Companies supporting SOPA

Archer0915 said:

Realize some of this is about unity and infringement. Companies are **** of Cheap Chinese counterfeits curring into their profits. This is solidarity of the companies that are infringed upon.

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I could argue this all day, but almost everyone I know who pirates (including myself) pirates things that wouldn't have been purchased otherwise (or would have been purchased for a cheaper price). Things that I liked after I pirate, I buy (particularly music). The key point being that the act of pirating said item did not result in a "lost sale," as the product would not have been purchased either way.

I'd argue that media piracy wouldn't be an "issue" if the media studios weren't so greedy. Buying music gives artists very little profit (the producers/studio take the majority). Being well acquainted with the music industry, I can tell you that most professional musicians make next to nothing off of record sales (and for the record, I wouldn't consider corporate puppets like most pop-artists professional musicians), and instead make their profits from touring or merchandise (and even then, most of the musicians I listen to still work regular jobs, since the music isn't a feasible way to live off of). I buy CDs from local bands, or from bands who sell albums at their merch table during a gig (or vinyl, because vinyl is a totally different story, you're actually paying for the medium, despite it still being more than it ought to). Movies aren't exactly the same story, but I think it's ridiculous in general that actors, athletes and other entertainers make extravagant sums of money (moreso than plenty of researchers, engineers, doctors, etc).

As far as software piracy, I can see how that is a problem. At the same time, however, most DRM is complete trash and does not satisfy its intentions. As far as gaming is concerned, there are plenty of studios running F2P games that are doing just fine (LoL, HoN, Hi-Rez is putting out Tribes: Ascend F2P) and plenty of other games that sell for cheaper within months of release.

I just don't see why the idea that nothing is going to stop piracy is so hard to grasp. Plenty of the hackers/crackers that release cracked software, music or movies just do it for _fun_. Take a look at Louis C.K.'s latest special, which he released for $5 completely unprotected on his website a couple of weeks ago. Send him $5 via PayPal, and he gives you a regular video file. Made over $1M within 2 weeks. The only way to "fight" piracy is to make the product worth the price the consumer pays.

Just because you do not like the law is no reason to disobey the law. Who are you to question this? the artists agree to the stipulations and mant of them would not be where they are today if it had not been for the big outlets. Let the artists arrange their oun tours and make their oun music productions. If it were qall you say it is they would all be doing it.

Archer0915 said:

Realize some of this is about unity and infringement. Companies are **** of Cheap Chinese counterfeits curring into their profits. This is solidarity of the companies that are infringed upon.

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The law is targeted at copyright and IP infringement, primarily the exchange of digital goods. I don't think chinese counter-fitting has much to do with it - the stigma there implies the chinese duplicate physical goods.