Mason Offers FREE Download of 'The Pirates Dilemma'

Book details how piracy is usually a response to a lack of desired options being offered in the marketplace.

About a month ago I mentioned Matt Mason's book "The Pirates Dilemma." Initially released for sale earlier this year, he has now decided to make it available for free download.

"Why would an author give away a book for free?" he writes. "Obviously it makes a lot of sense given the arguments in this particular book, but it’s true for all authors that piracy isn’t a threat, it’s an opportunity."

If you haven't already read it or at least watched the widely circulated video below where he discusses his thoughts in detail, then I urge you to do so.

Why? Because we live in an era where everything we consume, from branded foods to music, from movies to even art, is copyrighted in one way or another and it truly does create a "dilemma" for those who merely want to enjoy the fruits of others creativity in a reasonable and economical fashion.

In his book Mason also reiterates the findings of John Tehranian, a law professor at the University of Utah, who has calculated that each of us would be liable for $12.45 million USD if we were sued every time we accidentally violated copyright law in a single day.

"Copyright law is playing a profound role in shaping our very identities," Tehranian writes. "Copyright’s regulation, propertization, and monopolization of cultural content determine who can draw upon such content in the discursive process of identity formation."

"In short, copyright laws lie at the heart of 'struggles over discursive power—the right to create, and control, cultural meanings.'

It just doesn't make sense, and Mason's book points this out.

In an article he wrote for the The Independent he furthers:

Run-of-the-mill entrepreneurs look for gaps in the market, but pirates find gaps outside the market such as the English Channel places they're not supposed to go, where they can do things they're not supposed to be doing. When pirates aren't doing anything society finds useful, the strong arm of the law is usually enough to get rid of them, and protecting our intellectual property is often the smart thing to do. But when pirates are adding value, people tend to support them, and in those cases the pirates will keep coming back and multiplying, no matter how many people are sued. And the truth is, if lawsuits become a component part of your business model, then you no longer have a good business model.

In these cases, what pirates are actually doing is highlighting a market failure and pointing out a better way to do things; they find better ways for society to operate. In such situations the only way to fight piracy and survive is to legitimise and legalise these new innovations by competing with pirates in the marketplace. Once a new market is legitimised, more opportunities are created for everyone.

"The Pirates Dilemma" is a dilemma we all share.

DOWNLOAD "THE PIRATES DILEMMA"