New MPAA study - Piracy hurts janitors
10-03-06, 01:59 PM
#26
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Originally Posted by Seantn
Are you trying to imply that stealing is ok?
Wow! You completely avoided answering an easy question. Why?
No, I'm not trying to imply that stealing is okay. Just wondering why you can't tell the difference between "clothes" and a copy of a disc.
Is it stealing if I buy a white T shirt and the materials to decorate it, and make an exact replica of an already existing tshirt that I could have just bought in the first place?
10-03-06, 02:04 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by The Bus
Downloading movies illegally is stealing. It's bad. That's why it's called stealing.
If you don't want to pay for a movie, don't see it. If you have a desire to see it, then pay for it.
Making a digital copy robs people of revenue. By downloading a movie, you are likely to not see it in the theatre. (Unless with every movie you download you see in theatre, rent, or buy the DVD). If you say, "No, I had no plans to" --- then why download it? To "check it out"? Read reviews. See the trailer. Wait for it on TV.
Now, just because I think piracy is a problem doesn't mean I don't see (some) studios as being extremely greedy. There's two sides to the coin.
If you don't want to pay for a movie, don't see it. If you have a desire to see it, then pay for it.
Making a digital copy robs people of revenue. By downloading a movie, you are likely to not see it in the theatre. (Unless with every movie you download you see in theatre, rent, or buy the DVD). If you say, "No, I had no plans to" --- then why download it? To "check it out"? Read reviews. See the trailer. Wait for it on TV.
Now, just because I think piracy is a problem doesn't mean I don't see (some) studios as being extremely greedy. There's two sides to the coin.
What if a guy I work with has the "Battlestar Galactica" DVDs and I borrow them to watch them. I didn't pay for them. But I watched the show. Is that stealing? Is it illegal?
What's the difference if I just download "Freddy Got Fingered" off Usenet, and delete it off my hard drive after I watch it?
10-03-06, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by Breakfast with Girls
If you download movies or music illegally, you are either cheap or poor.
Does that also go for people who borrow a movie or CD from a friend?
10-03-06, 03:45 PM
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All good examples, SonOfAStu. But I'm sure people who say things like "if you don't want to pay for a movie, don't see it" never watch movies at a friend's house, or borrow DVD's from friends or the library. And if they should somehow be forced to watch for free, to prevent some kind of awkward social situation, I'm sure they mail a check to the studio afterwards. Otherwise, they'd be no different than shoplifters stealing clothes and videogames from Wal-Mart.
There's a criminal gang operating at my workplace right now. These thieves, masquerading as hard working Christians, bring lists of the DVD's they own to work and actually trade DVD's among themselves, allowing all kinds of people to see movies they haven't paid for. But no fear, I think Homeland Security may be on the case.
And of course, if you watch TV and don't pay attention during the advertisements, or you record a program and FF through the ads, you're also stealing, since there wouldn't be free television programming if it wasn't for the advertisements. Even TV executives understand this.
There's a criminal gang operating at my workplace right now. These thieves, masquerading as hard working Christians, bring lists of the DVD's they own to work and actually trade DVD's among themselves, allowing all kinds of people to see movies they haven't paid for. But no fear, I think Homeland Security may be on the case.
And of course, if you watch TV and don't pay attention during the advertisements, or you record a program and FF through the ads, you're also stealing, since there wouldn't be free television programming if it wasn't for the advertisements. Even TV executives understand this.
10-03-06, 03:49 PM
#31
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Originally Posted by hermes10
There's a criminal gang operating at my workplace right now. These thieves, masquerading as hard working Christians, bring lists of the DVD's they own to work and actually trade DVD's among themselves, allowing all kinds of people to see movies they haven't paid for. But no fear, I think Homeland Security may be on the case.
At least they're protecting us from the "real" terrorists"
10-04-06, 04:10 AM
#33
DVD Talk Limited Edition
I've borrowed a few DVD's from my girlfriend and watched them.
I realize i am scum and I'm marching down the police station tomorrow and turning myself in!
I realize i am scum and I'm marching down the police station tomorrow and turning myself in!
