CA for CA: Odex had "no right of civil action" against illegal downloaders

Piracy is a crime. Or is it? It's so common it's becoming the norm nowdays.

Many people in Singapore are downloading pirated stuff nowadays, from songs on various P2P software such as Limewire, to downloading videos from youtube, and it does not just apply to animae. This, in the government's eyes, is illegal, bu they are not doing anything about it besides promoting 'piracy is a crime' advertisements and 'commercials' on every video you buy, or in the films. They aren't really cracking down on offenders of this crime, and now they refuse another company's claim to sue the offenders. This just will encourage people to download more illegal stuff as they know that the government is making very little effort to nab and fine the people who are doing illegal downloading, and teenagers who don't really care about the consequences because they think that the government will not bother to care that they are downloading and nab them might just be right.

The fault also lies in the company. Firstly it is making a large amount of profits by selling their VCDs for an exorbitant price. The CDs only cost a matter of 10 or 20 cents and the rights to the video will cost about 10 to 20 dollar per copy. But ODEX is selling animaes at a price of 50-80 dollars, which makes their profit about 50 dollars. And their focus audience of the animae is the students and teens, who do not earn any money and get little pocket money. By doing this, it discourages teens from buying because they do not have enough money and their parents are not willing to spend that much money on a matter of a matter of 1 or 2 videos. Thus teens will resort to piracy where they can get the same thing with comparable quality, and the best thing is that it doesn't cost a cent.

Let's look at this, if prices are high, less people will buy and turn to illegal downloading. And when less people buy, the company has to increase cost of the video to make up for it's producing costs, and the vicious cycle continues. But if prices are lowered by the company and the government makes a strong stand on piracy and takes action on offenders, then people will turn to buying real stuff which are affordable and the profit of the company will increase too even though they earn less per vcd as more people buy, and this is a win-win situation for both the consumers and ODEX.

Seriously, who cares about 'illegal downloads' when you can download them for free and get away scot-free for it. That is the attitude of teems who don't care about moral issues. But why should they care when the government doesn't care too. The government might think that this might serve as a warning to the illegal downloaders, but it will turn out the opposite. It should instead set an example to the people by showing that piracy is NOT tolerated and bothering to go sue and nad the people who do that.

As usual, ODEX is suing the illegal downloaders because of company profits. They have lost money because people have downloaded illegally instead of buying the real thing, and they are trying to claim back the money. But claim of $5000 when the stuff they downloaded cost only about $50 of their profits. A bit too much?

The only group that seems to have been not criticised yet is the individuals who download the stuff illegally. It might seem unreasonable to criticise them as firstly they are unable to afford the vcds, and secondly they government does not care so they won't care too. But have they forgotten their morals. It's not acase of bring the most witty and smartest by getting the 'best deals' but on the morals of downloading. Yes, the costs might be too high, but does it give teens a reson to download these illegally? NO It's like stealing a computer from a shop because the costs are too high and you cannot affort it. It goes against the issue of morality. Teens also have the misconception that piracy is not stealing, but it actually is, excapt that it is not material theft but software theft.

To the government- Just let ODEX sue the illegal downloaders and let them bear the brunt for what they have done, and teach them a lesson they'll never forget, however at a slightly lower cost of maybe $500 as a first time lesson. But first, ODEX- lower your cost of animaes.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20070825/tap-odex-had-no-right-of-civil-action-ag-231650b.html