During the Midem conference in Cannes this morning, Rovio CEO Mikael Hed claimed that in certain situations piracy isn’t really “a bad thing” after all, stating that the broadening of the Angry Birds brand via the act could only lead to “more business.”
Hed discussed how the studio has taken its stance on piracy by looking at how the music industry has handled it and learning to do the exact opposite. Even when the piracy comes from not just the game itself, but shirts or other merchandise not officially licensed, Rovio’s policy stands true.
“We could learn a lot from the music industry, and the rather terrible ways the music industry has tried to combat piracy,” he said.
According to Hed, Rovio sees going after these forms of piracy as “futile” unless the sales are harmful to the brand or ripping off its fans. When piracy isn’t doing one of those two things, the studio sees it merely as a means to gain an even larger fanbase.
“Piracy may not be a bad thing: it can get us more business at the end of the day,” proclaimed Hed.
Thanks to the music industry, Rovio has learned to see those purchasing their product for what they truly are and treat them as such. Not in a way that covers the staff’s eyes with a veil of profits.
“We took something from the music industry, which was to stop treating the customers as users, and start treating them as fans,” said Hed. “We do that today: we talk about how many fans we have. If we lose that fanbase, our business is done, but if we can grow that fanbase, our business will grow.”
