Warez. Where did the word originate? Since the start of the Internet boom, “warez” has been one of the top terms searched for on search engines. In the early 80’s, the word “warez” became the slang term for trading software among others via online bulletin board sites, the precursor to the Internet. In those early days, the industry labeled file traders “pirates” which almost romanticized the act for young warez traders. As the size and popularity of the Net grew, so did the amount of warez sites and the desire to find those hidden treasures. Today “warez” is the underground term for all the software, music, and movies posted on websites or traded through peer-to-peer networks.
Despite threats and tactics by the gaming and entertainment industry, millions of people trade warez everyday, and most experts believe that it will always be part of our society. Most everyone agrees that the bootlegging of packaged media for profit is a serious crime. However, the non-profit trading or backup of media is considered fair use by the masses. Are the various industries losing money? Or is peer-to-peer trading the best promotion a music artist can hope for? There have been many myths about file trading and much propaganda, but in the end, the majority judges what is right or wrong. Industry now has to figure out a solution: Sue everyone or harness the marketing possibilities of millions of warez traders.
The three industries (software, music, and film) have approached the file trading world with different attitudes. The software industry has adjusted, the music industry is in a full panic, and the movie industry is becoming concerned about future income losses. A look at the different industries and the attitude and actions by their consumers/file traders, shows two things: The overall consumer trades files, and the overall file trader is still a consumer.
Software Industry’s View: We’ve lived with warez trading for 20 years. Today, we make more money than the movie industry.
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