Why Rovio thinks piracy can be a good thing

While developers and publishers often do everything they can to prevent video game piracy, Angry Birds studio Rovio thinks that, in the end, bootlegged merchandise and pirated games might be a good thing. Speaking at the music-focused Midem conference in France, Rovio chief executive Mikael Hed said that his company learned a lot about handling piracy by watching the music industry, reports The Guardian. "We could learn a lot from the music industry, and the rather terrible ways the music industry has tried to combat piracy," said Hed. He explained that unless pirates are harming the Angry Birds brand or ripping off consumers, it isn't worth it for Rovio to fight back with legal action. Rather, he says the company simply hopes that any pirated goods will generate more interest in legitimate Angry Birds products. In addition, Hed explained that Rovio strives to treat its consumers like fans rather than users. By doing so, he believes the company can foster a loyal audience, and therefore a reliable business. "If we lose that fanbase, our business is done, but if we can grow that fanbase, our business will grow," he said. Last week, Rovio confirmed that it plans to launch the official Facebook version of Angry Birds this February, and is organizing a launch event in Jakarta, Indonesia to celebrate the occasion.