Online piracy continues to be a long-standing issue. Despite the advancements of technology, pirates continue to get more clever and elusive. In turn, laws to prevent piracy becomes even harsher. A popular piracy case today is through torrents. In line with that, here are some myths surrounding digital piracy:
Anti-Piracy Laws Have No Effect
It may seem like these anti-piracy laws are ineffective on the surface, but you will say otherwise if you really look at it closely. However, a research states that there is increased consumer awareness of anti-piracy laws that caused online sales, specifically on iTunes, to increase.
There’s No Tracking When There’s No Seeding
Seeding is when pirates continue to share a completed file, in which the status of the torrent will change from “Downloading” to “Seeding” after it’s completed. Some users believe that stopping the file before it starts to seed will prevent anti-piracy companies from tracking them down.
The truth is, you are already on their radar the moment you download that file.
Everything Can Be Pirated
It’s easy to think that everything can be pirated; perhaps, that’s possible. However, pirates are picky as well, and they have limited storage capabilities. Also, not everyone is willing to download shows and movies that will leave untouched for many years to come.
VPN Can Stop Traces
You can get online privacy with a VPN, but only to a certain degree. In short, it’s not foolproof. Even the best VPN services can’t guarantee total anonymity when piracy is in the mix.
Piracy Is Due to Tight Budgets
Most people don’t jump into pirated digital files because of their tight budgets. In fact, the more people earn, the more they are likely to succumb to this illegal act. You will also be surprised to know that there are many pirates who pay for content compared to general consumers.
Old People Don’t Pirate
There is no age restriction when it comes to piracy. So, if you think old people don’t do this, think again.
Having Original Copies Is a Pass to Pirate Them
There is really no legal way to pirate. So, it doesn’t matter if you purchased the complete collection of a show. Anyone who participates in piracy is an offender.
It Doesn’t Affect Sales
This is one of the biggest issues creative industries have today. Some believe that people who pirate wouldn’t purchase the content they copied to begin with, which means that they wouldn’t exactly impact the sales. However, according to economist Michael Smith, when NBC took down Hulu shows, piracy shot up, and no one purchased an original copy of the shows that were removed.
You Can’t Beat Free Content
If that’s the case, then why do we have growing content makers? That is because piracy can’t take paid content out of the picture. Even if some people prefer to pay nothing, there are still many people who do to ensure the quality and reliability of the content.
Digital piracy is highly illegal, yet it remains a controversial topic where you can expect things to escalate quickly. Still, it’s important you stray away from digital piracy and only honor reliable and quality content, even if you have to pay for it.
If you’re worried about digital piracy, you need online brand protection to prevent this from happening. We can help you here at FraudWatch International. Contact us today to learn more about our services.