Online Content Not 'Costless,' Says ITIF's Wein

“The existence of the Internet does not magically make content costless to produce just because it is costless to distribute,” said Michelle Wein, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation trade policy analyst, in a blog post Friday. Wein countered an article by Caitlin Dewey, a Washington Post blogger, on the ubiquity of file-sharing sites like The Pirate Bay. Shut down by Swedish police last week (see 1412100031), the site has made “digital piracy a casual, inarguable part of the mainstream” Internet user experience, said Dewey. Said Wein: “Given the ease with which consumers can stream content, especially for broadcast, cable, and online TV, it’s almost offensive that some people can’t just cough up the cash to watch.”