The Pirate Bay May Be Launched As a Pay Service

[scapegraced]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10288235-93.html

[Dilpil]

We already tried this with napster. From what I hear it is not going well. Filesharing sites do not succeed on brand equity, they succeed on the fact that they offer things for free.

[yason → Dilpil]

And by offering something the media companies don't:

* Movies and tv-series as simple non-DRM'd non-crippled files that can be played on any available video player as many times as you want.

* Old productions that aren't for sale currently or any longer.

* Productions that aren't released in your country

* Productions that you've already bought but unable to convert to easily copyable digital format.

[erso → yason]

Each of the things you've listed here are the sort of thing you'd expect to be negotiated away by said media companies before they agree to any licensing.

[Dilpil → erso]

Yes, you would expect that. It would be completely reasonable to expect that. But this is not the reality of the situation.

[reg4c]

Blugh, and the company that bought them was all like "We wanna keep the users happy and keep things the way they are"

I think its safe to say that The Pirate Bay has died.

[scapegraced → reg4c]

I don't think that the Pirate Bay has died yet, but I think once the owners begin to charge for their services, users are going to look elsewhere. I know I will.

[Musashi]

Sounds more like Pirate Pay

[drawkbox → Musashi]

Yes I was thinking the same. The irony of "pirates" mixed with legal commerce is obviously not being thought through.

[whatusername → drawkbox]

Maybe a mafia/protection racket might work?

ie: We will pass on all your details to the RIAA unless you pay up?