When author and DJ Matt Mason talks about pirates he's not thinking about Blackbeard, Captain Pugwash or pieces of eight but those who are criticised for taking others ideas, copyright or intellectual property without permission, often trying to make money whilst doing so. If their actions were legal they would be called entrepreneurs and be hailed by society, but more often than not they are considered pariahs, sucking up all that other people and companies have created and giving nothing back.
Mason would like us to reconsider this position. In his book "The Priate's Dilemma: how hackers, punk capitalists and graffiti millionaires are remixing our culture and changing the world", Mason proposes that pirating has often been misunderstood, and that the very industries that fear and try to control piracy have often had piracy at their very birth and owe everything to them, citing in particular the phonographic industry and Hollywood. Mason believes that pirates can create solutions. He asks us to evaluate piracy in terms of whether it adds value to society.
An example of this theory is Radio London, the pirate radio station that eventually led to the launch of Radio 1 and the introduction of commercial radio to the UK - prior to 1964 pop music on the radio was unheard of and commercial radio was illegal.
Explaining this in person at the IPPR Mason described what pirates do best as:
- Looking for gaps outside the market
- The medium they use often has another message - such as in the case of Radio London: "Give us pop music".
- Harnessing the power of the audience
This approach can be seen as very threatening, as the music industry over the last decade has shown. But from a brand perspective Mason suggests that defence is not the best form of attack. Instead he suggests that brands should embrace the pirating philosophy and begin to compete with the pirates themselves. But how?
- Create products that can be hacked, re-mixed, or re-styled - thus extending the life cycle of the product and the number of interactions customers can have with the produce
- Sell something that can't be pirated - for instance an experience (eg. cinema going) or convenience (eg. iTunes)
- Copy and compete with the pirates - if they're doing something good with your product, copy it, legitimise it
Mason concluded at the IPPR that in today's hyper connected world the value of ideas (which value adding pirates live in) is going up but the value of capital is going down. To Mason, the case for embracing and not suing pirates is a clear business decision.
More links:
Reviews - Independent on Sunday, Guardian
Video - Matt's speech to the Medici Summit explaining the Pirate's Dilemma (40 mins)
Kathryn Corrick, digital strategist