10-04-06, 08:11 AM
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Originally Posted by UAIOE
I've borrowed a few DVD's from my girlfriend and watched them.
I realize i am scum and I'm marching down the police station tomorrow and turning myself in!
I realize i am scum and I'm marching down the police station tomorrow and turning myself in!
10-05-06, 12:52 AM
#37
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Originally Posted by Breakfast with Girls
If you download movies or music illegally, you are either cheap or poor.
10-05-06, 01:10 AM
#38
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I remember when multiplexes would play the anti-piracy ad where the set dresser (I don't even think he was a designer, just the guy who painted sets) was whining about how piracy hurts his family or something.
I was in film school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and we all wanted to go see Mystic River. So a whole bunch of us get into a few cars and drive into Greensboro to the big AMC there and buy our tickets. With us is one of the cinematography teachers.
We get into the theater with our snacks and the previews start, and this ad comes up, and the set dresser says, "Piracy affects my job," and my cinematography teacher shouts out "BULLSHIT!" at the screen and the entire theater broke out into applause.
Here's the thing the MPAA doesn't want you to know about movies: Every major movie production has two classes of employees, those "above the line" and those "below the line." Those above the line constitute the heads of departments (art director, cinematographer, etc.), the director, producer, and so on. The head honchos, basically. Those below the line constitute the people who do the nitty gritty work, the set dressers and drivers and gaffers and so on. The people above the line negotiate deals per show, i.e. they have no set wages. In addition, many above the line people get a certain percentage of the film's box office take. The people below the line are almost all unionized and get paid by what the union has been able to finagle with the studios. So next time the MPAA tries to show that piracy hurts people below the line, don't believe it. The only way piracy would hurt them is if so many people pirated movies that literally every film made could not recoup its budget. Above the line people get hurt in theory if they have deals where they get a percentage of the profit, but then again, they're making so much money already that it seems a little greedy to be crying about the miniscule amount of money they personally lost to piracy.
In other words, the MPAA can blow me.
I was in film school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and we all wanted to go see Mystic River. So a whole bunch of us get into a few cars and drive into Greensboro to the big AMC there and buy our tickets. With us is one of the cinematography teachers.
We get into the theater with our snacks and the previews start, and this ad comes up, and the set dresser says, "Piracy affects my job," and my cinematography teacher shouts out "BULLSHIT!" at the screen and the entire theater broke out into applause.
Here's the thing the MPAA doesn't want you to know about movies: Every major movie production has two classes of employees, those "above the line" and those "below the line." Those above the line constitute the heads of departments (art director, cinematographer, etc.), the director, producer, and so on. The head honchos, basically. Those below the line constitute the people who do the nitty gritty work, the set dressers and drivers and gaffers and so on. The people above the line negotiate deals per show, i.e. they have no set wages. In addition, many above the line people get a certain percentage of the film's box office take. The people below the line are almost all unionized and get paid by what the union has been able to finagle with the studios. So next time the MPAA tries to show that piracy hurts people below the line, don't believe it. The only way piracy would hurt them is if so many people pirated movies that literally every film made could not recoup its budget. Above the line people get hurt in theory if they have deals where they get a percentage of the profit, but then again, they're making so much money already that it seems a little greedy to be crying about the miniscule amount of money they personally lost to piracy.
In other words, the MPAA can blow me.
10-05-06, 12:26 PM
#39
DVD Talk Limited Edition
Makes me think of the RIAA where they say that music piracy affects sound engineers.
My understanding was that these people were paid long before the CD went to press. Obviously you wouldn't even have a CD for someone to copy if sound engineers (or whoever) weren't doing thier thing.
My understanding was that these people were paid long before the CD went to press. Obviously you wouldn't even have a CD for someone to copy if sound engineers (or whoever) weren't doing thier thing.
10-06-06, 03:18 PM
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Originally Posted by The Bus
Downloading movies illegally is stealing. It's bad. That's why it's called stealing.
If you don't want to pay for a movie, don't see it. If you have a desire to see it, then pay for it.
Making a digital copy robs people of revenue. By downloading a movie, you are likely to not see it in the theatre. (Unless with every movie you download you see in theatre, rent, or buy the DVD). If you say, "No, I had no plans to" --- then why download it? To "check it out"? Read reviews. See the trailer. Wait for it on TV.
