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submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[-] [email protected] 31 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The problem with almost every pro-piracy argument like this is that they fundamentally require a significant percentage of the population to disagree with it. "People who can pay will pay and I'm not taking anything from them" only works for as long as both the general population and retailers regard piracy as wrong and keep funding all those games, movies etc for you.

Heck, all you pirates should be upvoting anti-piracy posts like this, we're the ones keeping your habit funded...

[-] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago

The idea is that you support creators out of the appreciation and not because you're forced to.
This seems to work as a model for YouTubers and podcasters. They usually have most of their stuff available for free, and people pay them money, and more often than there is no reward for the money, other than satisfaction of supporting the creator.
This is obviously one example, and it only works for periodic installments, but it is a working alternative to the system, where people who don't want or can't pay don't do that

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

This seems to work as a model for YouTubers and podcasters

No, it doesn't. They're still being paid by YouTube/Spotify a flat amount based on the number of views - which are being paid for by ads and premium subscriptions.

Which means: people pay (one way or another) first, consume the content later.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

a flat amount

Nope, the amount is anything but flat. For bigger youtubers the ad money start to be significant, and for bigger podcasters spotify pays something, but for the most, amount of money from ads is negligible.

[-] [email protected] 23 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Nah. Id pay artists if i could.

And in fact do tip them pretty well at the jobs they take to pay rent when im in LA.

What we need is for parasitic creativity destroying shit stain ip-troll ghouls to get the guillotine, so they arent parasiting on every fucking artist.

We need a society that values humanity and art.

Because as is, there kind of isnt a reliable systemic way to support them. Capitalism prevents it.

[-] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

I hate IP trolls as much as the next person, but that feels almost like a non-sequitur

[-] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

Thats what studios are, though.

Thry don't make the art. People make the art.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

You people behave like you believe that artists got gathered up under threat of violence, put into these companies and are being forced to work there against their will...

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

If they dont, they kinda don't get to do their art. It's a whole thing.

Id say 'or they starve/die on yhe street' but that's what they get service jobs for.

[-] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Nah, I want all those companies to burn. If they can't afford to make new stuff because of piracy then there won't be stuff to pirate. I am totally fine with that. There is a life to live beyond just consumption, you know?

[-] [email protected] 6 points 2 weeks ago

Nobody is forcing you to consume any of the media you feel you need to pirate.

Just live beyond consumption. You can do that, you know?

[-] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

You forget the alternative mindset:

An active desire to see traditional ways of funding to disappear, and the media along with it.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Sure, we’d all like that, but pretending that piracy is some sort of noble way to bring about a collectivist creators’ paradise is yet more self-serving fantasy.

[-] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The problem with almost every pro-piracy argument like this is that they fundamentally require a significant percentage of the population to disagree with it.

This assumes that people who are ok with piracy are also against paying for content. That's a nice fantasy and it makes anti-piracy people feel good about themselves, but it doesn't reflect reality.

People who can pay will pay and I’m not taking anything from them” only works for as long as both the general population and retailers regard piracy as wrong and keep funding all those games, movies etc for you.

This assumes that 'pro piracy' people are against artists getting paid for their work. Seeing as how pirates tend to purchase more legal content than the 'general population' that is clearly not the case.

There could be a million different reasons why someone might 'pirate' a piece of media, and simply not wanting to pay for it is usually pretty low on the list. That attitude also relies on the assumption that every single piece of content that is copied is something the 'pirate' would have paid for in the first place.

As an artist, my job is to inspire people, to make them feel, to share my experience with them. I have absolutely zero problem with someone who can't afford to pay for my work pirating it. I also appreciate the ones who do pay, but I would still be making art even if no one paid, because while the money is nice it's not the point of it for me. Id much rather someone copy a work of mine and enjoy it than not enjoy it because they couldn't pay for the privilege.

I understand that some 'artists' are in it for the money and that's fine. It doesn't mean I have to agree with them that they deserve to get paid for every eyeball that falls upon their work, regardless of the circumstance.

Heck, all you pirates should be upvoting anti-piracy posts like this, we’re the ones keeping your habit funded…

Have an upvote from me for being the hero we don't deserve and protecting the mega-corps bottom lines. Truly you are a modern day Jesus.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Thanks for your service

[-] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Its true. Ops argument is basically same as calling ai prompters real artists. Its better to support who you can in good faith to keep funding projects that you like. Sure theres a point in pirating call of yearly remake: basic bitch 6 or yet another disney owned copy paste as low effort slop gets funded no matter what with the people working on it being compensated and fired after end of a project anyway. But I try to compensate to smaller outfits whenever I can and at the very least advertise them.

this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
919 points (100.0% liked)

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