"Pirates of 0.79 €"

I was lucky enough to read one of the best opinion pieces I've read in this business in recent months, is Julio Cesar Fernandez and published in Unofficial . Talk about piracy in IOS and is so well explained that I will quote no more, I think I have nothing to add or omit.

I must say that this is not just my opinion as a writer, but what you always defend Actualidad iPhone.

Thanks Julio Cesar:

"Today I have been crystal clear one thing I suspected. There is a sector of the population says it wants to jailbreak their devices IOS for the simple reason of having more freedom to customize the possibilities of it and to have an interesting Cydia store as full of possibilities that Apple does not officially permit. In short, people who want to get more out of the possibilities of IOS. To all of them great because they are using functionality that even to lose the warranty of the device is legal, so no problem.

But there are other elements, all they want is to install a program called Installous, in order to fill their gaming device (mostly) that is physically impossible to play at the same time, given the amount, and are considered the right not to pay amounts "as stratospheric" as € 0.79 for a game. Of course, then spend much more in bottles, or coffee, or to pay one hour of parking in controlled areas, in a soda can, gas for the car itself is worth all that ... but why pay for a game?

It must be that these gentlemen think that the games are like mushrooms in the forest. A good supply of moss or a fern well humedito, and go everywhere. Games and applications should be the same, and do not stop to think that there are companies or independent developers behind by professionals who spend hours to think, design, programming, composing music, voice recording, all kinds of tests work ... months or even years, which offers an affordable and competitive price to make it available to everyone ... but still, why pay? I'll take free period.

That's what they think about the more than 15,000 people playing the game Fingerkicks that appear on the boards of the same, but have not paid for it. As I read the company blog Gameized, creators of the same, the total sales reported by the App Store since they launched the game is not over 1,200 sales, however, there are more than 17,000 users with different results and Apple ID at Game Center. If we remove those who buy with the same Apple ID but then use several for Game Center (family accounts) the figure is somewhat lower, but still is really shameful to see how lightly people take the work of others, and think you are right not to pay anything. And eye Fingerkicks not only costs € 0.79, plus universal is what we need for iPhone and iPhone / iPod Touch!.

I've said it once, and it is absolutely true: I am in favor of the Try Before buy, and I practice it myself. There are a lot of music in the genre that I like, and it is normal to hear something down and want to be clear whether or not (sometimes I use Spotify for that, that's fine too). In that sense, Installous performs a function which does not allow the App Store, download the game or program, try it and see if it really worth it. I think is correct and it is our right as consumers. What does not seem right is that we'll take it, period.

We're not talking stratospheric numbers, nothing affordable. We're talking about a game that costs € 0.79 ($ 0.99) is much less than I paid every day for other things, but of course here we enter a cultural problem. Stealing a CD is a crime, because we are stealing a CD (something physical and tangible), but not download it because there is nothing tangible ("only" are data). If we go to the store and we got a Nintendo DS game under his shirt is very bad and we do not because it is a theft, but internet and download it is not the same ... not the fault exit.NNo sir, we are talking about it.

By the way, and as a clarification, go also a warning to Apple because, honestly, I do not seem to have realized that allowing pirated games to use Game Center and all its features, is a disservice to its business model . As does, for example, banning Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles that are modified in their firmware to allow pirated copies, Game Center should do the same. It should not be allowed to use the Apple Game Center ID who have not purchased the game legally.

In the end, in my view, the future of cultural consumption is because the user can test the product: game demos to try as there are on platforms like Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, services such as Spotify allow me to hear all the music want and select which is the one it is worth paying or services such as NetFlix which allow me to watch movies you want, and when you see a good buy if I want. Services that are accessible to any audience, allowing one to consume directly and easily and to choose with all the guarantees we like and pay for it.

But theft is not something tangible, such as downloading a game, it is not lawful. In the end, like it or not, we are robbing a simple reason: we are getting something that has a price without it. We are not stealing € 0.79 can be considered neither a crime, but we are doing and that is wrong. The only person we serve and the one we favor is ourselves, but we're hurting a lot with this act.

The current market failure are two, in my view, prices that do not correspond to the products (too expensive in many cases) and not having the opportunity to see, hear or play what we purchase, before making the investment. But these people are showing that even well enough. They're showing that there is a very important sector of the population who pay nothing because they consider the right to use whatever they want regardless of what or who has done the job. That does not seem right.

Not all pirates are criminals, not the cultural industry is a Santa. There is a middle ground where there are conflicts to be resolved and business models to be redefined. Abusive and obsolete concepts as the current application of copyright, which lasts 70 years after the death of the author, should be changed . But they have to be to fit a very clear fact:

• Where the author of a work (music, movie, game, etc.). Remunerated for their work, the highest percentage of all because they are the creators and origin.
• Where distribution channels are comfortable, effective and affordable to anyone of any ability to pay, receive remuneration for their performance, but well below the author.
• Where the absurd notion of compensation for private copying or the penalty try before you buy away. The evidence before the purchase to be a right.

But if people like Apple, created a business model for the future, with a distribution channel where the channel bright receives 30% of the creators and 70% (most) and place a product at an affordable price to any pocket ... we can not do is allow a number of people without moral advantage of it and even believe that it is worth paying such a trivial amount for the effort of a team, company or developer.

Please, it is very simple. It's as easy as paying for the apple store-bought or gum in the jellybeans. You have to pay for it, as you would not think of running off with the gum. You pay the price of things (can not believe that has to say this) and this will get more and more companies making games for all to enjoy. If the candy store 80% of people take things without paying, in the end this would have to close, right? Watching this brutal piracy rate in IOS (and therefore more complex hacking and is understood as an ecosystem that is running) Now I understand why any company in their right mind bet on Android where piracy levels are even higher. It is a shame, because if companies see potential in and bet on Android would be brutal possibilities.

And certainly not worth me the issue of credit cards and do not want to give them online (but then do not give to a waiterI do not know to be lost from sight and I charged the meal to pass, pass by a duplicator if necessary). If we do not trust (which seems entirely consistent and lawful) or simply do not have credit or debit card, there is an easy solution: in any large area there are magnificent iTunes prepaid cards for 15 €, which will give us to much and where there is no card to give anything. Safer and faster impossible. "