Donny Cates on comic piracy article 0

[Shinwar]

Your thoughts? https://www.bleedingcool.com/2019/11/25/donny-cates-dont-pirate-my-ing-books-dude/?fbclid=IwAR1vf7IgTIBNUfI6t3oRwipLISguFdbBvfhd6NMycv_NpmruxrZ18e9jQZI

[bababooey]

The only thing I've ever read that he's written is his tweets in that article but the modern Venom/Carnage millennial specu-goobers here seem to think he walks on water.

It should surprise no one that the internet has given an entire generation (or two) the impression that most "entertainment" is free as long as you can download, read, play or view the music, movie, TV show, comic or video game online.  How does a creative writer differ from a news reporter/journalist with regard to internet rights/payment?   The only way "IT" changes at this point would be for the internet to have full accountability/transparency to restrain people from breaking rules and paying for all content accessed....it will come in some form but that'll probably be around the same time your great great grandchildren will be able to buy a year of your browser history for $9.95 to get to know grampa better 

[dupont2005]

That was an annoying article. People who write articles about a twitter fight a not-quite-celebrity had with a bunch of strangers are a plague. It’s like people who write articles about what they saw on TV today. Not show reviewers, the Vice news type correspondents who didn’t actually leave the house to cover whatever story they’re covering. Hashtag #protest is trending in Hong Kong. That’s a job now.

[revat]

14 minutes ago, dupont2005 said:

That was an annoying article. People who write articles about a twitter fight a not-quite-celebrity had with a bunch of strangers are a plague. It’s like people who write articles about what they saw on TV today. Not show reviewers, the Vice news type correspondents who didn’t actually leave the house to cover whatever story they’re covering. Hashtag #protest is trending in Hong Kong. That’s a job now.

I agree, I'm outraged about the articles that point out the outrage that someone else has about someone else's outrageous behavior.  In other words, I sincerely agree with you on this point.  But I do feel like Bleeding Cool and Donny Cates make this point ostensibly in defense of the comic industry as a business, which piracy damages.

 

I would say to those who can't afford comics, you can go to bookstores or libraries to read graphic novels for free without embracing piracy.  There's SOOOO much content out there by now in GN form, any real comic fan won't run out.  There's no real value to reading books in 'real' time.  There's no important water cooler talk related to comics anymore.

Also, Marvel Unlimited is not too expensive relatively ($5ish a month?), I'm not sure about the DC stuff.

[thunsicker]

I have two thoughts:

1)  He's right.  Don't pirate comics.

2)  He's kind of a person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed.

[WolverineX]

reading all those tweets scattered through the article gave me a headache

[Coverless 9.8]

"You want to buy a Tower records?!"  Justin Timberlake playing Sean Parker in The Social Network! 

[BabaLament]

Comics piracy is a fired up topic on Twitter (again).

Its basically devolved into a shouting match between creators & thieves. Creators (correctly) want to be paid for their work. Thieves are stealing *and* rather butt-hurt about being publicly called out for their criminal behavior.

Cates is a decent guy in person. I think his online/Twitter persona comes off as a bit self-oriented. However, a lot of people are like that on Twitter/social media (myself included); so I'm not willing to chuck boulders from the comfy confines of my glass bunker.

Personally, I think calling it "piracy" provides an entirely undeserved sense of grandeur to petty theft. Unless someone is stealing comics via torrent while on a wooden boat equipped with a minimum of six cannons, its not piracy but petty theft.

The arguments made by thieves are rather pathetic.

"Comics are expensive!" True. So are exotic sports cars, doesn't mean you get to steal them.

"I don't want to wait for new issues to come out, I want to read the entire story at once." Great! Go to a bookstore and buy a TPB; you can read an entire story run or collected issues for ~$15, which is a significant savings compared to buying each issue at retail.

