My older son (28) doesn’t watch much TV (on a TV) unless he’s visiting his parents. Otherwise, it’s online, occasionally. More likely, he’s on Reddit, which is usually more fun and interesting. A few years ago, when he was visiting, I was working late and I noticed an unread email out of the corner of my eye: a DMCA “Strike One” notice from Comcast.
It was almost 2am but the light was still on in his room. I asked him if he was torrenting or downloading something – yes he was…
I showed him the email (notice the time-stamp – someone was up late in Philadelphia doing deep packet inspection!) and asked him to desist. How embarrassing it would be, if my industry friends found out that I was harboring pirates!
Fast forward to the present day. My son and I were out for a hike together over the weekend, and the subject came up again: “Oh, it’s a joke, dad. Everyone gets these notices!” Given the beautiful scenery around us, I didn’t really have the energy to engage in that conversation but I again reinforced that it wasn’t the right thing to do. “Paying for premium content” remains the policy in my household.
Today, an email popped in: “Dad, if you ever have any conversations with people about pirating media or content, this link may be relevant” (click through, then scroll down. Language alert – sorry).
The cartoon has a point. The kid has a point. There are lessons here. Why can’t our industry see past its vested interests? Isn’t there a happy medium? What do you think?
To grind my own axe, my other pet peeve is the one below. Sometimes these happen within an hour or two of the initial posting, and it’s even more aggravating when you’ve been directed there by an ad. Why can’t the content owner be more thoughtful?
