Does Price Drive Some to Piracy?
I’ve always thought that the main reason people try so hard to seek music or movies for FREE (”steal”) is because the once sacred art is nearly lost. There are many one hit wonders and horrible blockbusters that get PUSHED on the shelves and airwaves. The dread of higher and higher prices has people into duck and undercover mode. Many times I’ve heard the familiar, “Oh, I would check out that [album/movie] if it were free”. The emotional investment just isn’t there for most people.
I’m one of the few that still buys in I guess. Sucker or Supporter? You don’t have to break the bank to have something you enjoy. USED CD’s… “Previously Viewed” DVD’s.
For the more current stuff I’ve always tended to go to the rep cinemas like the CARLTON or the 2nd run theatres like the BLOOR. The atmosphere and the movies they show can’t be beat. The CINESPHERE at Ontario Place was always great as a kid. Haven’t spent an afternoon at the NFB on John Street yet but I’m saving a wintery day for that. For music ROTATE THIS and SOUNDSCAPES have always been in tune with the scene either Toronto’s or those yet to be heard. They are always the first places I hear about shows AND get tickets.
REUTERS had an interesting article with Steve Jobs in which he gave a wise warning - “If they want to raise the prices, it means that they are getting greedy”. YUP! The music industry, just through the Canadian, US, European, Japanese iTunes alone, have already decided on a “fair price”. The market has accepted that and purchased OVER 500 million songs on iTunes alone!!! Legitimately! The money hungry execs are the cash drain on the industry not illegal downloads. If they push to raise download prices they will illicit the ILLICIT once again…
Related posts:
what’s the difference between borrowing a CD form a friend and D/L’ing a CD form a friend half way across the world?
for these reasons alone i have completely and entirely stopped watching television and for the most part stopped listening to most mainstream music. whatever music that remains on my ipod is from mp3’s that i had lying around on my pc from my college/napster/irc years. nowadays it’s just news and podcasts for me. as far as movie going goes, famous players is out of the question. they play the shittiest films and the worst “big sound, big experience”. i’m much happier going to rainbow or carlton.
and J., my cousin wrote an article for a technology magazine in pakistan on DRM (digital rights management) and what the reasons for it are and what the consequences are. you should check it out.
when i was at u of t’s downtown campus, my then boyfriend and i got membership to the bloor cinema. at the time, belonging to something like five other groups of cinema’s - one year membership gave you discount on any of them. i remember ‘revue’ was another one but i can’t remember what they were called as a collective - festival cinema’s?
anyway, the price was great.
i don’t download stuff for free. I prefer to pay for it at a trusted site if I’m not interested in the full album.