Comm101

How should  businesses combat internet piracy? Piracy is very hard to defend on moral grounds, because it’s theft (copyright infringement, intellectual property, illegal distribution, etc.) . If consumers are given easy access to a quality, inexpensive alternative to what is currently offered on the market what’s to stop them from taking it?  Why don’t businesses think of an innovative method in which to extract revenue from customers by offering them a better service, at a lower cost?  A method which strives to create value for the customer.

There are already several companies following this approach. Take for example steam; steam offers heavily discounted pc games that are instantly downloaded in a ready to play format without hassle. Netflix follows a similar strategy, while piracy levels in Norway has dipped by 80% once people were given access to legitimate alternatives to piracy.

Piracy is unethical and unsustainable. Eventually there will cease to be an incentive for providers of original content if there is insufficient compensation. However people are less likely to steal if given a good alternative, and I think that’s what big businesses should look to do, in order to stay competitive.