Re:Protecting rights (Score 0)

Personally I don't pirate games or music because thanks to Steam, Amazon, iTunes and the like I can get my hands on them immediate for a price. Now with software, books and movies/series things get more complicated.

Software is simple for me, I own two Windows and two Linux machines. My Windows copies are legal and so are the games running on them. All the other software I use is open source. It's not like I wouldn't pay lots of money to get the Photoshop or Illustrator (even though I think they are way overpriced) but I have 4 machines and two of them are NOT supported by Adobe at all. For me open source is the better choice since I like to use the same software on all of my machines. As long as there isn't a Service like Steam for software like Photoshop that takes small businesses, home users, cross platform requirements and bulk licensing into account, software piracy will stay a big issue.

Movies and series will also continue being pirated until until there is a better way for us to get at the content. If I like to watch some series as soon as it's out I am almost forced to pirate it. There are websites for a lot of shows but you can only watch them IF you are in the US. This sucks for me since I am American but live in Germany. If I want to watch anything in English when it's still new I am screed. I thought about buying the seasons of my favorite series ahead of time on iTunes so I get to watch them once they come out BUT I can't because I can't buy them ahead of time in Germany IF they are listed at all and I can't just switch to the American market and buy them there. I haven't found a good solution to my problem yet but at least South Park serves me well with THE BEST SOLUTION of all content providers I have seen so far.

Books are another issue (that most people totally forget by the way). If I want my own shiny edition of Compilers: Principles, Techniques, & Tools I have the problem that it is out of print (again, well at least in I can't buy it anymore in Germany) and I can only get used copies if at all. After all I would like to get an English version and I am currently not living in an English speaking country. But hey, I have a Kindle, maybe I can get it for that? Hell no, I CAN'T get a digital version either. So I am screwed again.

The thing is I have money, and I would LIKE to spend it. I sure as hell am not working to sit on my money till I die and I DON'T WANT PIRATE ANYTHING. It's a fucking hassle trying to find something online to watch. I don't like file sharing and I flat out refuse to use it. I am to old for that crap, you just waste to much time finding what you want, if you find it at all, get a crappy version and if you are lucky it comes with a virus or a root kit. And all that because I have to wait half a year or longer to get my fingers on the damn DVD. I am inpatient, I want stuff now. I have no problems paying 5 bucks more for DVD if I get a download version immediately (hear that amazon?). I would love to be able to watch a movie online for 10 bucks after it stopped playing in the theater BUT before it's out on DVD or Blu-ray.

As far as I am concerned piracy would go down a hell of a lot if the RIAA and MPAA would spend the money they are spending lobbying on new distribution channels to get their content to me faster, regardless where I am and what language I want.

Sorry for ranting, but I and my family spend a lot of money on movies, books, games and music but I still get labeled as criminal or pirate if I just want to watch an episode of The Big Bang Theory in English.