Perhaps I have been writing a bit more on piracy these days, so be it, I think it is important.

Baidu.com, is the top search engine in China. Google is trying it’s best to get hold on the search market in China. Music One box, is an idea from Google, which could just get it in the right direction.

In China, just as rest of world, illegal downloads of music are rampant. People use Baidu to search for the songs and then just simply download. The recording labels have given up hope of earning any revenues. Enter Google. Google created Onebox to: A) To tackle this problem and make music downloads legal. B) Get revenues to music companies C) Go up in Search market in China.

So what Google does is, whenever any one searches for music, it sends them straight top100.cn. This portal already has agreements with Music companies to distribute their music. All the ad generated revenue from Top100.cn is shared between the portal and the music labels. Google is not taking a cut.

Now let us look at this in context of India. Indian music industry is also facing this problem. Innumerable number of blogs host links to illegal music. Can Google or say Microsoft setting up such a deal with the music companies in India? Which this help the cause?

I think the answer to this is no. Not yet in India. Internet is the smallest channel for piracy in India and there are other rampant ways, which are being dealt with by agencies like IMI etc.

While there is little relevance for this to India at this time, this ad supported music could be a concept for the future and could be readily taken to the rest of the world. Only if the music companies have some open mind and look to the future.

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I am back to my preaching mode.

You must have noted in my previous posts, I have advocated against piracy. Well, now let us dig a little deeper.

Reason 1:

Quite a few people argue that reasons to resort to pirated copies of Audio, Video or Software (let us call it AVS now on for convenience sake) is because they are way too expensive.

Now it is like saying I can’t afford a Plasma TV, but I want it so what will I do? I will steal it. That’s exactly what piracy is.

Can’t afford, then you have open source for software, video rental for movies and as far as audio is concerned go for FM or Worldspace.

Reason 2:

“Want them but can’t find them where I live”. This applies mostly to the Non-Residents and is fuel for all these online music and movie download sites. I agree that all of us need entertainment but many times we might not find what we need in the countries we reside. Resolution?

• Thankfully sites like iTunes, Amazon and many other MP3 sellers now sell Indian Music.
• Quite a few websites now ship to locations abroad when you buy Music and Videos from them.
• Ask your friends who travel to get you your favorite DVD or two.
• Are any of your friends running a business? Piggy back on their business courier accounts to get music CDs etc shipped at lower costs.
• And many other ways, rather than resorting to piracy.

One or two don’t hurt any one

Everyone thinks the same, but remembers every time a download happens, somewhere someone’s earning is hit. Music/Film/Software Industry and thereby government would suffer losses in millions due to piracy.

Why bother paying when you get for free or less?

There are a few places where brand new films get sold on DVDs for as less as a £1. People buy such DVDs in bulk and watch them at home. Many others visit these online movie sites either view them online or download them. Rest get movies and music on Torrents.

Why do you think you get these for free or less? Well here’s why. Most of the money made through these illegal sales is unaccounted for or in simple terms “Black”. The websites which host free movies have lots of add as you may have noticed. The ad revenue generated by these is also used anonymously. Torrents send their kind of uninvited guests to your system to track personal information and are basically after your money.

This is the kind of money that is used by anti-social elements in ways that are not good (don’t want to use the T word) for World’s well being.

Choice

Like Morpheus says in Matrix, “I can only show you the way, it is you who has to make a choice.” (However there is only one legitimate choice here ;-p). While there are a lot of organized effort to bring down piracy, it is up to each one of us to contribute to drive this menace off.

Know more

http://www.indianmi.org/

Image Credit: IndiaSpecial

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