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Video: “Don’t Copy That 2”

Does anyone really believe that sophomoric videos will stop piracy? The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), a trade association for the software and digital information industries, apparently does, and released the "much-anticipated sequel" to its 1992 "video classic" Don’t Copy That Floppy.  They are distributing it online and in schools.

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8 Comments

  1. Idiots. When are they going to realise what anyone with half a brain already knows. Piracy has nothing to do with the decline in music sales.
    The real reasons are:
    A) Greatly increased competition for entertainment dollars
    B) Massively increased competition for attention span
    C) Alternative means of music distribution that don’t require the majors
    Someone who pirates your music is orders of magnitude closer to becoming a paying fan than the billions of other people who haven’t.

  2. Reefer Madness for digital music.
    Once the industry figures out a path to commerce that encourages and rewards sharing, instead of punishing, then we’ll really be in Music 2.0
    Consumers and artists are destined to be the new retailers, if we’d just let them…

  3. Wow. I mean, wow. A police raid? Prison time? I’m stunned that they would emphasize that so heavily, given that they (along with the RIAA & MPAA) are the driving force behind draconian copyright enforcement.

  4. I agree…the ad’s stupid and wont accomplish too much. On the other hand, a viable alternative for forcing people to understand piracy’s wrong is desperately needed. I think piracy has a lot to do with the downturn in sales, especially among younger people. Many people I know will love an artist…say they support the artist…but not tangibly support them by buying their music. Piracy isn’t the only reason behind the downturn in sales, but it’s definitely got something to do w/ it.

  5. I’d agree that file-sharing is a significant piece of the sales downturn, but I think it’s something we have to live with. Having fans that feel like they have a tangible connection with the artist certainly encourages purchases, and I think that is the saving grace for a lot of indie bands. But convincing people that copying the next American Idol’s platinum album is morally wrong is an uphill (almost vertical) battle.
    Also, I think it’s important to distinguish illegitimate file-sharing from piracy (selling illegally-copied material). Although I think the industry associations would disagree, most people find the former far more forgivable than the latter.

  6. Good point, sir. It’s definitely an uphill battle, but I can’t help but wonder if there’s some way to get people to understand theft is wrong. Our responses just can’t be so heavy-handed and in the “let’s sue downloader X for millions of dollars.”
    There’s gotta be a middle ground…I just don’t understand the dichotomy that lets fans feel so connected to music…so engaged with music and an artist, but yet so removed as to feel that artists don’t need to eat.
    I used to illegally download years ago, but I eventually couldn’t stand my own hypocrisy: simultaneously touting my love of artists but not being willing to pay them for their craft.

  7. I think the middle ground is coming. Did you read the New Yorker piece on Trent Reznor? An album that was freely downloadable from his site went on to sell 98,000 CDs, which probably earned him about as much as selling 3-4 times that amount through a major label. Likewise, on Bandcamp, they have a pay-what-you-want with a minimum price. One of their top selling albums used this option, and about half of the downloaders paid more than the minimum. See (google) also ‘Rock Proper’. While file-sharing may hurt artists’ bottom line, it also gives them free promotion. If even 1% of illegitimate downloaders become fans, think about what that does in terms of concert tickets, T-shirts, word-of-mouth, etc. I don’t defend file-sharing, but I think it’s a reality that musicians can adapt to, and maybe even get some benefit from.

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