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See the original image at arstechnica.com —

Piracy could put film industry out of business, warns group

arstechnica.com — Illegal downloads of popular films are nearly as numerous as box office visits, a French antipiracy association claims

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  • cjung89, on 08/07/2008, -4/+32If it wasn't for piracy, good movies like The Dark Knight might have done ok at the box office
    • openthewell, on 08/07/2008, -2/+15it really is a shame...

      /sarcasm
      • honeymustardn, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Oh, you almost had me there! Good thing you added that tag.



        And just for you: /sarcasm
    • synystar, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3/sarcasm isn't always necessary. People are burying cjung89 for some reason. He just assumed you would get it.
      • cjung89, on 08/07/2008, -0/+6Thank you synystar, I refuse to use /sarcasm. Many of my comments have been buried for such an omission.
      • synystar, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2I love it when people use /sarcasm off

        "So .. sarcasm is on now?"
      • Andrewticus, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1No, the proper command would be /cl_sarcasm 0

        Learn your syntax, newb.
      • graahBrains, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I like but that's just me.
    • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1LOL, exactly, quality will always sell, they just usually churn out garbage and blame pirates when customers stay away.

      They're claims assume that movies nowadays are just as entertaining/high quality as they always were, which is *****.

      Its just a constant stream of piss poor remakes/chick flicks and comic book adaptations(of which only The Dark Knight was any good.)
      • demiurgency, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0That's true, but I think you may just identified the problem. No one's denying that people still line up to see blockbusters like DK.

        But when word gets out that movies have not turned out so well, such as "Zohan", or "The Love Guru", people are more and more likely to just download them. And whether you think these movies suck or not, they are still a part of the movie industry economy, and their failure affects the bottom line of movie production companies.

        It's all well and good to say "just make better films and people will pay for them", but like everything else in life, it's a lot easier said than done.
    • tekkitan, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Yeah, $400 million and more isn't enough for any movie.
    • altrego99, on 08/07/2008, -3/+4***** you. Two of my friends died pirating Dark Knight.
    • WilliamDecker, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0http://torrentfreak.com/images/box-office-graph-1a ...

      Yeah...TDK is going to make that chart jump a little...
  • Erich100, on 08/07/2008, -0/+21Propaganda to reinforce the excuse to search your cell phones and laptops at the airport. Lies, lies, lies.
    • bradwjensen, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2That's exactly what this is all about. It's a shame.
    • 0o0Moylan0o0, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Well i dunno if i can speak for everyone, but personally, the movies i download, i wouldnt buy anyway, so...... i dont see the problem either way they dont get my money.
      • LocalDocal, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0The problem is this:
        1) If you have the money, they want you to to buy DVD/Ticket.
        2) If you don't have the money, they prefer that you don't see the movie at all rather than getting to see it for free.
    • niceyuk, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Whats the point of searching laptops and cell phones? You could encrypt a whole load of movies onto a MicroSD card and stash it away somewhere and customs would have absolutely no chance of finding it.
  • Omek, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7Talk about ripping the right to privacy to shreds... I can't stand these Internet laws that would allow governments to look at everyone's personal information... why not just break down their doors and start searching their entertainment centers for illegal DVDs while they're at it?
  • DracoFlameus, on 08/07/2008, -0/+10Thats the same story since 1998 now. Every, I mean EVERY movie which has not soled as good as aimed is excused because of that bad piracy. Was the movie bad? Nooo, no way. It was because of piracy ONLY.

    It's not like movie industry is doomed... I know I know... it IS doomed, because that's what they say since 10 years... but that's quite a long time now. That would mean, that far less people would go to the cinema, if any by now. In reality even more people go to cinema by now. Those antipiracy associations and their so called "statistics", which not based on any facts, are just pathetic.
    • jack12345678910, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0yea most of the movies i pirated sucked ass. and the premise sucked ass to begin with so i would never have watched them if i had to pay.
    • artfiend77, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I wonder what they blamed ***** movie sales on before piracy was an issue?
  • Hockey13, on 08/07/2008, -0/+16Maybe if they gave us the option to pay to download ultra-high quality versions online, we wouldn't be having this stupid debate.
    • jwolcott, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0You mean like Apple TV?
      • AlmostEvil, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Only without the DRM.
      • juicebag, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2Yeah, buying a 200 dollar piece of hardware to watch movies I purchased on my TV is a great idea.
    • MrHappy123, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Where is the profit in that?
      • Fhwqhgads, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Uhh, it's 100% profit. No manufacturing costs, no distribution cost, basically no overhead of any kind for a download.

