'Booster Gold' scribe JM DeMatteis downplays digital comic piracy

JM DeMatteis has downplayed the impact of digital comic piracy.

The one-time Booster Gold writer and former Ardden Entertainment head likened comic distribution through filesharing to the loaning of books and CDs among friends.

"The bottom line - my bottom line, anyway - is this: If you're enthusiastic about a particular creator, buy his or her work and then let others know about it. If you spread the word via file-sharing, it's not much different than loaning a friend one of your books or CDs," he wrote on his blog.

"Just as I once became an obsessive fan after taping my friends' vinyl albums, many of your friends will become fans who'll spend their hard-earned money on actively supporting that creator's work."

Digital comic book piracy is a divisive topic within the industry. Publishers Marvel Comics and Top Cow have publically condemned it, while creators such as Mark Waid have defended such practices.

DeMatteis is best known for his work with Marvel Comics and DC Comics, including acclaimed runs on Spider-Man and Justice League.