It is ironic that one of the more striking examples of Jamaica's technological progress is the closing down of a company.

The Financial Gleaner reported yesterday that the operators of 20-year-old Viewer's Choice 2000 have called it quits on the movie rental operation, the sole remaining outlet of three closed three months ago. It was simply no longer a viable operation, not with rampant movie piracy publicly on the streets and privately over the Internet.

As Marcia McDonnough, a principal in Viewer's Choice 2000, said, "The street selling is one thing, but youngsters who sit at their computers for hours and hours and download everything is another."

It is interesting, even amusing, to note that McDonnough says when Viewer's Choice 2000 began renting DVDs, after starting out with the VHS tape system, they also had to sell the players. Now, of course, the DVD player is as common as that other symbol of the spread of items once considered luxuries for the few across the society, the Toyota Corolla; white, of course.

Her observation about the download activities, however, not only underscores the penetration of broadband Internet services throughout the society, but also the resultant dramatic shift in how the tech-savvy, especially young adults, operate, as well as the nature of their desires.

Instant gratification via Internet

McDonnough noted she was unsure how far education would go towards changing behaviour among youngsters who wanted instant gratification and could get it via high speed Internet downloads.

Technologically, Jamaica has come a very long way in the 20 years that Viewer's Choice had been in operation. When they started there was only one free to air television station, Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (now TVJ), then not too long gone colour. Overseas television stations were available only to those with satellite dishes, and playing Space Invaders and Pac Man video games was considered being on the cutting edge of technology.

No amount of policing will close the window of opportunity for free movie viewing that the changes have opened, and the download generation is looking happily through. We do not suggest, of course, that the police cease or even reduce their efforts to stamp out intellectual property piracy. Not because something that is wrong cannot be eradicated means we should allow it to go unchallenged.

We do need to realise, though, that more so than selling a product, those who produce material which is particularly susceptible to piracy need to offer an experience, much as Palace Amusement intends to with its 3D movies. The music industry has long taken this route, with ever more elaborate concerts featuring prominent entertainers.

So Viewer's Choice 2000's demise has become a marker of technological development; a negative indication of progress, so to speak. We do hope that there will not be larger markers of the palatial kind.