Will accessible content be enough to stop online piracy?

 

We recently came across some posts from Kick Ass Aussies Want More about what changes can be made to reduce piracy. This page argues that making paid content more accessible and affordable in Australia will reduce the amount of piracy that occurs in Australia. Research by Creative Content Australia demonstrates that from 2014 to 2015, there was a total of 4% decrease in Australia, 33% of which have claimed to turn to paying for streaming services. Based on these stats alone, we definitely agree that Kick Ass is making a great point with their campaign.

In a recent post, they referenced an article from the Business Insider, which we think make a great point. In the article, Lori Flekser, CEO of CCA claimed that the reason behind why people have stopped pirating was rooted in tougher piracy legislation, rather than the increase in availability of content that streaming websites have provided. Lori Flekser goes onto saying that research reports have “consistently and unequivocally reflected the key reason for piracy: because it’s free”.

So the question is, can piracy be stopped if there is more affordable and accessible content? Or will it always continue because it is free and ultimately, that is the better option? What do you guys think?