[jprete]

If it were legal to download movies and music, Netflix and Spotify would absolutely not exist.

Steam is an unusual case, because games are running software and can't be trivially reproduced in their unencoded form. The publishers can include copy protection, network connection requirements, or even run essential parts of game logic on their own servers. So free downloads became a much worse experience over time.

[Kim_Bruning]

> If it were legal to download movies and music, Netflix and Spotify would absolutely not exist.

I question this statement. First two hits:

* https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/welter_brennan_s_201212_ma.pd... Adding a movie to Netflix reduces piracy directly

* https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jeborg/v209y2023icp334-347.htm... Removing movies from Netflix increases piracy.

There's plenty more where that came from. Netflix actually reduces piracy. Not the other way around.

[jprete]

I was talking about a world where piracy is legal, which this one is not.