The Pirate's Dilemma

In this summary you will learn

• How youthful, rebellious “cultural piracy” can be a creative force that benefits society
• How youth culture has changed business
• Why learning from the pirate’s perspective can ultimately be profitable

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Why you should read The Pirate's Dilemma

You’ve been sleeping through an earthquake if you haven’t noticed teenagers freely creating and sharing digital music, photos and videos through the Internet. This is just one example of young pirates blurring the boundaries between ownership and invention, and rebelliously creating new innovations that ultimately transform society and the commercial marketplace. In a book that is both hipster and academic, author Matt Mason makes the case that idea pirates and other rebels who draw from pop culture to create new forms (thus often defying intellectual property laws) can, and often do, benefit society. Mason surveys the landscape for piracy and finds it everywhere, from music remixing to viral hip-hop videos. Although he sometimes slips into the youthful delusion that creativity began with his own generation, Mason does highlight an important point: pirate innovations can help steer society’s course. getAbstract recommends this book to C-level executives seeking to understand changes in the competitive landscape, creative marketers who want to think outside the box and anyone interested in the underground’s influence on mainstream culture.

About the Author

Former pirate radio DJ Matt Mason is co-founder of WEdia, a Web media portal highlighting worldwide, nonprofit efforts. He was founding editor-in-chief of the alternative music magazine RWD, which created the satiric viral hit, “The Booo Krooo.”