Fake DVDs in Shanghai

Slate has a great article about DVD and software piracy in Shanghai. Henry Blodget, the author, shows how casually the average Shanghai resident views buying these "pirated" materials. One of the most thought provoking comments, I found, was the following comment about how some industries try to liken the theft of digital property and physical property:

"When someone steals a physical product—a car, say, or a DVD from the shelves of Blockbuster—the owner has lost more than a potential sale; he or she has lost inventory. When someone buys a copy of a digital product, however, for which the owner of the copyright has paid nothing, the owner has lost only a potential sale."

And it's clear that this isn't going to stop anytime soon.

Link via Kottke.