Thoughts on copyright violation, piracy and illegal downloads

I have been engaged in a few discusions lately on these topics and one question keeps rasing its ugly head.

Who is hurt by copyright violation, piracy and illegal downloads?

Many people, mostly the reprobates that run the dishonest download sites, say no one. They are wrong. The artists, musicians and writers are hurt.
Of course, the pirates don’t want you to think about that because they are making too much money off their website membership subscriptions and advertising. They don’t want you to think about the human beings who created that art, music or book you are illegitimately downloading. They don’t want you to know you are a criminal (you may not like that fact, but it’s true) the minute you pilfer that prohibited copy. Because the fact is these sites are engaging in illegal distribution which is a violation of copyright. They do not have the legal right to provide any copies for downloading. By participating in these sites, you are receiving a pirated copy from an unlawful distributor.

Now, how is piracy hurting people?

Well, creative types need to make a living the same as you, and contrary to popular belief, the majority of writers, musicians or artists do not make millions in royalties. Some of us make a profit, but generally not enough to pay the bills; some artists or writers are lucky if they break even.  Most have regular jobs, our creative efforts are what we love to do in what spare time we can scape together. We send our efforts out into the world hoping someday we can aspire to have a full-time career and you, pirate lovers, are spitting on that.

Our work is our work, not yours. We allow you the opportunity to read it by offering it for sale. You do not have the right to take it!  When pirates rip us off, we feel violated, angry, sad, disappointed and discouraged.  I mean, would you want to try and make a living in a workplace where your potential customers think it is okay to take your work without paying for it?

As a writer, I can tell you months (and no I am not exaggerating) of my life can go into a book. Why would I want to waste that effort on thieves?  Would you?

Think about the person behind that song, book, or graphic next time, before you download. If you think causing pain is fun, then click your mouse.

The One Truth (and the six lies)

No this post isn't about the secrets of the universe (I'm saving that for another day), I'm just revealing the answers to my previous post Awards and Lies.  In that post I told six lies and one truth and asked my readers to guess which was which.  Now I'm spilling the secret:

My Creative Facts:


I have travelled to at least nine countries.
A lie.  I have only been to two counties, Canada and the United States.

I have never owned a pet.
Another lie.  I have been a pet owner of cats for most of my life.

I am an only child.
Lie.  I am the youngest of the family and have six siblings.

I own replica swords, including the katana from the film, Highlander.
The Truth.  I have an entire collection of replica swords I purchased from Ebay, including a reproduction of the Highlander katana and the Bride's sword from Kill Bill.

My favourite dessert is Deep Dish Apple Pie.
A lie.  I like pie, but my absolute favourite dessert is Black Forest Cake.  You can't get any better than chocolate, cherries and whipped cream.

My least favourite actor is Bruce Campbell.
An enormous lie.  I am a huge fan of Bruce Campell.

I love to watch horror movies.
A lie.  I almost never watch horror movies.  They scare me to death and give me nightmares. 

A fan’s thoughts on the ending of “Lost”

A fan’s thoughts on the ending of “Lost”

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A Quaint Tale of a Kitty: Review of Catwalk: A Feline Odyssey

Catwalk: A Feline Odyssey by Kathie Freeman is a charming, creative book, just the type of fiction that makes perfect reading for an afternoon. Waves of nostalgia washed over me as I thumbed through the pages, as I was reminded of the books I read when I was younger.

The book is written from the point of view of a cat, a sassy, sweet-tempered girl, who narrates her own story with a delightful voice. Her odyssey begins with her first home, as the pet of a young couple. Conflicts arise and she is soon abandoned by the pair, pregnant and alone, to fend for herself. The rest of the book recounts her adventures as she finds a new place to live, becomes an accidental stowaway, and then has to find her way back home.

“Closer and closer the footsteps came, but still I couldn’t see the searcher. A few feet from our hiding place they stopped”

The book is suitable for most ages and is an enchanting read. The author does an excellent job of capturing the character of a cat and maintaining a believable note of feline authenticity. Scenes and settings are also shaped with a wonderful realistic touch, with rich three-dimensional characters.

“What fun! I pounced on it and somersaulted over, kicking at it mightily with my hind feet.”

The book does sag a bit in the middle, stretching the credibility just a bit, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment. In addition, the ending did leave a few loose endings dangling, which distracted me from the happy conclusion. These are not major problems, simply minor quibbles.
Catwalk is an appealing book and I recommend it happily.


Catwalk: A Feline Odyssey is available at Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

Review of “Iron Man 2”

Check out my article on Examiner.com:

Review of “Iron Man 2”