„I cannot afford to buy standards. Therefore it is OK to pirate them.“
This is like saying, I cannot afford to board a plane and fly to Hawaii, because I don’t have the money. Therefore it is OK to hijack the plane and force the pilot to fly me to Hawaii for free.
A lack of resources?
Not being able to afford something indicates that we perceive a lack of resources.
But is this really true?
What if the problem is not our lack of resources, but the lack of value that we create from what we want? What if we just need to learn how to create more value with what we have?
For example, if we use standards to create more value we can generate more money, which in turn makes us more resourceful, so that standards become affordable.
Reducing cost
One way to make investments affordable is to reduce their cost.
Sure, piracy reduces cost. At least the upfront cost. But it also creates hidden cost and opportunity cost that are easily overlooked – and can become costly.
Standard organizations offer discounts, corporate accounts and subscriptions that reduce cost under certain conditions. Plus buying standards avoids the hidden cost and opportunity cost that come along with piracy. And buying a valid licence offers more value.
Can you really afford piracy?
Note that piracy has a number of hidden cost and risks, that can be even more expensive to bear than the purchase price of a standard. Can you afford to take those hidden cost and risks? Can you afford to miss out on the benefits of a purchase which are entirely unavailable to pirates?
Patrons come to the conclusion that they can afford to buy a standard if they really need it, but they cannot afford to engage in piracy, considering the second order consequences.
The ideal is to buy a standard as an investment and to create so much value from it that it pays for the purchase.
Do you want to try?