Re: pirate bay, w3m, and the interface is just an interface (BEST post ever)

[Marko Vojinovic <vvmarko@gmail.com>]

On Sun, 14 Dec 2014 15:45:41 +1000
Paul Rankin <paul@tilk.co> wrote:
> 
> Please don't perpetuate this kind of false Robin Hood myth, it's
> wilfully ignorant self-interest under a thin veil of trumped up
> "people vs the system" garbage. Whatever of this self-deception one
> practices, the truth is piracy is stealing from real people.

It isn't really stealing because information is not a scarce resource.

The basic misunderstanding is in the fact that some people want to
treat information as property, in the face of the fact that
information is not a concept that can be treated in such a way.

The entertainment industry have based their business model on the
mistaken idea of treating information as property, and now they are
trying to save it from collapsing by the propaganda that copying is the
same as stealing. But the vast majority of "entertainment consumers" do
not fall for that fallacy. The business model of selling information is
conceptually flawed and should be let to die a bitter death, like any
other flawed business model.

Artists should make a living by live-performing for audiences and
securing sponsors to support their creative work. Like the rest of the
world does. Scientists for example make a living in exactly that way
--- by being paid to teach science to others and by securing research
grants. And their creative work is free for everyone to read, copy and
"consume" free of charge. And this is *never* considered stealing.
There is no conceptual difference between scientific creativity and
artistic creativity, and the corresponding "product" (i.e. information)
should be treated the same way.

What would prevent a famous actor/composer/writer to make fantastic
money by giving lessons to others in acting/composing/writing? The
demagogy that poor sorry artists will starve to death if their recorded
art is being copied instead of purchased is just that --- a demagogy.

Best, :-)
Marko