Internet freedom: Still staying with LJ. And recent anti-piracy campaign
Upon considering it all again and again, I decided that I will stay with LJ! These are hard times for the freedom of Internet: there were some news that Russian government might suddenly decide to block LJ completely (for Russia)! I decided to stay with it till the end
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I just wish companies that sell DOWNLOADABLE media content would just stop being stupid and let me -person from country x- buy from company based in country y. I honestly don't get what's the problem if I pay company y? It's not like I'm NOT paying the copyright owners their due because company y will pay them in someway. Which I guess is your complaint (or one of your complaints) about itunes (ie. I can't buy stuff off the US store cos I have an Italian iTunes account and that's just makes no sense to me). The thing is, it's not only itunes? Pretty much all the websites I know do that.
Didn't I tell you? A couple of years ago, I was trying to buy an album -Italian album, by an Italian band- which I couldn't find ANYWHERE here for some stupid reason. Amazon.com had it. And I couldn't buy and download it. WTH? BUT if I wanted, I could get the cd. o__o
It just seems stupid to me. This is the Internet era after all. Places and stores that were unavailable to us a few years ago now are available and yet, not really.
And btw, it's not only music/movies/tvshows. Now it's also books as well. Or emags.
(have you checked bookdepository? They have a pretty nifty interface and you can tell if an ebook is compatible with your ereader BEFORE you place the order. Not sure about audiobooks tbh)
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iTunes? Boo :D
It all feels like a bit of a conspiracy to me though - witchhunts and all. Why no-one doing anything? Well, not everyone - some of TV companies are doing good things with streaming, but music? Books? Why not have an experimental website with prices lowered and see how this will hit the piracy? The answer is in the statistics in the link I posted, methinks. Online piracy in just 15% of all pirated stuff and most likely TPB don't really care about online distribution. It is just another way to increase control, that is all!
I will check bookdepository. I really need to find the best way to get audiobooks legally (I don't like to download books ), even though this seems to be a pain.
PS; Sorry for ranting. I hope you are well!
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It's not only iTunes, tbh. Oh how I wish it was only itunes or Amazon, but no.
I listen to kmusic and I can't buy downloadable files because all the major music sites need you to register and they don't let you do that unless you're Korean and living in Korea or an expat living abroad (they need ID proof etc). So I pretty much have to buy the physical cd from international stores like Yesasia. The thing is, they don't carry everything and...gah. I honestly wanted to support an indie band, but they only offered downloadable files off one of the major korean music stores. CD? There is no such thing. /o\ What is a girl supposed to do, tell me? Also? Korean cds (but basically any kind of printed media - cds, dvds) go out of print, like, sooo soon.
It all comes down to power, imho. And control. Recently I read an article -where was it?!?- that said that online piracy was very limited (in regards to financial loss), especially if compared to how much music companies lose because ppl swap music offline like they've been doing pretty much ever since means to record music were invented. I dare anyone say they've never gotten a mixtape from one of their friends or, IDK, recorded music off a radio program. I don't remember the music industry to be on their knees in the 80s or 90s and that's not likely to change just because the way people listen to music or acquire it through the Net rather. The companies just need to change and offer users what they want and need. I only ask for more flexibility, tbh. Which I don't think is an impossible feat. No?
And...gah, I ranted too
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