The Ethics of Piracy as an act of Anti-Corporate Ethical Media Consumption - A Short Essay

[Accursed-Seer]

In a world where large corporations hold significant power and influence, it is not uncommon for them to engage in practices that are exploitative and unethical. From the use of DRM that causes device parts to degrade, leading to costly repairs for consumers, to the exploitation of workers through low wages and poor working conditions, the negative consequences of corporate behavior are undeniable. In light of these practices, the question of whether piracy can be considered as an ethical manner in which media can be consumed arises, with the exclusion of Indie developers, who are widely recognized as true artists in the industry.

The ethics of piracy have been a topic of much debate, with valid arguments being made on one side. However, when considering the actions of large corporations and the harm they inflict on consumers and workers, piracy can be seen as the only ethical way in which media such as games, television, movies and even the news, may be consumed.

One of the major factors contributing to the argument for piracy as an act of resistance against corporations is the issue of DRM. Digital rights management (DRM) is a technology used by corporations to control the use of digital media. While its purpose is to protect the interests of the copyright holder, it often results in negative consequences for consumers. For instance, the use of DRM such as Denuvo has been shown to cause degradation of device components, ultimately resulting in the cost of entire laptops for consumers. This not only imposes a financial burden but also contributes to the generation of electronic waste, which further exacerbates the harm caused by corporations.

In addition to the harmful effects of DRM, corporations have a long history of exploiting workers through low wages and poor working conditions. This is particularly prevalent in industries such as technology and entertainment, where workers are often subjected to long hours, low pay, and inadequate benefits. Piracy can therefore be viewed as a form of protest against these exploitative practices and a stance against corporations that engage in such behavior.

Traditional methods of activism and consumer advocacy may not always be accessible or effective for everyone. For many individuals, their voices may go unheard and their concerns may not be addressed. In these cases, piracy can serve as a means for individuals to express their discontent and push for change in a tangible way. By participating in piracy, individuals can send a message to corporations that there is widespread discontent and a desire for change, leading to greater public awareness and pressure on corporations to modify their practices.

In conclusion, when considering the negative impact that large corporations have on both consumers and workers through practices such as DRM and exploitation, it becomes clear that piracy can be seen as a form of ethical media consumption. By serving as a means of resistance against these practices, piracy can bring attention to important issues and spark a larger conversation about the need for change. Additionally, traditional methods of activism may not be accessible or effective for everyone, and in these cases, piracy can serve as a way for individuals to express their discontent and push for change. ALSO FUCK BIG CORPORATIONS THOSE MF OVERCHARGE AND ARE SHIT FOR THIS WORLD.

lol

 

[Sweet n' Comfy]

piracy as an act of resistance against corporations

The heck are you resisting? They literally need your bucks to survive, they need you and not you them. If half of their consumer base went away there is no stock market inflation that could save them at all. As such piracy can be understood as free publicity for a digital product many times because thanks to free diffusion a name for themselves is created for free and without any effort at all thanks to people who do it for free most of the time. If you ask anybody who has tried to get into the industry you will see that the hardest thing is getting your media spread around, being recognized; piracy makes this easier because it shares its name around (for free) and gives a chance to people to try your product without having to pay for it and in turn they can share it with other people and that way an organic following is created. We literally are doing them a favor by wasting our time on their stupid products. Companies have no effect on anyone, only on people who are subservient to them.

 

[dorgon]

WOWIEE!!!!! FREE!!!!!!!

 

[Accursed-Seer]

The heck are you resisting? They literally need your bucks to survive, they need you and not you them. If half of their consumer base went away there is no stock market inflation that could save them at all. As such piracy can be understood as free publicity for a digital product many times because thanks to free diffusion a name for themselves is created for free and without any effort at all thanks to people who do it for free most of the time. If you ask anybody who has tried to get into the industry you will see that the hardest thing is getting your media spread around, being recognized; piracy makes this easier because it shares its name around (for free) and gives a chance to people to try your product without having to pay for it and in turn they can share it with other people and that way an organic following is created. We literally are doing them a favor by wasting our time on their stupid products. Companies have no effect on anyone, only on people who are subservient to them.

