Rodolphe Durand, Jean-Philippe Vergne: The Pirate Organization: Lessons from the Fringes of Capitalism (2010/2012)

When capitalism spread along the trade routes toward the Indies…when radio opened an era of mass communication…when the Internet became part of the global economy…pirates were there. And although most people see pirates as solitary anarchists out to destroy capitalism, it turns out the opposite is true. They are the ones who forge the path. In “The Pirate Organization,” Rodolphe Durand and Jean-Philippe Vergne argue that piracy drives capitalism’s evolution and foreshadows the direction of the economy. Through a rigorous yet engaging analysis of the history and golden ages of piracy, the authors show how pirates form complex and sophisticated organizations that change the course of capitalism. Surprisingly, pirate organizations also behave in predictable ways: challenging widespread norms; controlling resources, communication, and transportation; maintaining trade relationships with other communities; and formulating strategies favoring speed and surprise. We could learn a lot from them–if only we paid more attention. Durand and Vergne recommend that rather than trying to stamp out piracy, savvy entrepreneurs and organizations should keep a sharp eye on the pirate space to stay successful as the game changes–and it always does. First published in French to great critical acclaim and commercial success as “L’Organisation Pirate: Essai sur l’évolution du capitalisme,” this book shows that piracy is not random. It’s predictable, it cannot be separated from capitalism, and it likely will be the source of capitalism’s continuing evolution.

First published in French as L’Organisation Pirate: Essai sur l’évolution du capitalisme, Éditions Le Bord de l’Eau, Lormont, 2010
Publisher Harvard Business Review Press, Boston/MA, 2012
ISBN 1422183203, 9781422183205
208 pages

review (The Economist)

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Watch the accompanying movie (What Is the Pirate Organization? by Daniel Wyatt, 5 min.)

Arno van der Hoeven: The Popular Music Heritage of the Dutch Pirates (2012)

“This article explores how cultural identities are negotiated in relation to the heritage of illegal radio in the Netherlands. The term ‘pirate radio’ commonly refers to the offshore radio stations that were broadcasting during the 1960s. These stations introduced commercial radio and popular music genres like beat music, which were not played by public broadcasters at the time. In their wake, land-based pirates began broadcasting for local audiences. This study examines the identities that are constituted by the narrative of pirate radio. Drawing on in-depth interviews with archivists, fans and broadcasters, this article explores the connection between pirate radio, popular music heritage and cultural identity. Moreover, it considers how new technologies such as internet radio provide platforms to engage with this heritage and thus to maintain these local identities. To examine how the memories of pirate radio live on in the present a narrative approach to identity will be used.” (Abstract)

Published in Media, Culture & Society journal, 34(8), pp 927-943
14 pages

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Robert Chapman: Selling the Sixties: The Pirates and Pop Music Radio (1992)

Was it a non-stop psychedelic party or was there more to pirate radio in the sixties than hedonism and hip radicalism? From Kenny Everett’s sacking to John Peel’s legendary `Perfumed Garden’ show, to the influence of the multi-national ad agencies, and the eventual assimilationof aspects of unofficial pop radio into Radio One, Selling the Sixties examines the boom of private broadcasting in Britain.

Using two contrasting models of pop piracy, Radios Caroline and London, Robert Chapman sets pirate radio in its social and cultural context. In doing so he challenges the myths surrounding its maverick `Kings Road’ image, separating populist consumerism from the economic and political machinations which were the flipside of the pirate phenomenon.

Selling the Sixties includes previously unseen evidence from the pirates’ archives, revealing interviews and an unrivalled selection of rare audio materials.

Publisher Routledge, 1992
ISBN 0415079705, 9780415079709
295 pages

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