The streaming media industry has exploded over the last decade. There are now many more choices for how to stream content then there were only a few short years ago. However, there are also new ways of accessing the same copyrighted content for free, such as through bit torrent websites.
Back in the day, people used DVD and CD burners to illegally copy and distribute copyrighted content. Before that, people would bootleg such content using cassette tapes. This is not a new issue, but the Internet has made it significantly easier to engage in media piracy nowadays.
One may think that little harm comes to streaming companies when they lose the sale of one rental or have one less subscriber, but it’s the video makers, music creators, or owners of the shared content, who suffer from the loss of revenue in the form of lost royalties for their work. Recently, many popular streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu, began implementing new protections to prevent the sharing of passwords, which have resulted in fewer subscriptions.
From the perspective of a business owner in one of those pirated industries, what can or should the Federal government do to address media piracy? Whether your answer is they should do something or nothing, explain the rationale for your position utilizing evidence from your textbook or outside sources to support your view.