Now, just because I think piracy is a problem doesn't mean I don't see (some) studios as being extremely greedy. There's two sides to the coin.
If you don't want to pay for a movie, don't see it. If you have a desire to see it, then pay for it.
Making a digital copy robs people of revenue. By downloading a movie, you are likely to not see it in the theatre. (Unless with every movie you download you see in theatre, rent, or buy the DVD). If you say, "No, I had no plans to" --- then why download it? To "check it out"? Read reviews. See the trailer. Wait for it on TV.
Now, just because I think piracy is a problem doesn't mean I don't see (some) studios as being extremely greedy. There's two sides to the coin.
Copying a DVD is an infringement of intellectual property rights.
They are different. Stealing deprives the victim of property, none of this "well he would have money if" stuff either. You can't assume in a court of law, you have to prove. And since we are discussing crime a court of law is where matters get to be decided.
As a quick aside, the term "Piracy" in regarding to infringement of copyright is complete BS. Piracy is a crime involving illegal boarding of a ship, murder, rapine and theft. It has nothing to do with infringement of intellectual property.
Now, that said, illegal copying of DVDs is wrong. If it's not yours, don't take it. They taught us that in kindergarten. You do not have an inalliable right to watch any entertainment you can download.
If a friend has a licence to a copy of a movie, they can use that licence to show it to a friend, they can loan the movie out and you can watch it and return it. That is not the same thing as downloading it and watching it. You do not have licence to do so.
Yes, moviestars and studios make millions of dollars off movies. That does not give you the right to copy them at will. They invest tens of millions to make them and aren't gurarenteed a return.
The price they sell the DVDs for is very reasonable. Generaly around the price of two theatre tickets. When VCRs came out the tapes were 50 to 60 bucks a pop, theatre ticets were 4 or 5 bucks. You paid the cost of a dozen theater tickets to own a movie. The owners of the intelectual property have done their part in making the movies available to us. They made them cheap and easily available. They used to wait forever to release the movies for home viewing, people complained... now they come out a few months after they leave the theaters.
The studios have bent over backwards to get us movies that we can enjoy. Admittidly, they have made some missteps along the way, but they have treated us pretty, well all things considered.
Don't illegaly copy movies. Don't approve of others doing so. It's wrong to take something that is not yours.
10-12-06, 08:44 PM
#43
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Originally Posted by GrimmSD
If a friend has a licence to a copy of a movie, they can use that licence to show it to a friend, they can loan the movie out and you can watch it and return it. That is not the same thing as downloading it and watching it. You do not have licence to do so.
So my friend that lives in Utah (I live in Pittsburgh) can make a Xvid .avi file of a movie he owns, email it to me, and I can watch it and delete it. Right?
10-13-06, 12:34 AM
#44
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Originally Posted by GrimmSD
The studios have bent over backwards to get us movies that we can enjoy. Admittidly, they have made some missteps along the way, but they have treated us pretty, well all things considered.
ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............ what?
10-13-06, 01:22 PM
#45
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Originally Posted by GrimmSD
The studios have bent over backwards to get us movies that we can enjoy. Admittidly, they have made some missteps along the way, but they have treated us pretty, well all things considered.
I understand its all for $$, but if you wanna talk "bending over backwards", then why do people still have to rely on VHS and laserdisc to view movies that no studio seems to want to put on DVD?
11-02-06, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by UAIOE
You watched a movie and you didnt pay for it?
WHO WILL THINK OF THE JANITORS???
WHO WILL THINK OF THE JANITORS???
Wait, they show movies in jail sometimes right? Shouldn't those prisoners be paying for that?
11-03-06, 09:56 AM
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Originally Posted by UAIOE
Makes me think of the RIAA where they say that music piracy affects sound engineers.
My understanding was that these people were paid long before the CD went to press. Obviously you wouldn't even have a CD for someone to copy if sound engineers (or whoever) weren't doing thier thing.
My understanding was that these people were paid long before the CD went to press. Obviously you wouldn't even have a CD for someone to copy if sound engineers (or whoever) weren't doing thier thing.