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Yr 7 Inquiry Project 2024

The True Cost of Digital Piracy

3. The True Cost of Digital Piracy

How does stealing another's intellectual property impact the integrity of our entertainment industry?

INTRODUCTION

The CBC News article Time to Assess the True Cost of Digital Piracy provides a breakdown of how digital piracy hurts the industries in which it is commonly practiced. Many think that it’s a victimless crime. According to the writer, Joanne Seiff, who is also a published author, this is far from the truth. 

Joanne begins by explaining that most artists and writers are not able to support themselves with the royalty payments from their work. In a particularly sobering moment in the article, she goes on to clarify just how her publishers calculate costs and royalties. (She’s been a published author for 7 years with 2 books to her credit, and all in all has only received about $500 in royalties for her work.)

Digital piracy means that a copy of an artist’s work can be downloaded and passed on literally thousands of times, with only a one-time payment going to the artist. That means that digital piracy does something far more harmful than cost artists money—it actually robs creative ideas of their value.

What is Digital Piracy 3.22

https://youtu.be/wjJRRNumjpc

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS

  1. Do you agree or disagree with digital piracy? Why?
  2. What could be some of the“hidden”costs of Internet piracy (psychological, emotional,  etc.)?
  3. Put yourself in the role of an artist whose work has been pirated and shared illegally. What is your own personal reaction and response?
  4. Do you believe digital piracy will get better or worse as time goes on? Why or why not?
  5. What do you feel is a more effective deterrent against digital piracy and why: stricter laws or evasion strategies?
  6. How much more do you think industry labels and companies could be doing to help artists suffering from the effects of digital piracy? What could they do? 

RESOURCES

Suggested websites

Worldbook article

  • Piracy (Login whitef10 whitef10 for Worldbook)

 

Search the Shortis Library for digital resources & videos

References on this page:

Business Standard. (2022, July 18). What is digital piracy? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjJRRNumjpc

Hassan, C. (2016). Is the streaming industry lying about piracy? Digital Music News. https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/03/31/is-streaming-making-piracy-worse/

Knight, B. (2020). Do memes infringe on copyright? UNSW Newsroom. https://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/business-law/do-memes-infringe-copyright

Creative Content Australia. (2020). Price of piracy: If you pirate you're exposed. https://thepriceofpiracy.org.au/

Lanaria, V. (2016). Top 10 most common digital piracy myths and why? Tech Times. https://www.techtimes.com/articles/121118/20160105/top-10-most-common-digital-piracy-myths-busted-who-s-pirating-what-and-why.htm

Creative Content Australia. (2015). What's so bad about piracy? https://creativecontentaustralia.org.au/whats-so-bad-about-piracy/

Piatt, M.A. (2024). Piracy. In World Book Student. https://www.worldbookonline.com/student-new/#/article/home/ar752479

Self-Evaluation - Microsoft Form

https://forms.office.com/r/e5KyGqvw8T

 

Reflection - Microsoft Form

https://forms.microsoft.com/r/ukgAnMg8f7