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

[Pangolin]

Before any fag brings up steam. No, you don't own any games on steam. You paid for a revokable license to pay the game. While it seems unlimited, you're hoping that stream never changes it's policy and that it never goes out of business.

 

[Pangolin]

Forgot to mention this but there are security risks to your PC when you pirate software. In that the software can't be fully trusted to do what it says and only what it says. Do you really trust the cracker teams that broke the security on the game, to not break the security of your PC? Most people aren't technical enough to even know where to start checking and only have windows defender and maybe some free or paid corp antivirus.

This is one of the biggest blockers for me to pirate. Because I have sensitive Files for reasonS.

There are ways to mitigate, but that's too technical for the philosophy of pirating.

 

[Fig]

If you pirate things, maybe try uploading it to The Eye?

The Eye | Front Page

The Eye is a website dedicated towards archiving and serving publicly available information. #opendirectory #archive #digitalhistory

the-eye.eu

 

[Vetusomaru]

Forgot to mention this but there are security risks to your PC when you pirate software. In that the software can't be fully trusted to do what it says and only what it says. Do you really trust the cracker teams that broke the security on the game, to not break the security of your PC? Most people aren't technical enough to even know where to start checking and only have windows defender and maybe some free or paid corp antivirus.

This is one of the biggest blockers for me to pirate. Because I have sensitive Files for reasonS.

There are ways to mitigate, but that's too technical for the philosophy of pirating.

Antivirus programs exist for a reason. Also you can just pick pirated games from famous, trustful pirate sites.

 

[Vetusomaru]

 

[Orlando Smooth]

Necroing because it's semi on topic. If anyone has resources to share on how to rip video content from websites that aren't YouTube, it would be much appreciated.

 

[bnuungus]

Necroing because it's semi on topic. If anyone has resources to share on how to rip video content from websites that aren't YouTube, it would be much appreciated.

you could always just record it using OBS and edit the ends. A bit more work than just a simple download, yes, but it is one way to do it.

 

[samyang_]

Picture this exact situation in your mind: you live in a 3rd world country, like me. You have no job and the ones you can find pay you a miserable amount of money, enough only to pay some bills and not starve to death, you want to download a software in your computer but then THE SOFTWARE IS A PAID SERVICE, and depending of the situation of your country economy, mine btw is really going downhill, you have to pay a absurd amount of money to have that software. It's either you pay for the software or you have money to pay your things and survive, and guess what i'm choosing? I choose piracy, because corporations give 0 fucks about my condition, they don't care, they will want me to pay hundreds of dollars for a thing i could have for free because of piracy.

And btw, if this is not enough to make you hate corporations, they do their products have technical issues on purpose! Every product that has a chip in it, is made to stop working within a predefined period. Ever wonder why products from the 90s and the 2000s have more durability than the things they sell nowadays? Guess what? That's planned obsolescence! That's why iPhones are so hard to fix, and are so expensive to do so. The idiots that consume Apple products are also the ones who support african and chinese slavery! But hey! The consumers of these products are anticapitalists... they're always complaining on R*ddit or Twitter about capitalism, so that makes them less responsible for this

 

[BlackControlBoxer]

Since we can't trust game reviews anymore, unless its from a developer I already know its good(spiderweb its literally the only one i could think of the top) I will test the game first and if its good i will support the developer with my money, if its not good then all I lost is time.

 

[LostintheCycle]

Necroing because it's semi on topic. If anyone has resources to share on how to rip video content from websites that aren't YouTube, it would be much appreciated.

yt-dlp is amazing, I've managed to rip videos from tons of different sites using it, not just youtube. Just have a shot with it

 

[Lunedgy]

Necroing because it's semi on topic. If anyone has resources to share on how to rip video content from websites that aren't YouTube, it would be much appreciated.

I know some people use a program called StreamFab. I've never tried it, though

 

[qwerty]

I can't believe nobody has posted this yet:


View: https://youtu.be/plVPSlgO04s

 

[splashy]

ok so ur saying that piracy is a way to tell corporations that intrusive drm is not ok but how are these companies meant to be able to track how many people are buying the media compared to how many people are pirating it? someone pirating the game is at most a missed opportunity for a sale. but a lot of the time people wouldn't of bought the damn thing anyways. all that companies would be able to tell is how many sites are distributing pirated, drm free versions of their products. it's quite hard for companies to pinpoint or even get an idea of how many people using the media without paying for it. in the end piracy could make companies stop making stuff people are interested in due to reduced sales as a result of piracy instead of messaging to them about how predatory their drm is.

 

[RisingThumb]

Before any fag brings up steam. No, you don't own any games on steam. You paid for a revokable license to pay the game. While it seems unlimited, you're hoping that stream never changes it's policy and that it never goes out of business.

Before any fag brings up digital files. No, you don't own any digital files. You paid for a revokable arrangement of bits that only takes a few bit flips to corrupt beyond repair in addition to working hardware. While it seems unlimited, you're hoping that the laws of physics don't dislike you on a particular day.

 

[mauer]

I'm not giving copyright holders money regardless, might as well still enjoy the work. (Wowie! Free!!!)

 

[ryan]

4. they raise employee wages = better games = more people buying to support instead of pirating their half baked crap

Raising employee wages is on the bottom of the list of things a corporation will do when profits are down.

 

[Pangolin]

If a company can't afford to pay fair wages it shouldn't exist at all.

 

[nakadashi]

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

I believe we tech savvy people tend to justify piracy as a moral act instead of an convenience act.
There are very few instances in which I downloaded content (in Minecraft) out of a feeling of rebelliousness and giving a blow to corporations. If that were the case, that is, if I were to believe that piracy was an effective way at opposing corporations, I would download Marvel movies (which I do not consume) just for the sake of attacking Disney. Furthermore, I would make dvd copies of it and give them away to my friends so that they don't have to subscribe to content services.
Truth is, when I download something (in Minecraft) I do so because I don't want to pay a subscription fee or pay for the piece of content itself. I do so because in my personal time/money balance it is not worth the 5 bucks or whatever. I would contrast this with video games, I don't play games often, but when I do, I bought them, and that is because I feel more comfortable running and executable from a verified source than running a random iso file I found on some Russian website. Again, it is a matter of convenience, not morality.
I say all of this because I would like to discuss a third option, which is that of not consooming or reduce consoom to another option. Instead of considering whether to watch a movie legally or illegally, why not considering not watching it at all?

 

[Some_porcupine]

hoping that the laws of physics don't dislike you on a particular day.

or sun corona blast, for that regards

 

[Some_porcupine]

Raising employee wages is on the bottom of the list of things a corporation will do when profits are down.