End of story? ... hardly -
People also respond to the very real possibility of
impending consequences. The difference being that some people will grab that opportunity, and learn from their mistakes. They will also come out of that experience with a more enlightened perspective of the RIAA, and maybe,
just maybe, influence their peers. There are many successful examples of what I am talking about, for instance - some of those 'come clean' programs for drug abusers. Addicts have benefited (as has society) from offering a safe haven to seek help, instead of being thrown in the slammer for being a drug user. Going after these small fish like they were baby seals, is IMO not worth the chump change that the industry receives. Not to mention the incredibly bad
PR. I mean, regardless of what enforcement progress might have been made at the end of the day, I think their advisors are out to lunch if they truly believe that this is going to turn out well for them in the long run. Put a different way: You don't kill an anthill by stepping on each ant. You poison a few and they carry the toxins back to the nest. So flip it the bits and infiltrate this peer group with advocates
for the RIAA.
Your speeding analogy disregards the widespread disbelief among many drivers (
or at least most speeders) that speed limits are set primarily for safety concerns. Many drivers see them as the no. 1 revenue generator on the planet (
along with D.C. parking violations) and no one who wants to hold their government job is going to attempt to kill that golden goose. Hell, even most cops speed. What a great example and show of respect for the law that displays, eh? Many people speed either because they like to, and because they don't respect the law ... and this is primarily a direct result of not respecting those who represent the law to them.
Likewise, the music industry has treated many of it's once loyal customers, as poorly as the U.S. automotive industry. So while I don't condone theft as a form of protest or anything, I do think it is a huge mistake to ignore the sociological motivators which can turn a large block of
potentially satisfied customers', into a social network of
disgruntled former customers, most of whom don't have one good thing to say about the music industry.
An attempt to earn respect might be the first step towards turning this thing around. As in everything, win their Hearts & Minds first and their bodies will follow (
presumably along with their purchasing dollars). As many have already said, you ain't going to stop this behavior, no matter what you do. So the industry can continue to swat flies (good luck with that
), but they should also be prepared to spend their remaining profits on litigation instead of innovation... since they'll never stop the flood by using intimidation and brute force tactics alone.
If that approach worked we would have already pulled out of Iraq, victorious.