It is true that I pay for things I could illegally obtain for free. It is not the fear of being caught that stops me, rather that I believe the creator should be rewarded so more good stuff is made.
It is not only individuals illegally downloading we have to consider. What production or publishing company will invest millions creating and distributing content if they can't make a profit? Very few I would think.
It is true that software licenses would become irrelevant as well. People who think software freedom is important (i.e. copyleft) would not be happy. On the other hand, software companies could also not sell proprietary software either. I guess everything would become a SaaS product.
It is not only individuals illegally downloading we have to consider. What production or publishing company will invest millions creating and distributing content if they can't make a profit? Very few I would think.
It is true that software licenses would become irrelevant as well. People who think software freedom is important (i.e. copyleft) would not be happy. On the other hand, software companies could also not sell proprietary software either. I guess everything would become a SaaS product.