true but I needed a somewhat bullshit answer for anyone that doesn't understand that, tho the points about denuvo and shit are technically true, and if enough people stopped buying only four things can really happen:
1. More DRM - which can be removed by people like Empress
2. They figure "huh, these fuckwits aren't paying for our game...maybeeeee it's because we are fucking their systems" because there are MANY MANY ongoing efforts to get shit like denuvo banned
3. they make all games "free" and get more involved in the data harvesting market
4. they raise employee wages = better games = more people buying to support instead of pirating their half baked crap

 

[Vetusomaru]

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[Accursed-Seer]

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no I just write words that I know will annoy people but have some sembelance of more moderate logic to them, personally I think all creations are fair game ESPECIALLY CORPORATE STUFF, but those that I really really like might deserve money

but this is meant to be an attempt at making something to convince others to start down the road to PIRACY IS DA WAY

 

[llillilll]

My biggest act of piracy is from downloading music from youtube but i listen to msusic less and less soo i will probably stop doing that. i have some cartoons i am waiting for which i will pirate beceuse netflix and depending on how expensive Silksong is i might buy it or pirate, after all the things i am waiting for comes out i will stop pirating. I wish we had a way to buy shows we actually want instead of the abomination thats netflix.
Not consuming bad media+buying good media > pirating bad media+ buying good media > pirating everything > buying everything.

 

[Pangolin]

Piracy is unethical, but it's also mandatory in the right contexts. You need a way to try the game out and piracy fills that niche and removes software like denuvo.

Piracy is also free advertising in that people talk about the game for free. Even when you account for the loss in free copies, you gain about neutral in profits. Also, once pirated it makes them more likely to pay in the future for other games.

Lastly, many gamers are children of all ages. But the younger ones have no money, but this is where they are best to get addicted to playing games. Free games for children.

 

[I-330]

I believe that piracy is an essential tool in the spreading of information and knowledge throughout the world. There are many people who either cannot obtain books/media through legal means or simply cannot afford it (looking at you $200 textbooks). Digital libraries such as libgen and zlibrary provide pirated books/articles to anyone with access to a computer, and sites like rutracker and thepiratebay help to distribute media of all sorts to those who may not be able to otherwise access it. While I think that receiving a service without paying is immoral, a person who otherwise would never have been able to purchase said material is not stealing when they download a copy of a book or video.

There is in my mind a difference between stealing a book from barnes&nobles and downloading a copy from the internet, especially when you could have never paid for the book in the first place.

That being said, if you're one of those losers who pirates indie games while being able to afford it, you should feel bad.

 

[ignika98]

Piracy is not the same as theft, as there are no physical losses involved. Therefore, if I find a way to access their products for free I will do so.

It's their job to convince me that I should spend money on their products and services, instead of getting them for free. I owe nothing to corporations.

 

[Jared]

piracy is not moral but i will continue doing it , because i am just evil like that .I do not care for the wellbeing of copyright and IP holdings, and therefore Despite me finding it morally reprehensible i will continue to pirate content . This is because i find immoral actions as interesting and intriguing , we will refer to this interest as "evilmaxxing" in which i do amoral acts in order to satisfy my own internal desires. In fact i am being "straight up" and "fr" , infact if you were to bet this concept on something i would offer "on my momma" as to reaffirm my confidence in the idea.

 

[Cobalt]

Who gives a shit? I pirate stuff because I'm a poor college student, simple as. Capitalism is the reason I'm paying out the wazoo to be here, so I'll steal as I please from big capitalist mega corps.

 

[ignika98]

Who gives a shit? I pirate stuff because I'm a poor college student, simple as. Capitalism is the reason I'm paying out the wazoo to be here, so I'll steal as I please from big capitalist mega corps.

Commie dogwhistling aside, people like you are a good example of why the idea that companies lose sales through piracy is bogus. If someone pirates your product, they were never a potential customer to begin with. Either because they don't have the money, or they think your product isn't worth paying for.
Piracy encourages companies to actually try and cater to consumers rather than forcing people into giving them money for a lackluster product.

