Website closure underlines dilemma of the new world

The collective whining of Thai youngsters all across the country over the shutting down of a website is not just about teen hysteria. The website was known for offering, for free, Korean TV series in high-quality videos with good Thai subtitles soon after each episode hit the Korean TV screens. 
The issue, therefore, involves the long-standing moral and legal aspects of intellectual property-right protection and how things are getting more complicated by the fast-evolving digital technology.
The main reason for the website blackout is fear of heavy copyright penalties, which could be a massive amount of money. Virtually every Thai teenager charmed by the Korean entertainment industry had been hooked to the website, which seemingly was created out of passion than with the aim to make financial gains. Many adults also watched its content regularly. The website’s status and fame, therefore, were a lot bigger than those of normal torrent sites sneaking illegal content to their audiences.
On the one hand, the closure brought the issue of copyright protection to the attention of the young website visitors, who grew up assuming that virtually everything was free. 
The rude awakening was a good way to teach them some principles involving intellectual property rights. 
A lot of websites broadcasting contentious content or, to put it simply – “stolen ones” – were managed and administered by young people whose concept of rights violation or privacy is probably different from those elder to them.
On the other hand, the closure renewed the moral controversy regarding intellectual property rights. Even in the old days, expensive drugs, computer software or movies were deemed to represent higher classes of societies because of stringent intellectual rights enforcement. 
Pirated videos or illegal software were condemned by copyright advocates but hailed by those who believed that pirated or copycat products were the world’s true “democratising force” that helped spread out equality, creativity and imagination.
Digital technology is giving the debate extra dimensions. In fact, digital technology and its role in promoting content, rightly or wrongly, has been challenging the definition of “success”. 
In the old days, “success” was often associated with money. Today, should a TV series watched and/or shared by millions of people across the world be considered a success, even if its makers did not get “enough” financial rewards?
That the Korean series has been watched by millions of Thai youngsters on the website for free can make the series’ “investors” frown, but it may not be the same if you were the creatives or actors or directors. If you were content creators, glory and money can be totally separate things.
Technology has opened new windows for showcasing talent. Unfortunately, it has also led to a greater clash of some key principles. In the case of the website famous among Thai youngsters, a choice has been made which led to its closure. However, the controversy will continue, although the issue is such a simple legal matter on paper.