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Because you know me?
But yes you are kind of right, the point I was making is that lots of you lot do have a problem with it normally but seem to change your mind when it comes to benefiting yourselves.........
Cars cost more in Europe than in US, does that justify me robbing a car dealership?
People do free downloads because it is easy and free, not because of some high moral principles or economic analysis.......
What would happen if everyone downloaded software, no-one payed for it?
I heard that the Yorkshire Post got heavly fined for installing one licence on all their PC's of some photo software,
Normally when software companies suspect a business is using more copies than theirt licence allows they contact them telling them what a great deal theyvegot on licences and how their product is worth it and Oh you do realise thats its illegal to not buy all the licences you need were sure youl aprecheate what a good service we offer
Well they only released Harry Potter last week didn't they? Gun and the Movies the week before that.
Only with cars it's a slightly different story. For instance it is possible to buy cars abroad that will work here (as opposed to DVDs and games)- if only because manufacturers haven't worked out a way to stop them working here, I suspect. But the point is, cars were unjustifiably more expensive here than they were in the Continent, and since various companies were created specialising in bringing cars from abroad and doing all the paperwork for you, all for a fraction of the asking price here, greedy scumbag manufactures have been forced to lower their prices.
However this is not possible in the DVD and videogame market. So much for free fucking trade and capitalism!
I beg to differ. I don't bother doing illegal downloads and very rarely buy illegal copies of DVDs. On occasion I do though, as do many people I know. But there would be no need to do this if DVDs cost £7 instead of £14.
The pirate DVD and CD market would be dramatically reduced if were charged the real cost of them in the shops, instead of the inflated price. And the greedy corporations have only themselves to blame for the roaring trade pirate copies do.
I find it hard to equate copied software with nicking a car, if only because I can't borrow my mate's car and make an exact copy, then give it back.
I can't be arsed with illegal downloading or whatnot, but the price differences infuriate me. DVDs are a piece of piss to make (compared to video cassettes) but cost so much more.
So you do advocate theft as long as the item costs more than somewhere else, that is OK?
Super.......
Maybe somepeople would not do ilegal downloads if the real stuff is cheaper but I very much doubt that it ould stop the majority
What exactly makes you so sure that these prices do not reflect the appropriate costs?
Do you work for a company that sells things? How do you price you products?
Yes the price of an actual DVD is rather small but there a many other costs associated with it, i.e. the cost of the actual film, marketing, distribution, the wage paid to the shop assistants, the cost of running the shop etc etc........
If everyone downloaded for free than films would not get made and everyobne loses, the people who benefit are those that can and will download......
I really hope you can tell the difference between the two.
Because exactly the same product is being sold nicely for a profit elsewhere at half the price, thank you very much.
Unless you are suggesting the shipping costs for DVDs run up to £10 per unit... (and for Europe alone, while places far further away and more difficult to reach do still manage to sell it cheaper). :rolleyes:
For example in the UK property prices are higher than most places, so shops have to pay more rent, this is an extra cost to match so they will have to charge more for their products.
The same reason that when you go to Greece you will find that food is alot cheaper, it isn't because everyone in Britain is beoing ripped off, it is because there are different costs, primarily the fact that for example waiters, chefs etc in UK get paid more than there Greek equivalents........
Minimum wage is much higher in the EU than in the US, floor space in shops is comparitively more expensive here in the UK, taxes are higher here....
It isnt just greedy profit taking.
That would be the fault of varying costs, the absence of a sales tax in the US and exchange rates.
Which're the same costs associated with its cheaper predecessor.
What part of the US doesnt have sales tax?
Only New Hampshire, that I know of.
Not they are not, DVD's normally have added bits, extra's, out takes etc.
Fair enough (and the menu thingy), but they were filmed anyway...all they need is editing and putting in place on. Also, video cassettes were more complex to manufacture (all the fiddly flaps and owt).
Oh, they also have those bastard extras that mean I can't skip through all the shite (and trailers, if you're really unlucky) at the beginning.
I think what everyone needs is a region free DVD player, so they're not limited by EU only DVDs. NTSC/PAL was a technical issue, but this isn't.
If it were just down to higher costs in Europe (which it ain't) then there would be no reason to manufacture the goods sold in America so they cannot be used in Europe. Would there?
And in any case you will find that the prices of such goods are pretty much the same in lower rent, lower cost, lower wage countries such as Spain than they are in here- which goes to prove beyond any doubt whatsoever the prices we pay in Europe have bugger all to do with higher costs or any other such factor.
The prices are artificially set up so high for no good reason whatsoever other than profiteering- fact.
And for that manufacturers deserve all piracy they get, and more.
There is sales tax in the US
If it were dependant on exchange rates you would see the prices fluctuate would you not?
And yet, prices have remained as high as ever regardless of the US dollar being far stronger than the euro or far weaker.
Face it- it's an artificially high price fixing cartel. Nothing more, nothing less.
okay good examples - iTunes
you can only buy form the UK site which charges 79p a song
from a french or german euro site you pay 99c which is less than 68p-70p a song on average currency fluctuations
in the US its even cheaper at 1$ a song or 50p
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4065539.stm
there is NO difference in delivery since you're using the same servers probably, even if it isn't why cant i just download from the US servers? - that is price fixing do you not agree
then theres the issue of region setting on dvds, and the fact a company who was buying wholesale audio CDs in hongkong and selling them to english people for cheap was done by a record company for breaking copyright law in that they were selling CDs made for another market - despite preaching theres 1 global market
Why?
Oh I do agree that there is price-fixing etc in some circumstances, I was just pointing out that you cannot attribute different prices in general to such factors.
I agree that you should be able to buy (legal copies) of whatever form anywhere.
What I don't agree with is the 'evil corporation' line that is used to justify theft because that is bollocks...
the comapnies who dont screw me over i buy from
when i know for fact they screw me over and they use management jargon, i deprive of what they want, my money
By not having their product?
I'd like to see evidence of this for developed european countries.
I assumed there wasn't, after looking it up its only around 5%, where in europe its around 20-25%.
They don't fluctuate enough to warrent continuous change in prices. and if they are cartels like you insist they are changes in costs shouldnt change prices.
GDP per capita (2004 figures)
USA $37,800
Spain $22,000
Greece $19,900
http://www.photius.com/rankings/economy/gdp_per_capita_2004_0.html
In addition to this I have been to all three countries (and have lived in one for 20 years) and I can assure you that the cost of living, average wages and production costs are far higher in the US than they are in the likes of Spain, Greece or Portugal. So let's not pretend otherwise eh?
Not so big a different as that. It's anything between 5% and 8.75% or thereabouts for the US, and 15% to 20% for European countries. In many cases you'd be talking about a difference of 7% or even less.
Not at all. You just send the goods in Europe and charge a fixed price, safe in the knowledge that no matter how much the market fluctuates you're making a very healthy 60%-100% extra profit. So prices can safely be left in the, say £15 mark for a DVD or £40 for a game regardless of what the currencies are doing.