Illegal File Sharers

[Simon]

I don't think MP3s can contain viruses, but some of the sites themselves can be dodgy, and some P2P clients can contain spyware. Certainly, one is walking a minefield by risking using illegal software.

[Rik]

Like most people, I've made a copy of CDs for friends, or received copies from them. I accept it's not right, but then neither is charging us more than anyone else if we buy. Morality is a two-way street.

[somanyholes]

everyone is playing the game

http://torrentfreak.com/riaa-keeps-settlement-money-080228/

[Rik]

Typical RIAA, imo. Bloodsuckers at work. 

[merlin]

yes i admit i have ,but only for my own use, mainly old style music, much of which is unobtainable now, and a few computer programs, which i would never be able to afford otherwise.

i think the over pricing ,combined with "rip off britain" encourages p2p, but of course the "greeds" can,t see this.

as someone on this post said earlier, the market traders, with hundreds of illegal copies, greatly add to to problem
at a large market near hear , officials raid and confiscate every six months or so, but i,m sure the traders are tipped off before hand
you can tell by the rubbish they are offering for sale that day,(mostly old disks they want to get rid of anyway) , then the sentence (fine ) is a pitance, and next week the traders are back to their normal copy trading.
its just enough for the local officials to say in the local rag, "are'nt we good ,look we did a raid, no one can say we do'nt do our job !!"

[merlin]

Malc, what's "a private tracker "

[talos2]

I don't think MP3s can contain viruses, but some of the sites themselves can be dodgy, and some P2P clients can contain spyware. Certainly, one is walking a minefield by risking using illegal software.
             

MP3 may not contain a virus, but a common ploy is to rename a virus as an MP3, and the unwary try to run the file before they realise its an exe.

[cavillas]

The industry goes on and on about how much it is losing but how many poor film producers, record producers etc are there.  Look at the majority of pop and film stars, how many of them have a living far in excess of those that listen to and watch them.  The actual amount these companies and stars lose is very small, if anything, and stopping all the illegal downloads etc will not boost their income by very much at all.

I feel more sorry for those song writers who are paid minimal sums for their work and never see much of this so called fortune, the same goes for the vast majority of writers.

It is always the big companies who get all the big profits by leeching off the backs of those who work for them and charging exorbitant amounts for their products.

[somanyholes]

even more amusing

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080311-riaa-tells-ars-were-not-hypocrites.html

[Rik]

About what I'd expect, sadly.

[Malc]

Malc, what's "a private tracker "

Private trackers are BT sites where you have to sign up to, and also keep a good ratio of uploads / downloads, but also give much better DL speeds.

Some are quite easy to sign up to, others have sign up times now and then, then their are the invitation only ones.

Do a google search for Bit torrent sites, and look for ones with require you to sign up - like here, with a username and password. 

[Rik]

Yipee. 5000 posts, Malc, you've moved in.  

[merlin]

thx malc for the reply on private trackers

congrats on reaching 5000 posts

[Den]

Add to that

http://www.myp2p.eu/

for live premiership football!

Not more £20 a month to SKY 

Sopcast was the reason for upgrading my  anti-virus software so I would not go anywhere near myp2p again. 

[bob_s]

Interesting read.

I'll put my hand up and admit I may have on occasion downloaded a mp3 or the odd divx file over the years.

I also actually buy lots of dvd's and CD's and even the very expensive blu ray films.

I wonder if this is all for the benefit of the music industry, or more realistically for the 17.5 % VAT they don't get from every illegal download.

[Rik]

Good point, Bob. The only thing we can be sure of is that the motivation is financial, not moral.

[madasahatter]

It is an interesting read - and really saying nothing new at the same time. It all comes down to the greedy entertainment industry - they pretend to have the artists interests at heart, when we all know that all they are thinking of is their own pockets. The same goes for the Government - they don't really care one way or the other - just that money talks as usual, and they want to be seen to be doing something to appease the industry. 

[Malc]

And get their 17.5%

[madasahatter]

That's true malc - the REAL motivation in all this......

At the end of the day, if CDs, DVDs, and legal downloads were a reasonable price, most peeps WOULD pay for them. As it is, they are not, and that's what causes most of the problem - all imo of course.

[Rik]

As I've said before - perhaps the Govt should ask the industry why they charge us twice as much as they charge the Americans. They certainly can't argue production or operating costs when it comes to iTunes. 

[sobranie]

I think I've said this before but perhaps a license to d/l films/music over 5 years old with the proceeds being paid to the artists instead of Brown' coffers would be a good idea. In the case of software the 'puter mags give it away for free anyway after a few years of upgrades. 

[Rik]

That would make good sense, though there are always going to be those who don't want to pay anything, of course.

[cavillas]

I don't pay for software if I can help it.  I use the op0n source stuff or older apps given away on magazines.  Fair enough I pay for the magazines and the older software is absolutely fine for may needs and i all seems to run faster than some of the later upgraded software.  I buy any music I want but that amounts to about 1 CD every 2-3 years and I don't watch films so don't buy dvd's.  Also I don't play games.  I expect I am a poor customer for all theses bigger companies but, hey, who cares.

[madasahatter]

That would make good sense, though there are always going to be those who don't want to pay anything, of course.

yep - that's true, but there are a lot of peeps who only download illegally because they are fed up of getting ripped off, and who would purchase music, DVDs if the price is right

[Malc]

I'm one of them.