| abstract | - If you're watching television, it doesn't matter if the characters are drug-smuggling, whore-mongering, granny-beating, world-destroying murderers: the illegal downloading of movies and music is guaranteed to morally offend them. Any good character who doesn't fall in with this philosophy will learn his lesson by the end of the episode. Expect physical theft to be used as a comparison and/or a plot point. That said, both sides of the debate are rife with inaccuracies and strawman statements. There are much more nuances to the matter and to the sides than often given credit for. Most videos these days have the now-standard Interpol Notice, many DVD's also include a PSA in the beginning about how piracy is wrong. In the most extreme cases, this segment can't be skipped...sometimes the disc can't even be stopped while it's playing. Ironically, the person who's logically most likely to see it is someone who legally paid to own a copy. Keep Circulating the Tapes and Abandon Ware are related concepts. However, in regards to this trope, they are usually ignored. This is because companies that are the victims of such types of piracy often give subtle glances that they don't particularly care, or may even actively encourage it. Information Wants to Be Free, on the other hand, will usually pose a clear danger and demand swift action. Not that it will help much. Not to mention, people typically don't complain about Keep Circulating the Tapes and Abandon Ware anyways, since it's not exactly hurting any business if the market's nonexistent in the first place. See also New Media Are Evil, Even Evil Has Standards, What Do You Mean It's Not Heinous?, Copy Protection. See Digital Distribution for a form of media which can be tarred with the same brush. Similar arguments are occasionally made against Fanfic by authors, complete with the analogy to stealing cars. Also, see Internet Counterattack for one example of what happens when the pirates throw tantrums, as well as Flame War for what happens when pirates and anti-pirates collide online. For the polar opposite, see Digital Piracy Is Okay. Examples of Digital Piracy Is Evil include:
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