(2003-09-27) Content Pirates And Emperors

Dave Winer and Doc Searls point out the framing of Music Sharing as "piracy". The St Augustine story (which I read in Noam Chomsky's book) seems appropros: The story by St. Augustine in his "City of God," about a confrontation between king Alexander The Great and a Pirate whom he caught; Alexander the Great asks, "How dare you molest the sea?" The pirate turns to Alexander the Great and says, "How dare you molest the whole world? I have a small boat, so I am called a thief and a pirate. You have a navy, so you are called an emperor (empire)." (Pirates and Emperors) Discuss.

Customers & Markets vs. PIrates & Emperors --2003/09/28 01:33 GMT
I like the pirate's sentiment, but the analogy doesn't wash (pun semi-intended). The problem is that the five biggest music producers, through the RIAA and its FUD campaign, have successfully re-labeled as "pirates" those customers who freely share digital copies of recorded music. Music sharing is a complicated new market phenomenon that has barely begun and that desperately needs to be understood in useful and constructive language. Just as "pirate" mislabels customers, "emperor" mislabels the record industry. Neither are useful, methinks, late on a Saturday...