First off: I know nothing and no-one is perfect and we are all different and that in many different areas so nothing is simple. This is only meant to give my view on the matter and it's fairly quickly written so I may have overlooked something but knowing this crowd I doubt things will get heated (that was a compliment to this crowd btw).
I don't know if it's because of what I've been thrue the last several years but I won't let some stupid legal pages and trailers ruin my fun with a legally bought movie.
On youtube you can find a ton of music-videos, and some labels and/or artists have their own channel where you can see/hear the music video. I use this like a movie-trailer and if I like it I put it on my shopping list. Some items have been on the list for years since it's extremely difficult to find that one tune on a CD and maybe several single hits can be found on a compilation but it's not always that easy to find a online store that lists music tracks on the page (yes I only buy music or movies on disc). If I like the music/movie/comic etc. then I see what it costs, if I can afford it I buy it, if I can't then I'll put it on my list for later. My list is fairly long atm but what I have bought has given me great value for money in my opinion so I'm satisfied.
I've heard the argument many times that big corporations steal and oppress all artists but honestly, they can't all be that bad so saying they're all the same is stereotypical exageration and gives a twisted view of the real world imho. Furthermore, there are sadly costs when many people/departments/companies are involved, and some times there are a lot of people involved with making even music, let alone movies or games and they deserve pay for honest work too. That some processes should and indeed could be optimized and that there have been, and sadly still are producers/agents that take an unfair amount of money for their work is another matter that shouldn't interfere with the principles of good behaviour. Some artists, both in music and comics can be their own producer so to speak, like Stef for instance and some musicians have their own little studio and can produce all of their own music and sell it online, others need help for that and that's also work. Maybe many people nowadays don't undertand how much work a game or movie takes these days. And some music-tunes are probably the same, depending on the genre.
Another issue is mentality, many children nowadays use computers and the internet as soon as they can walk and many don't even understand the concept of intellectual rights and just get a link from a friend and download a game, movie or music without knowing what they're doing, that's tough to undo later in life. There's a pirate-site in DK that's been represented in tv by a person who said that music is a positive influence for the population and should there be free and if you want to support them then give a donation or pay for concerts. To my knowledge that's directly a communist attitude. That same site however has anti-virus software and computer-games, where to see them in concert? And about that comment that music improves the life of the people, I think many private houses along the main city roads I frequent could use a good coat of paint and a new fence or roof, should we get painteres and carpenters to do a lot of work and then just give them 10 bucks and say "thanks, you've helped improve society and therefore you're not entitled to pay but here's a donation". I'm not making a joke, seeing clean and repaired houses instead of run-down ruins along the roads I normally drive can also lift spirits just like good music and by the logic of the pirate-site then private houses should be repaired and fixed for free as well.
Frank
