Angry Birds Maker Embraces Piracy to Grow Fanbase

Rovio, the company behind the smash hit Angry Birds, took a look at the music industry's struggle against piracy and decided that piracy ain't so bad after all. In fact, it may actually be a good thing:

"We have some issues with piracy, not only in apps, but also especially in the consumer products. There is tons and tons of merchandise out there, especially in Asia, which is not officially licensed products," said [Rovio CEO Mikael Hed].

"We could learn a lot from the music industry, and the rather terrible ways the music industry has tried to combat piracy."

Hed explained that Rovio sees it as "futile" to pursue pirates through the courts, except in cases where it feels the products they are selling are harmful to the Angry Birds brand, or ripping off its fans.

When that's not the case, Rovio sees it as a way to attract more fans, even if it is not making money from the products. "Piracy may not be a bad thing: it can get us more business at the end of the day."

Like Tim O'Reilly said, obscurity is a greater threat than piracy: Link

See also: Angry Birds stuff from the NeatoShop


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@dallas - that's free market economics for you. If there's no demand at $10, then you'd have to reduce the price or you'd have no sale. It's quite different from what the post is talking about.

@stevemarth - there are a lot of games with similar ideas of throwing things at other things (slingshot, trebuchet, cannon ...) I think it's a stretch to call it a rip off.

Crush the Castle's maker even wrote that it's inspired by another game called Castle Clout.
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I get the feeling dallas didn't even read what this is about... he's saying that the music industry's stance is wrong, but he's not dicating to them that they must change (that industry will simply die out as is, with internet independants taking it's place). He is saying that HE will use a different business plan so that his company does not die out.

So it's not like he's telling another band to give a free show... he's saying his band will periodically give free shows. Some bands do that, you know.
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