And in the current age where everything's made by the same 5 companies and consumers have less and less choice in what they buy, having the ability to avoid being strongarmed into paying for something you don't think is worth the money is very important.

 

[Fig]

In a world where large corporations hold significant power and influence, it is not uncommon for them to engage in practices that are exploitative and unethical. From the use of DRM that causes device parts to degrade, leading to costly repairs for consumers, to the exploitation of workers through low wages and poor working conditions, the negative consequences of corporate behavior are undeniable. In light of these practices, the question of whether piracy can be considered as an ethical manner in which media can be consumed arises, with the exclusion of Indie developers, who are widely recognized as true artists in the industry.

The ethics of piracy have been a topic of much debate, with valid arguments being made on one side. However, when considering the actions of large corporations and the harm they inflict on consumers and workers, piracy can be seen as the only ethical way in which media such as games, television, movies and even the news, may be consumed.

One of the major factors contributing to the argument for piracy as an act of resistance against corporations is the issue of DRM. Digital rights management (DRM) is a technology used by corporations to control the use of digital media. While its purpose is to protect the interests of the copyright holder, it often results in negative consequences for consumers. For instance, the use of DRM such as Denuvo has been shown to cause degradation of device components, ultimately resulting in the cost of entire laptops for consumers. This not only imposes a financial burden but also contributes to the generation of electronic waste, which further exacerbates the harm caused by corporations.

In addition to the harmful effects of DRM, corporations have a long history of exploiting workers through low wages and poor working conditions. This is particularly prevalent in industries such as technology and entertainment, where workers are often subjected to long hours, low pay, and inadequate benefits. Piracy can therefore be viewed as a form of protest against these exploitative practices and a stance against corporations that engage in such behavior.

Traditional methods of activism and consumer advocacy may not always be accessible or effective for everyone. For many individuals, their voices may go unheard and their concerns may not be addressed. In these cases, piracy can serve as a means for individuals to express their discontent and push for change in a tangible way. By participating in piracy, individuals can send a message to corporations that there is widespread discontent and a desire for change, leading to greater public awareness and pressure on corporations to modify their practices.

In conclusion, when considering the negative impact that large corporations have on both consumers and workers through practices such as DRM and exploitation, it becomes clear that piracy can be seen as a form of ethical media consumption. By serving as a means of resistance against these practices, piracy can bring attention to important issues and spark a larger conversation about the need for change. Additionally, traditional methods of activism may not be accessible or effective for everyone, and in these cases, piracy can serve as a way for individuals to express their discontent and push for change. ALSO FUCK BIG CORPORATIONS THOSE MF OVERCHARGE AND ARE SHIT FOR THIS WORLD.

lol

Yeah just don't pirate indie games. Other than that

 

[Sweet n' Comfy]

Please pirate everything you come across and upload it somewhere it lasts for a long time. Literally the only way to keep rare media alive, otherwise it dies. There is a lot of stuff that needs to be archived and given easy access to that is not mainstream music or triple a games. Piracy is the only way to keep the stuff alive.

 

[Pangolin]

There should be a provision in the law in that if something isn't available for sale anymore, that it immediately defaults into becoming public domain because it has become abandonware. Quite literally, they no longer want to even attempt making money from it.

Positives: Forces more stuff to be available for longer or else they risk losing that item and corps get extra sales.
Negatives: Maintenance for something nobody cares about anymore to avoid losing the IP of that item. Ideally, if the core of the IP were really that valuable it would've moved on to new versions thus protecting the item. Meaning there is a new version of the software available.

It should also come into effect 10 years after it was last available for sale. Emulators on modern consoles count as keeping the product available and playable.

 

[Z0diacK]

I fucking love pirating. I think pirating is the one and only thing that still keeps me happy. Sometimes I go on the web, I go on the websites, I scroll through the websites to see a torrent. I love torrenting. I love pirating. I LOVE DOWNLOADING! All jokes aside, I grew up pirating my entire life, burning my ISO's on a dvd was so much fun. It gives me a certain feeling of accomplishment, and happiness. I haven't bought anything digital for probably 12 years.

