There’s a rumour going round that the first pirated XBox 360 game can now be found on the web. Call of Duty 2 was ripped from a XBox 360 disc and released in .iso format.
To me this does not come as a surprise. Piracy is so rampant nowadays it seems like part of our culture. In my opinion, piracy can never be eradicated. As long as there is a demand there will always be supply. Not many people can afford the exorbitant price tag of the original hence creating the demand.
No matter what steps we take to counter piracy, pirates will always come up with ways to circumvent it. For example, cinemas are now screening patrons for any video recording devices in their bags before entering the theatre. This does not stop piracy at all. It only delays it. When the original movie is released in VCDs or DVDs, it will just be a matter of time before copies of it is found in p2p sites. There is also the copies of screener versions circulating out there.
Like it or not, piracy is a lucrative business. Illegal, yes but lucrative nonetheless. The way I see it, the only sure way to remove piracy is to brainwash the entire world population but that’s wishful thinking. If I can brainwash the entire world, I wouldn’t start with piracy.
So what can we do about piracy? I can’t say much on this subject because I am guilty of it. However, if the punishment for piracy is severe enough, perhaps it would make people think twice. Maybe if for every pirated CD found on a person, would means 3 months prison, that would seriously reduce piracy. But then the governments would have to turn an island the size of Australia into a detention center for pirates.
Oh well, I guess piracy is here to stay.
