There are times when I wish that I didn't take such hardline stands on things--pirated stuff for example. Once I thought about the full implications of buying cheaper anime CDs at the expense of my personal morals and beliefs, I decided that I would never knowingly buy unlicensed CDs again. I say unknowingly because I think that since that time I purchased pirated CDs under the misconception that they were legitimate. ^^;;
Anyway, I am very vocal in my belief that buying pirated CDs is wrong. I mean, no matter how you try to turn the matter into an issue of who's trying to rip who off, or who you are or are not hurting, I think that if people really thought about it, they would realize that you can't condone pirating material without undermining the entire foundation of Western society. For anyone who's studied Western history, philosophy, or even political science, I'm sure you've heard that our society is based on the acceptance of the fundamental principle of the inviolable right to private property. This means that people have the right to say that something is theirs, and that others don't have the right to take what belongs to someone else.The only exception that I would make to this rule would be if a person lacked basic necessities like food or water. Since anime definitely does not fit into either category, there's no justification for stealing from the rightful royalties/copyright, etc. holders. Anime is a luxury, and as such, those who produce it have the right to charge as much as they would like for it. If someone can't handle the price, then that someone will simply have to learn to do without.
This is not something that I say lightly, either. It's not as if I'm a mere "dabbler" in anime, so that I don't, or can't understand the desire to have anime stuff. I spend 40% of my income (from work, gifts, etc.) on anime in all forms--DVD, manga, artbook, CD, etc.--and you what, I'd be able to get a lot more for my money if I bought HK or Taiwanese versions of things rather than the Japanese. Not to mention I only recently started to like some very old series for which the merchandise, like CDs, is extremely hard to find and out of print. If I am so lucky as to be able to find a retailer who can special the Hana Yori Dango: Encore Piece from Tsukushi CD, for example, it will probably cost me between $60 and $100 Canadian (when you add tax, shipping, etc.), and again, that's assuming any retailer could actually find it for me. So am I tempted to buy the SM or EverAnime version of the soundtrack which is both readily available and considerably cheaper? Of course I am! But I can't do so without totally compromising my beliefs and becoming a complete hypocrite, so now I have to learn to do without, or be prepared to pay a ridiculously high price for a single CD. Oh, and did I mention that HYD is one of my ultimate favourite anime for all-time? And that I love the soundtrack and find myself humming "Ordinary Sunday" all the time? You can bet that it was a hard decision for me. Just think about it.
