Peer-to-peer file sharers may not want to pay for everything they download, but one man thinks they should at least have a venue for setting their conscience straight.
And so there's a Web site, called PiracyPayback.org, that accepts donations through Paypal. Donating doesn't get you off the legal hook for piracy, and it doesn't expose you to lawsuits, either; it's just a way to gain back a little karma. Though the site was launched in January 2009, Ars Technica only discovered it recently, and I think it's bold enough to deserve a little more exposure.
Piracy Payback's operator is identified only as "Drew K," of Australia. Every quarter, Drew K sums up the donations, keeps 12 percent for site upkeep and gives the rest to copyright organizations or artist representatives, whom he calls "beneficiaries." These recipients go unnamed, because they don't want to be seen as condoning piracy.
The beliefs that inspired Piracy Payback are admirable: The site says it stands for grassroots contributions to the arts and recognizes that content creators -- especially smaller ones that haven't struck it rich -- are hurt by piracy. At the same time, the site believes that the content industries stifle innovation by snuffing ideas if they produce big paychecks, especially after piracy is accounted for.
Unfortunately, Piracy Payback may be a little too optimistic. Drew K admits to Ars that public interest hasn't been particularly high, but I think there could be a couple reasons for this. The first is publicity, as this is the first I've ever heard of the site, and even Ars is covering it nine months after launch. More importantly, if you happen upon Piracy Payback's Web site, how do you know it can be trusted, especially when rights holders won't publicly admit to being involved?
If the site languishes, it'll be a shame, because the idea is noble. It may not be the most logical way to compensate rights holders, but it's better than nothing.
