In some respects, one of the Internet's greatest strengths is also one of its greatest weakness - its openness. It's the perfect forum for sharing anything and everything...unfortunately, it's also the perfect forum for stealing anything and everything.
Online piracy is not a new concept, but it remains a hot topic today. While Napster made the concept mainstream (thank you, Metallica, for ruining everyone's good time), the problem today is more rampant than ever, with 57% of the world's personal computer users admitting to software piracy. Music is only one piece of the piracy pie - you can go online and illegally download entire movies or TV series in a matter of minutes, not to mention software programs ranging from Microsoft Office to auto CAD programs that have licenses that can cost in the tens of thousands.
Piracy is a global problem, not just a US problem. Many of the worst offending countries are in Asia, meaning it can be quite common for someone in China or Taiwan to blatantly steal the intellectual property of someone across the globe.
Large scale efforts to curb piracy have been futile, and even embarrassing for the organization looking to collect a debt. The RIAA turned their fight into a witch hunt, and looked foolish doing so. Previously mentioned Metallica forever changed its brand from one of the from one of the greatest metal bands of all time to another corporate cog in the machine.
Congress tried, and failed, and pass the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that was aimed at giving law enforcement increased ability to fight online theft of IP and counterfeit products. SOPA ultimately failed because opponents felt it went too far in limiting online freedoms, the people spoke, and Congress had no choice but to back down.
For now, and probably forever, piracy continues, with billions of dollars in potential revenue lost as a result. Don't get me wrong...I feel about as bad for the RIAA as I do when I read about the next Bernie Madoff going down and having to sell off all 17 of his homes as a result...but I do think piracy can be a threat to innovation. As an emerging software company, why invest the necessary resources to create a new software platform when you know that as soon as it's on the market, it will be stolen and given away for free?
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