Yarr! I be a pirate...

[lumberjim]

Originally Posted by glatt

People like Articrono are going to be the death of the entertainment industry as we know it. If nobody pays for this stuff, the budgets to produce it will get smaller and smaller. Blockbuster movies will be a thing of the past, and Blair Witch Project style movies will rule the scene. Similarly, big rock bands will be no more, and a large number of small independent bands will rule the industry. As consumers, we'll have a lot more choice because technology improvements are lowering the barriers to entry, but it will be much less polished. And the artists will not be living large.

you say that like it's a bad thing. but in regards to big bands, i think the Grateful dead give your statement the lie. they encouraged pirating, even set up sections for tapers in their audience. they were about as big as it gets for 25+ years. rockers dont get into it for just the money. they're stupid to try to restrict their intelectual property in any way regardless. the money they lose in album sales is made up in increased fame and merch sales and concert tickets that exist because people are able to access their art and enjoy it. not like they make all that much from album sales in the first place. but i guess it's not entirely up to them, is it?