computer (yes, even one you paid for and own) is an unauthorized copy; so is burning a new CD so you can have one to play in your car. I feel this is going a bit far, myself. If I paid money and legitimately own my own copy of the media, have no intention to make it available to anyone else, and have the means and the know-how to prevent that from ever happening*, I don't see what the big deal is. It's the same music, I own it, and it's up to me how I decide to use it, as long as I'm the only one doing so.

*All you really need to do to prevent this media being taken without your consent is to always lock your car - if you leave CD's in your car they are likely to be fried anyway. I recently bought a CD visor for my car, and it has a warning label that says not to use it in any "closed cars" - I'm not joking! Am I mistaken, or would that be referring to all non-convertibles? And, if a convertible is not closed - that is, if the top is down - where would one put the visor?

However, though I do think that prohibiting personal CD burning is going a bit far, it's still the law. I would hardly be justified in this anti-piracy rant if I myself was guilty of it. In the past, I certainly was, no denying that – but it’s something I have been working hard to set right. My current copy of Photoshop is legitimate, for instance – something I couldn’t have claimed even two years ago. Do I think Photoshop is worth $700 dollars? Absolutely not! I settled for Photoshop CS2 on eBay and saved five hundred bucks. Oddly enough, I like my legitimate version better – and not just because my pirated copy was the much-older Photoshop 7 (though mostly for that reason).

The same can be said about the Producer’s Edition of FL Studio (Fruity Loops, a music producer’s flagship to you non-nerds). Unlike Photoshop, I believe it was worth every penny, and that’s why I paid for it. I have no interest in obtaining such a great piece of software, which no doubt cost many other software developers like myself untold hours of labor and effort, for free. That labor and effort is worth something to me – namely, precisely the amount I paid for it.

That’s the very idea of a market. You render services and obtain goods, or you render goods and obtain goods, or some other such interaction, where the value of the items exchanged is estimated to be the same by both parties. You never render nothing and get something; the very idea is absurd. How many things on which you would place a high personal value have you given away for free in the last year? Case in point.

Giving for the sake of giving is the ONLY way anyone ever gets anything for free, and by virtue of the idea, YOU are never on the receiving end. People give to the less fortunate because they're just that - needy. Maybe they ask for help, maybe they don't. If you have a roof over your head, running water, air conditioning, and even mediocre health, you are more blessed than probably 90% of the world's population.

It’s the problem of give versus get. Getting something for free is irrational, while giving something for free is quite rational, and the mark of any stable society - a virtue which is quite rare these days known as generosity. The modern idea of generosity seems limited to a certain time of year, and is far less affordable that way.

Piracy is not wrong just because making an unauthorized copy of a CD or DVD financially or even mentally hurts someone else, even indirectly. I ran across an article recently that seems to indicate the very opposite - that piracy actually helps music sales, of all things. No, piracy is wrong because the law says it’s wrong. Piracy is wrong because the United States has a moral code that everyone is subject to uphold - namely, the Constitution.

Constitutional law used to be absolute, meaning there was no reasoning around it or changing it on a whim, or because “times have changed.” These days the term 'obsolete' has replaced 'absolute.' But back when the U.S. was founded, the law was the law, like it or not. If you don’t live by it, don’t be surprised when no one else does, either. Know what that’s called? Anarchy. Set an example and start developing some character. Rid your life of the plague of piracy and the lie that you can get something for nothing. Start giving something for nothing and see where that gets you – see where that gets our society.