Practicality = Piracy

 

I couldn't say it any better. Photo by: vikrameb

Yesterday while I was on my way to work, the discussion over the radio got me so immersed into it that I had to maintain the minimum focus required to drive safely. And how can I not, the condition was perfect: there’s nice summer sun outside, I was tuned to Magic 89.9 FM’s morning show with Mo, Mojo and Grace Lee and they’re talking about my favorite topic – piracy.

I have a love-hate relationship with this show. But more often than not, I’m tuned in to this station as I find this lively trio very great companion especially when driving alone…and sleepy. Some people call or classify such show as talk radio because most the time there’s incessant blabbing about almost everything under the sun. And when I say everything, it really does mean almost everything. Thus, making the show as one of, if not the only, the most controversial morning shows.

Among the trio, the most dominant character is Mo who’s not only a fast talker but who is likewise full of ideas that some of it are out of this world, downright offending (at least to me) and some are just not even fit to be discussed during a morning show wherein every mom, dad, uncle, aunt and other mature individuals may be listening and may be with kids at the same time. I’ve heard him discuss about premarital sex, religion, politics, lesbianism and other taboo stuffs, and of course, piracy.

So yesterday was no exemption. The moment I heard him mention the word piracy, I slowed down and I listened – the discussion among the group and their exchanges with the callers were interesting albeit I find some of it just irritating.

Mo was once again defending and reiterating his stand that although he doesn’t directly promote piracy on his (their) radio show, he sees a lot of advantage and benefit out of it – other than the obvious difference in price between the licensed and the bootleg. One of the things he pointed out is about the movie industry. According to him, because of piracy which started several years ago, the original films have become available in the Philippines almost at the same time when it is released from its country of origin.

Mo said that years ago, it would take one film to reach the Philippines almost a couple of months after Hollywood, for example, releases it to cinemas in the US. And this is where piracy comes in handy. Most probably while the film is rolling somewhere in the US, some unscrupulous cinema insider (or viewer) is recording an illicit copy of the film and immediately distributes it to their contacts from the other country. Now these contacts sell the film’s copy to people who are so eager to watch it. So when the time comes for the original film to be shown in theaters, the revenue flops. Of course, who wants to pay and watch a re-run? – Simple reasoning, yet rude and yet practical. And this, according to Mo, is when producers eventually learned and realized that they need to compete or they’ll lose their market share to those illegal distributors. At this point of the argument, I caught myself nodding in conformity.

Another case that Mo presented or re-presented (as I heard about it a couple of times already) is about computer software piracy. He believes that it is the only way for poor nations, like ours, and its people to compete and put them at par with the rest of the world when it comes to computer literacy. Although, I agree with the need to compete, I don’t however agree with how it is achieved by piracy.

As much as I hated it, Mo’s point got me thinking. Quite frankly, I’ve been pondering lately if I’m cursed for knowing that piracy is stealing. Often times some people, like most of my friends, see it as plain practicality and the need to learn about one software is one good justification to get hold of its bootleg counterpart. I’m not saying that these people are bad – or thieves for this matter. I might say though that they are misinformed or has chosen to keep a blind eye about it.

As I end my driving until I got out of Intel’s parking lot, my mind was occupied with so many questions just from the 20 minutes I spent listening to the radio.

So am I not being practical then?

Am I stupid to believe that I shouldn’t be buying any of these bootleg stuffs? Or am I now alone with this belief or advocacy?

Will my next employer reject me because I did not learn as much software as I can because I don’t have the guts to buy a pirated copy?

Am I going to be left behind then in the end?

Do I have to steal to learn?

Is it a good thing that while I teach my boy about good manners and right conduct, he’s watching a pirated educational DVD?

Do I need to seek professional advice to get over with my firm stand against it?

Maybe I’ll think all about it. Although I’m still hoping that in the end all of my answers will still be a big NO – unless they change the law against it. And hopefully whatever the reasons are why most people patronize pirated products, I still hope (or is wish a correct term?) that soon enough the fight against piracy will win because I really believe that behind those cheap illegal goods that some of us enjoy others are suffering just because of it.

 

 

Photo credit: vikrameb

 

 

 

Mood: 3/10 Honks!