the ship has sailed

My feeling is that the question of file-sharing (i.e. pirating) is largely a generational one, similar to same-sex marriage and marijuana usage. But it’s more viral than both–because it’s less of a fringe among the under-40 age group.

Personally, I understand both sides of the argument, but the hard truth is that supporters of file-sharing are (a) fed up with the corporate dominance of creativity, and (b) wouldn’t be able to afford or purchase those products if it weren’t for file-sharing, which would starve artists and others of my business.

I go to concerts of bands I enjoy, purchase hard copies of quality movies and television shows, etc. There’s no way to really stop file-sharing and furthermore, the industry has really hurt their cause by filing arbitrary lawsuits against teenagers for hundreds of thousands of dollars. They thought it would “scare” kids. But it has just emboldened file-sharers.