Author(s): Matt Mason

Philosophy, Politics & Current Affairs

What's the connection between the nun who invented disco, and the effect of file sharing? How does hip-hop manage to be an underground movement and a hugely commercial business - at the same time? And how are pirates, of the kind who started commercial radio in the twentieth century, changing society in the 21st? The Pirate's Dilemma tells the stories of youth culture uncovering, for the first time, what it is that transforms underground scenes into global industries. Matt Mason, successful entrepreneur, argues that from youth culture, out on the edges of the mainstream, come the ideas that ultimately change the mainstream itself - whether it's graffiti, piracy, hacking, open source culture or remixing. In the course of doing so he unravels some of our most basic assumptions about business and society and pinpoints trends to look out for in our future. Because right now, everyone, from the CEO of a mainstream company to a teenager wanting to start the next youth culture revolution, is struggling with a new dilemma: that we can all - companies and individuals alike - be pirates now. And as piracy increasingly changes the way we find, use and sell information, how should we respond? Do we fight pirates, or do we learn from them? Should piracy be treated as a problem, or a whole new solution? First published 2008.