Comment on College Student Arrested for Selling Bocchi the Rock! Anime Keychains (She Made Total Profit Of 16$)
lazyViking@lemmy.world 2 days ago“We were never going to buy it anyway” is a weak argument, considering that the explosion of Netflix, Crunchyroll, and other streaming services (before they turned to shit) proves otherwise.
If piracy didn’t cause financial harm, why did legal streaming platforms dramatically reduce piracy rates when they offered a convenient alternative? The answer is simple: People do pay when given the right option.
And the “it doesn’t destroy stock” excuse? That’s like saying sneaking into a concert isn’t theft because the band still plays for everyone else. It’s still taking something without paying for it.
Sanctus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
How does a streaming service, where you pay a blanket cost instead of choosing individual media, prove people were willing to buy individual media? Do you think the advent of streaming services maybe offer3d the convenience of a bunch of stuff right there to go, instead of having to compile it yourself? I think thats where the true value was.
lazyViking@lemmy.world 2 days ago
So you’re admitting that when given an easy, affordable way to access media, people chose to pay rather than pirate? Congratulations, you just proved my point.
The fact that convenience was a key factor doesn’t change the reality that these services turned former pirates into paying customers. If piracy wasn’t causing financial harm, and if people truly ‘weren’t going to buy it anyway,’ then streaming services wouldn’t have reclaimed those users as paying subscribers.
As for your last line—sounds like you cut off mid-thought. You were about to say something profound about why sneaking into a concert isn’t theft? Go on, I could use the laugh
Sanctus@lemmy.world 2 days ago
No, they turned a shitty service into a good one and the pirates were willing to pay for the platform to access that media rather than surf the seven seas looking all over the place. It wasn’t the media itself that turned them into paying customers, so the record labels and movie studios dont have a point. It was the unified service that brought them in and how cheap it was. As soon as the price raised, the catalogue changed, everyone who was previously a pirate dusted their hats and wind jammers off again and left.
Listening to music isnt theft. You could argue that you are stealing the experience being provided, but you just sound like a stuffy cock saying that shit. Nobody, including the band if they are chill, cares that a few people snuck in, not even other attendees. If you do care so much, then you need some introspection.
lazyViking@lemmy.world 2 days ago
Just to be clear, I don’t actually care about piracy. Do it or don’t, that’s your business. But saying piracy doesn’t cause losses is just wrong.
You just explained that when piracy was inconvenient, people chose to pay for a better service. That means they had money to spend but were pirating instead—until a better legal option came along. That alone proves piracy takes money away from creators.
And your concert take? Now we’re at ‘stealing is fine as long as nobody makes a big deal about it.’ If sneaking in isn’t theft, does that mean shoplifting is fine too as long as the store doesn’t notice?
Keep going, or don’t—this is an imperfect analogy, I was just trying to help you see why you are so staggeringly wrong