Bolivia is the country in South America with the third highest incidence of pirated software – films, music, computer games.
Many regard pirating – the illegal copying of licensed software – as standard practice. Few think about copying a DVD or CD, and in La Paz it is almost impossible to buy a copy of a film that is not pirated. Some even regard it as a public good, by improving accessibility to those who could otherwise not afford the film in question.
Actually, software piracy is stealing – from the producer, from the designer, and from the artist. The fewer original copies of his product an artist can sell, the less able he will be to live off his art. Piracy is a tax on creativity and against artistic development. It is especially hard on the domestic film, music, video or computer industry.
So the next time you buy a pirated film (and, yes, we all do it) think again. Can you find an original version? It might cost you more. But by buying it, you might just guarantee that your favourite film maker or song writer will be able to afford to continue to produce another movie, or that second album