starlight starbright

edwardshallow:

you are being watched, my friends.

• have you ever downloaded a picture you don’t own the Copyright to?
• have you ever linked someone to a Copyrighted song on YouTube?
• have you ever streamed an episode of a TV show?

Statistically speak, it’s likely you have. If you think “illegal downloads are killing the music industry”, one must conclude that quoting Neil Gaiman is destroying the publishing industry, one must conclude that downloading a picture is destroying the photography industry, one must conclude that sharing a thought is destroying the thought industry.

If you’re on your high horse about intellectual property rights, it’s time to get the fuck off it. If you’ve never quoted song lyrics, shared songs illegally, streamed copyrighted content or taken a photograph on private property, then your friends have and your family have. Saying you’ve never infringed on someone else’s intellectual property rights is a lie, and if you claim that it’s destroying the livelihood of professionals, then you have only yourself to blame. I don’t believe it is destroying the livelihood of these professionals, and I think it’s only a testament to how far we’ve progressed in the last twenty years.

Downloading music illegal doesn’t and hasn’t destroyed the music industry. Illegally producing remixes and covers of songs isn’t destroying the music industry. Linking your friend to an animated gif of Tina Fey isn’t killing the television industry.

We are living in exponential times.
These draconian measures are not the answer.