"There are too many comics released each month, I can't afford them all." There are lots of things in life, most people can't afford to buy them all at once. Doesn't mean we get to steal them. Pick the books you want immediately, within the bounds of your budget; pick up the rest later if/when you can, or learn to live with less.

"I have no money, I can't afford comics! (Sent from my iPhone)" *Sigh* There's always one...but I digress. There are places where you can read comics for free! They're called libraries. Most libraries will (albeit grudgingly) purchase comic books if requested. Most libraries I've gone to treat them as periodicals, so no, you won't be able to check them out to take home. You'll be able to get your comic fix for free though, and possibly even be exposed to non-comic reading material!

"I live at the ends of the Earth; with nothing more than a frozen tundra, the occasional penguin, and a high speed internet connection that lets me torrent/steal media because there isn't a store within a continent of here." First, let me congratulate you on your posting to McMurdo Station. I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year. Second, allow me to point out that even McMurdo, literally the ends of the earth when it comes to human habitation, has reliable enough internet access that you can use Comixology, Marvel Universe, DC (whatever); there are ways to download what you want *while paying for it.* Nobody is forcing you to steal.

In summary: Pay for your comics, don't steal them.

I don't think anyone here needs this advice, but you never know when someone who might will wander through. Besides, its a slow day, so I figured I'd dust off my soapbox.

Edited November 26, 2019 by BabaLament

[ADAMANTIUM]

Donny Cates Is going all Metallica for good reason! 

Edited November 26, 2019 by ADAMANTIUM

[revat]

34 minutes ago, BabaLament said:

Comics piracy is a fired up topic on Twitter (again).

Its basically devolved into a shouting match between creators & thieves. Creators (correctly) want to be paid for their work. Thieves are stealing *and* rather butt-hurt about being publicly called out for their criminal behavior.

Cates is a decent guy in person. I think his online/Twitter persona comes off as a bit self-oriented. However, a lot of people are like that on Twitter/social media (myself included); so I'm not willing to chuck boulders from the comfy confines of my glass bunker.

Personally, I think calling it "piracy" provides an entirely undeserved sense of grandeur to petty theft. Unless someone is stealing comics via torrent while on a wooden boat equipped with a minimum of six cannons, its not piracy but petty theft.

The arguments made by thieves are rather pathetic.

"Comics are expensive!" True. So are exotic sports cars, doesn't mean you get to steal them.

"I don't want to wait for new issues to come out, I want to read the entire story at once." Great! Go to a bookstore and buy a TPB; you can read an entire story run or collected issues for ~$15, which is a significant savings compared to buying each issue at retail.

"There are too many comics released each month, I can't afford them all." There are lots of things in life, most people can't afford to buy them all at once. Doesn't mean we get to steal them. Pick the books you want immediately, within the bounds of your budget; pick up the rest later if/when you can, or learn to live with less.

"I have no money, I can't afford comics! (Sent from my iPhone)" *Sigh* There's always one...but I digress. There are places where you can read comics for free! They're called libraries. Most libraries will (albeit grudgingly) purchase comic books if requested. Most libraries I've gone to treat them as periodicals, so no, you won't be able to check them out to take home. You'll be able to get your comic fix for free though, and possibly even be exposed to non-comic reading material!

"I live at the ends of the Earth; with nothing more than a frozen tundra, the occasional penguin, and a high speed internet connection that lets me torrent/steal media because there isn't a store within a continent of here." First, let me congratulate you on your posting to McMurdo Station. I hear Antarctica is nice this time of year. Second, allow me to point out that even McMurdo, literally the ends of the earth when it comes to human habitation, has reliable enough internet access that you can use Comixology, Marvel Universe, DC (whatever); there are ways to download what you want *while paying for it.* Nobody is forcing you to steal.

In summary: Pay for your comics, don't steal them.

I don't think anyone here needs this advice, but you never know when someone who might will wander through. Besides, its a slow day, so I figured I'd dust off my soapbox.

