[Aleks]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I don't see it as that much of a difference, especially on a macro level. The material and labor in something like a designer wallet might only be 5 dollars. So if you took the wallet and left 5 bucks on the counter would it be the same? Anyway it ends up hurting the same people anyway, the paying customers mostly. Most stores price losses into their margins, the same as tv and movies are priced factoring in the freeloaders.

If all the people currently pirating were all of a sudden shut out, the potential market would increase, competition would increase, and pricing models would probably become more attractive.

It's one thing if someone goes to the theater occasionally, has a big fat cable bill, buys and rents some Blu rays, and supplements that with some illegal downloads. They are still sending Hollywood plenty of dough that ends up in the same place anyway.

The case that annoys me the most these days is premium cable shows. They are putting out some of the best tv ever these days, and there is a large community that strictly downloads it for free and thinks it's okay. These shows make money in one way only and that is by subscription fees. I have no issue paying these fees as they are completely a la carte add ons to my cable bill. But I feel like I went out to an expensive restaurant with a bunch of cheap #######s who enjoyed their food, but when the bill came they all walked out and stuck me with it.

If everyone thought like that, the prices would keep rising until no one paid anymore and the shows eventually stopped being made.

So yeah, I have no issues with cracking down on the leaches illegally downloading content they think they are entitled to, while the rest of us continue to pay for the entertainment you are enjoying.

I'm sorry, but you are blind, or oblivious and delusional if you believe those corporations are going to price things more attractively if pirating were to stop.