        They need to beat the pirates to the punch with a much better quality product. Pirates get a ***** quality version out in days. They can beat that with their 400 million dollar movies, surely.
      • MrHappy123, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0Fhwqhgads, Wow...

        It may cut down "cost" but again, I state, Where is the profit??!!??

        People pirate movies because it is FREE!(period)
      • KSUdesigner, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2I don't agree that people pirate movies just because it's free. That does factor into the equation, but I think it's also the convenience factor and the availability factor as well. I would gladly pay to download a copy of a film if it were available as early as it is on a torrent site. The only other way to see these movies prior to DVD release is to go watch them in the theater. Personally I hate the theater. Too many annoying people. Often I found they have the volume turned up far too loud. The cost of snacks is outrageous. I'd gladly pay theater prices to be able to download a high quality version of the theatrical release within 2-4 weeks of its release date.
      • s0nicfreak, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0@Fhwqhgads

        Pirates get ***** quality versions out... but if a high quality digital version is released they will just pirate that.
      • LocalDocal, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I agree with KSU. If movie piracy was still free, but in order to do so requires you to be extremely knowledgeable in programming and have a 10+Mbps connection, then basically, movie piracy would be a tiny fraction of what it is today. Instead, the 'free' part is only one part and convenience/availability is another.

        However, I also disagree that if a similar pay system was set up, then piracy would go away (or even significantly decrease). And I doubt this even if the new system had no DRM, no ads, high quality, and whatever other concessions people demand (and if you ask me, there seems to be a never ending list of demands). I doubt this because whatever is made available on a pay system would inevitably make it to torrents and the pay system will never be able to match piracy's biggest advantage - price point.
    • BlueSkyfish, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3That really is the only way to go. Ever since Steam came out, I actually started paying for PC games.
    • jerkfaceirl, on 08/07/2008, -1/+1and then pirates would find a way to hack and copy the ultra high quality versions and distribute them for free.
      Don't be so naive.
      • inyearstocome, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Some would, thats always a given. People also movie hop, and thats also going to keep happening, so what? The majority still pay, as long as the price is reasonable.
  • skipthefrog, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7Yeah, that's bull.
  • nard3456, on 08/07/2008, -0/+14The film industry will be fine
  • eggballs, on 08/07/2008, -0/+5Aw, no more yachts for CEOs.
    • Mightbiteyou, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Dammit, just when I was next in line for that promotion
  • synystar, on 08/07/2008, -0/+11Hopefully the film industry will realize that some movies should never be made. Take those millions you spend on crappy movies like "The Love Guru" and pay more to excellent writers, producers, directors, etc to make better films. You know they're going to flop at the box office and DVDs won't sell because many people think "Why would I pay money for that?" Why even make them? Many people these days will think "I'll just download it for someday when I'm so bored even that sounds like fun."

    I saw "The Dark Knight" at the theater (twice) and couldn't imagine why anyone would not. I suppose some people would be fine waiting for the DVD (I don't understand that, you'll want to see it on the biggest screen available) but pirates will have to endure a cam version until then which pretty much sucks. I'd rather just fork over the money for a really good movie. When the DVD comes out, I'll buy it. I've felt this way about many movies in the past.

    Make good movies and I won't pirate the crap I never would have spent a dime on anyway. Or give me an alternative. If the movie sucks let me pay $1 to watch it on-demand instead of having to fork over $10 for something I'll watch once and then hope I get a buck back for at the DVD store.
    • koft, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Screen size doesn't matter much, I've got a 32" LCD at home and with the distance from the couch, the field of view is the same. Popcorn for 1/10th of the cost and I can pause it when I have to piss. I can get drunk while I watch. No roaches crawling on the floor, etc.
      • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Size most definitely matters.
      • mikelieman, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0If that's true, then why did they shift from real, full sized theatres ( 2800 seats ) to miniplexes?
      • senatorpjt, on 08/07/2008, -2/+0Then again, if you have a 61" DLP, you can sit at a distance that is comfortable to watch and yet covers the entire useful field of view. I'm not sure what the lower limit of size is to be able to do this, but it's more than 32".
      • apoc06, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1@ senatorpit:

