First of all, I think it is an excuse rather than a reason. How do you define availability? My feeling is that even if it's available in several places in Singapore, downloaders will still use the excuse that it's too far from their homes or it's priced out of their range, so they need to resort to piracy.

Next, just because something isn't available locally doesn't mean one should steal it. If someone overseas owns something that can't be found in Singapore, does it mean it's fair game for us? Furthermore, this argument ignores the growing number of legal download sites available on the Internet now.

There is a need to differentiate between a need and a want. Food is a need, so those who have none might use starvation as a reason to justify breaking the law. Similarly, there is a need to get private companies to provide public goods at the expense of profit, such as providing buses among routes which have a low usage rate.

I really don't think that the lack of CDs for personal enjoyment is really 'pushing' people to crime, neither is there a need to get musical companies to provide these CDs so that 'Singapore's music culture' can thrive. After all, which type of songs do you think are downloaded more frequently each day, the widely available pop music or the supposed niche music?

Piracy is stealing, pure and simple. Those who download illegally should at least have the decency to admit wrong-doing rather than invent flimsy excuses.

Tan Hau Teck