>Netflix & iTunes make video & music so easy to get at such low cost, with walls just high enough that jumping 'em costs more than complying,
The problem is when they alter the deal - pray they do not alter it further. Netflix is nice and all, but as a recent TheOatmeal strip suggests, it's not for everything. A great deal of their content still requires disc rental due to studios stuck in last century.
And then their library took a huge hit when Starz pulled out.
As for iTunes, their price is still too high for me. $10 for an album? Pass. And the less said about their (still DRM-encumbered) video offerings, the better.
I'd much rather see a model much like the now defunct AllOfMP3 had - you pay per filesize, at a flat rate, - pick any format you want.
>Methinks the real point of the issue is that there is a subculture which is he11-bent on illegal/immoral behavior
But are you willing to assume that the lion's share of, say, The Pirate Bay's users are that subculture? I'm not going to deny that a cracker culture exists - but they're kind of a minority. Most people would rather get their content at a non insulting price with non insulting terms.
>do you seriously think the author would be satisfied if someone just gave him a shoebox containing all commercial music & movies outright, no strings attached? or would you expect him to nonetheless find something to pursue, contrary to rules, to exercise his intellect & creativity & efforts on?
Keep in mind that it is human nature to strike back at someone who wrongs you in some percieved way. If you shit on someone long enough, eventually they'll start doing things, even against their own best interest, just to spite you.
I'd wager the MafiAA and like organizations occupy that point in a lot of people's minds.