 

[punishedgnome]

Copyright law has been artificially extended over the decades due to corporate lobbying and should probably resemble US patent law. Creating artificial scarcity for 30 year old movies, games, books and TV shows in an age when we can replicate and share those things with people around the world in seconds is an absolute fucking cancer on society. You create something, you register it, you get 20 years to make money off it. If it applies to more important things like medicine and equipment, it should apply to art as well. Society supports you while you create your art. At some point it should return to society.

The argument is not that you don't own the art or didn't create it. The argument is there is a length of time beyond which expecting society to enforce your exclusive right to distribute a work is unreasonable.

I also think it's fair to point out any work that is readily available on piracy sites 20 years after it is created has most likely made the rights holder or creator substantially wealthy. Starving artists don't generally have their 20-year-old work being actively seeded on torrent sites. I am a published writer who is not particular active any more. Trust me, when you are a small scale creator, the stuff you created is not generally making you money anymore five years after it's been out there, let alone 20 years after. You might get your payout for a first print run and then maybe a second if you're lucky, but everyone has that shit forgotten by 2-3 years unless it really takes off and makes you a ton of money before that 20 year mark anyway. Copyright laws as they currently stand are literally only in place to protect millionares from plebs downloading episodes of old TV shows. They are there to let Micky Mouse fuck you up the ass.

Make something new that I think is good and I'll usually buy it.

 

[stonehead]

For me, it comes down to convenience. I'm an adult with a career, so I don't really care about spending a few dollars on a song or a game. If paying for your product is more convenient than trying to pirate it, I'll pay for it. That's why I payed for 2015-era Netflix, and why I continue to buy games on Steam, and buy music on bandcamp. I'm not going to subscribe to one of a dozen streaming service to watch one show my coworker recommended and then probably forget to cancel the subscription though. It's just more convenient to find a torrent.

That's especially true for older media, which is most of what I like. I feel no remorse for downloading roms of 20-30 year old games, especially when that's the only way to play them, or they were never released in English. I hate trying to manage a dozen different subscriptions, and I especially hate how often shows are removed or transferred between them. I don't watch much TV, but I'll usually pirate what I do watch because of how much the modern streaming industry sucks.

Other people have pointed out how the comparisson between piracy and theft isn't accurate, because nothing is lost when you copy a file. That's why I don't feel bad about pirating. I don't think copyright should last 80 years after you've died, so I'm going to act as if it didn't.

 

[Ataxtia]

I think fundamentally that people are good. I also think that good people will always be in proper exchange with the things around them; not only for making themselves feel good, but often relationships built upon proper exchange are ones that last for the longest. Think the gut microbiome in humans, we allow bacteria wo live within us so that they can properly break down our food. When a relationship becomes one built upon one party outright robbing another, or giving them a corrupted version of some promised product, then this idea of exchange totally breaks down and all rules are thrown out the window. When companies build in systems that are outright harmful to the consumer base (or in the case of the Sony BGM rootkit scandal, where it was literally just corporate malware), then you as a consumer have no obligation to actually pay for that kind of shit. I expect my product to be riddled with malware if I'm getting a free cracked version from pirate bay, not from a company I am shoveling my money into for their digital product.

An this kind of consumer abuse goes beyond just making software that is not ever actually yours. Like OP said, the planned obsolescence that is so popular right now. We can't even own our physical devices, we're always just renting them from some mega corporation whose CEO will starve without money to buy a fifth private jet. In situations like these it is not just your duty but your obligation to steal. Corporations only listen when you hit them in the wallet, and mass piracy would be a way to communicate with them.

When corporations actually make good products that last, or cheaply distribute their media to customers, piracy will subside. People would pay for products that they know are going to last and be great. That money would then go to support the creation better products. I will always pay money to for a product that is good, not a product that actively hates me. When a product is solid, or a service genuine, then you can be sure that your money will go to supporting said product or service, in hopes that someone else can experience the same or even better.

TL;DR, steal from corporations, make them listen, I want to actually own what I pay for.