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'Why would I want to pay if I can download it for free?'

By Scott McCollum
SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
March 13, 2002

During a conversation about a popular new military video game with an engineer friend of mine in Austin, I found the pulse of a new generation. The engineer was one of the members of Generation X. He was young, educated, worldly, employed, and articulate; blessed with a strong opinion on many subjects. One subject he felt strongly about was paying for any kind of software:

He was dead set against it.

We were both fans of the game and I had mentioned that an expansion pack (a low cost CD that adds new features to an existing game) would be released soon. I mentioned that I was going to buy it as soon as it came out but my engineer friend said he would just download the expansion pack for free off of the Internet ø just like he had done for the full game. ÒDonÕt you want to support the people that made the game by purchasing the expansion pack?Ó I asked.

ÒWhy would I want to pay if I can download it for free?Ó He responded with a sincere incredulity.

WhatÕs more scary than ironic is how prevalent my engineer friendÕs attitude is among his well-paid peers. People that actually have the money to buy software, music CDs and DVDs are not doing it because itÕs easier to get it free on the Internet. The engineer went on to explain that he had Òopen sourcedÓ at least 90% of the games and music that were on the new computer he had just bought. The Òopen sourceÓ euphemism was extremely ironic and fitting. Open source software, like Linux, is touted as Òfree-as-in-libertyÓ software that is non-proprietary. Open source means it is ÒfreeÓ to be copied an infinite number of times and distributed anywhere in the world without fear of copyright infringement. You can try to charge a fee for Òopen sourceÓ software, but the Òfree-as-in-libertyÓ aspect always ends up making open source software Òfree-as-in-beer.Ó IÕve noticed quite a few people in Austin use it to describe copyrighted software, music and movies they have copied onto their computers or on a writable CD. If this trend spreads, the term Òopen sourceÓ will quickly become synonymous with Òdigital theft.Ó DonÕt blame me when it happens ø blame the well-paid irony-proof engineers in Austin, Texas.

The Business Software Alliance, an independent organization that keeps track of people who illegal Òopen sourceÓ copyrighted software, noted that the commercial software industry loses billions of dollars every year around the world to this kind of digital theft. In 2000 alone, the commercial software industry (from the big players like Microsoft and Apple to the hundreds of thousands of independent software coders around the world) had nearly $12 billion taken away from them because of people Òopen sourcingÓ their copyrighted software. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) notes that almost of quarter of all music consumers say theyÕre not buying CDs anymore because they find the same songs on the Internet. The RIAA reports that Òopen sourceÓ music totaled up $4 billion in losses for 2001. Recent data on piracy in the film industry points out that over one million movie files are downloaded via file-sharing apps on the Internet everyday. LetÕs see: A movie ticket costs around $5-$10 and a DVD rental is a couple of bucks a dayÉ You do the math on how much money is lost on Òopen sourcingÓ a copy of a DVD movie.

Most of the people that steal media on the Internet like to say: ÒWell, I wouldnÕt do it if [insert media type here] wasnÕt so expensive. The old men that run [insert media company here] are just being greedy.Ó Note to all digital thieves: YouÕre argument is the most childish and stupid justification for stealing ever uttered by humans! You are telling me that youÕd buy a computer game if it was $19.95 rather than $59.95? YouÕre telling me youÕd buy a music CD if it was $7 rather than $15? YouÕre telling me youÕd buy a movie ticket or DVD if it was a better price than what the greedy old men that run the big media corporations charge? My engineer friend downloaded three computer games, six CDs worth of songs and two full-length movies for free on the Internet. Ever heard of free market economics? Capitalism? Any of this ringing a bell, boys and girls? Do you believe the big corporations are really making enough of a profit on mass-produced CD-Rs to pay for the over $16 billion lost on stolen music, movies and software? You think ÒsharingÓ these media files over the Internet will increase competition and drive down prices? Are you really this stupid? Do you moronic little thieves believe that the greedy old men running the big corporations can beat a price like Òfree?Ó

As childish as this kind of digital theft is, it shows what the next generationÕs attitude towards private property is. The thought process goes like this: Someone legally bought this CD or DVD or whatever from a store. That person decided to ÒshareÓ or Òopen sourceÓ that media over the Internet with a file-sharing program like Napster, Grokster, Morpheus, et al.ItÕs so easy to download this stuff for free and the big corporations have too much money anyway ø whatÕs the harm in one song or movie or whatever? Besides, isnÕt sharing noble? Yeah, with this kind of nobility firmly entrenched in the next generationÕs consciousness, weÕll all find the nobility of living on collective farms and starving to death.

ÒWe're in the process of raising a generation to think that stealing is okayÓ said Peter Chernin, president and chief operating officer of News Corporation. Great quote, Pete, but youÕre a little late to the party. ItÕs pretty obvious to me that the generation that thinks stealing is okay is already here.

Want to have Scott consult with your big media company or political campaign on how to reverse this frightening trend and not look anti-consumer? Send him some email. <>

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