Also, and I'm not saying this is the 'best', but it is certainly legal:  Just go to your barnes and noble (or other major bookstore), grab an unwrapped (don't unwrap anything wrapped) TPB or hardback graphic novel off the shelf, sit in slightly uncomfortable chair, and CAREFULLY read the graphic novel for FREE.  Newer books, better selection, smells better than most libraries, better lighting, etc.

I agree that some might live too far out of town or that bookstores might closed down in some parts of the country, in which case you accept that you've sacrificed some of the conveniences of city life for the other advantages that you're looking for in terms of solitude.  In which case you should go to libraries (in addition to having your library buy periodicals), where you can read GN's and/or order them from other libraries in the network.  **

 

 

** as a side note, many people don't know this, but in most cases you can now borrow audio books or ebooks from your library.  You can set up an app and do it over the internet, don't even have to go the library physically.  Just some informational stuff for you nice folks.  I also use the library to dvd binge tv shows that aren't on streaming services that stream without commercials - right now my wife and I are going through Fringe and Its' Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

[the blob]

"Personally, I think calling it "piracy" provides an entirely undeserved sense of grandeur to petty theft. Unless someone is stealing comics via torrent while on a wooden boat equipped with a minimum of six cannons, its not piracy but petty theft."

Theft of intellectual property has been called "piracy" for a long time. Even small time theft. Indeed, a single small time IP theft that causes a $3 injury can result in a $30,000 award plus attorneys' fees.

Edited November 26, 2019 by the blob

[revat]

3 minutes ago, the blob said:

"Personally, I think calling it "piracy" provides an entirely undeserved sense of grandeur to petty theft. Unless someone is stealing comics via torrent while on a wooden boat equipped with a minimum of six cannons, its not piracy but petty theft."

Theft of intellectual property has been called "piracy" for a long time. Even small time theft. Indeed, a single small time IP theft that causes a $3 injury can result in a $30,000 award plus attorneys' fees.

Whenever I see the 'attorney's fees' part of these penalties, it always makes me wonder when the law was written.  Because by now the lawyer fees are a much bigger scare tactic than $30K.

[BabaLament]

48 minutes ago, the blob said:

Theft of intellectual property has been called "piracy" for a long time.

I get the legal side of it, and to @revat point about legal fees, good! As far as I'm concerned, if/when pirates are caught & capable of being sued, I hope the lawyers charge a thousand bucks an hour, and double-time over forty hours. It would be nice if those who facilitate theft, the host sites, were legally accountable but I'm guessing the servers, torrent companies, and owners involved are all incorporated/chartered in countries that don't give a hoot.

[the blob]

53 minutes ago, revat said:

Whenever I see the 'attorney's fees' part of these penalties, it always makes me wonder when the law was written.  Because by now the lawyer fees are a much bigger scare tactic than $30K.

It has been the law a long time. But remember, it's not just $30K. It's $30K per infringement. So if you pirate 8 issues it could be $240,000.

I've told the story here, but it bears repeating. About 17 years ago I sued someone who had been making bootleg copies of a deceased author's books. The elderly children still owned the rights. We are not talking about many sales, like 300 copies of 15 titles. The pirate's profits were like $1200. The judge was irritated with him (because they obviously lied at trial) and issued a $450,000 judgment. It had gone all the way to trial, so we had racked up over $250,000 in fees, which were also awarded. I won't say what we had been willing to settle for before putting time into it, but it was relatively negligible.

Now, I'm not saying pirating a comic to read has the same results. Damages can be as low as $750. But you still have fees. And chances are the comic business is not going to be like the music industry in the early 2000s terrorizing a bunch of teenagers. Anyway, we know what happened during the Napster wars and such.

(And to clarify, by "I" I mean my old employer... I sure as heck didn't get the $250,000 in fees. I didn't even get awarded a celebratory diet coke, although I was paid well then, no complaints.)

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by the blob