Week Eleven

Medosch argues that: “piracy, despite being an entirely commercially motivated activity carried out in black or grey markets, fulfills culturally important functions”.

As discussed in my Week Three blog entry, bonding over common interests is the basis of the formation of online communities (Van Dijck, 2009). The sense of belonging felt when one is part of a community is important to the mental and social function of any human being, whether in the real world or in cyberspace (Van Dijck, 2009). The Internet provides people from all corners of the globe to feel connected with one another through the various services it offers. In recent years, the development of the piracy market has aided the establishment and growth of numerous online communities. As Medosch (2008) argues, “piracy, despite being an entirely commercially motivated activity carried out in black or grey markets, fulfills culturally important functions”. Illegal streaming and viewing of TV shows and movies has given those without legal access to these texts the opportunity to participate in a community through shared appreciation (Medosch, 2008).

The global GossipGirl phenomenon is an example of how piracy has played a role in the creation of what is now a cult-like obsession for many teenagers worldwide. According to an article published in the online version of New York Post, a Chinese version of the American teen soap was proposed due to the show’s popularity in the country (Daly, 2010). Said executive producer Stephanie Savage, it was estimated that “more people watch [Gossip Girl] online in China than watch [the show] in (all forms of) viewing combined in the United States” and “they [were] watching it illegally” without streaming from the show’s network (Daly, 2010). “I think [Gossip Girl] speaks to young people in a universal way,” said the series’ creator Josh Schwartz.

However, November 2010 saw a crackdown on the streaming of unauthorized foreign television shows in China, resulting in a nation-wide ban of all pirated material, both tangible and online (Chang, Sun and Zhang, 2011). This included the removal of all Gossip Girl episodes from the country’s main provider, Youku.com. Online communities in China of Gossip Girl viewers were left without means to access their beloved television show (Chang, Sun and Zhang, 2011). Within a few weeks, the negative reception to the total ban prompted the government to reassess its laws on foreign productions and moved to bring copyrighted versions of Gossip Girl and other programs to the screens of its people (Chang, Sun and Zhang, 2011).

Youku.com

Without first being exposed to the pirated copies via video sharing sites, the move to push for the right to view foreign TV shows in China may not have been occurred. As Medosch states in Paid In Full, “piracy fulfills an important role by giving access to cultural goods which would otherwise be unavailable to the vast majority of people” (Medosch, 2008). Today, the strangehold the government placed on Youku.com in regards to foreign material has been loosened and the site continues to gain popularity. The freedom to determine one’s own viewing pleasures in China may seem minor in comparison far graver issues faced by its citizens. Nonetheless, any step towards gaining greater jurisdiction over one’s life is a positive one.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Chang, X., Sun, D. and Zhang, Y. (2011) Reshuffling China’s online video-sharing industry amid copyright protection, English News, Xiuhuanet.com, January 8, 2011. Accessed 02/06/11 via [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-01/08/c_13681857.htm]
Daly, S. (2010) “Gossip Girl” To China, New York Post website, July 30, 2010. Accessed 02/06/11 via [http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/gossip_girl_to_china_jJEZmOfVaogN7MxfimmYOI]
Medosch, A. (2008) “Paid in Full: Copyright, Piracy and the Real Currency of Cultural Production”, in Deptforth. TV Diaries II: Pirate Strategies, London: Deptforth TV.
Van Dick, J. (2009). “Users Like You? Theorizing Agency in User-Generated Content”, Media, Culture and Society 31: 41-58