        you also have to take into account the fact that he may have a smaller apartment. 61" DLPs may not be feasible or practical in some homes/ apartments/ dens/ dorm rooms.
    • altrego99, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Add "Batman & Robin" to your list of crappy movies. Seriously, to this date I do not know what they were thinking while making this movie.
    • LocalDocal, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Why I'm fine with waiting for the TDK DVD - no annoying people around. Yes, that's entirely it. I'm fine with the ticket prices, I'm fine with food prices, I'm fine with everything else, but the moronic people that goes to theaters with their cell phones turned on and shouting to their friends the whole time about how awesome the movie is? I'm not fine with that.
  • dcthomas, on 08/07/2008, -0/+7This after one of the most successful summers the movie industry has ever seen. I have trouble believing this one.
    • Fhwqhgads, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2That's the hilarious part of it all. They say "record profits this summer, but, you know, piracy is killing us"!
  • kjd84, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3BULLLSHIITTT!
    If the movie industry goes bust then hooray! There might be some original story telling and innovation within whatever rises up from the ashes!

    Making mostly ***** movies with unoriginal idea's is what will be the death of the Hollywood.
    • SSCrow, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I would almost agree.
      But if you look at garbage like National Treasure 2. That pathetic Movie is like the highest grossing movie ever.
  • frazier117, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0This is serious. Just take it from Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

    http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/3522ad043c
  • Avian00, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2This is absurd! It never even occurs to them that Piracy could actually be a natural market correction. If they would just charge a fair price for their product and offer it in formats that people want (I.E. Un-DRM'd downloads that are usable on all devices), they would see a HUGE drop in piracy and most likely an INCREASE in revenue!
    • frepnog, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0no they wouldn't.

      because you can't beat free. I am getting a little tired of people saying "if not for the DRM", because the DRM is no real obstacle for savvy people.

      I repeat - YOU CAN'T BEAT FREE. Torrents are free, so unless the industry comes up with something free, it is a losing proposition. There would THEN be a huge drop in piracy, but not before.
      • Avian00, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1If you're going to disagree and argue with me, at least address all my points. I also said, "charge a fair price."

        I'll admit I can't speak for everyone, but I'm perfectly willing to pay for entertainment if they aren't trying to rip me off. This $20 or more for a move has got to stop. Same for music. Charge me $10 to own an un-DRM'd movie and you've got a sale. Charge me 50 cents for an MP3, and I'll stock up!

        Yes, you'll always have the people that prefer free, but I don't think I'm alone in my opinion on this. But rather than do what every other company does to compete in a free market, the film and music industries keep prices artificially high and enforce them with legislation.
  • JordanE, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Make a good movie and people will see it, simple.
  • alanr19, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1With the ***** they're putting out nowadays let's hope so eh?
  • saqer, on 08/07/2008, -6/+0Just cause you can't afford it, or don't want to cough up the money don't steal it. If you can afford pot, which is illegal, then buy movies. ***** pirates think they can use 'net neutrality' to get away with theft.
    • brickbat, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0Man if you don't want to pirate then don't. Who the ***** died and made you the decider. Mind your own business, BITCH.
      • BuLong, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0BUSH is THE DECIDER!!
      • Andrewticus, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0There's a huge flaw in your reasoning, Saqer. Most people are willing to pay for a good film at a theatre, the problem is, most films today suck.

        The pc gaming industry is failing because it has stopped producing quality games, and all the good titles are moving to console. And don't forget, it's not like you can't pirate games for consoles - go to any torrent site, and you'll see proof for yourself.

        The point I am trying to make is simple: People aren't going to waste their time or money on something poorly made, and piracy is a good litmus test of the quality versus cost of a film/game. Besides, not everyone sees "piracy" as a manner of theft. It is only our social paradigm that regards information as property, and with the advent of the internet, a growing number of people are coming to the understanding that information belongs to the collective. If you're making money off someone else's work, that's an entirely different story.

        I know I am going to get chewed out for this notion, but please don't reject me outright. Please try to consider my idea without turning this into a flame war. I am not being contrarian for sake of defending an "illegal act," but rather, I want to change your mentality on the subject.
    • juicebag, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1ATTENTION: PIRACY IS NOT THEFT
      THEFT REMOVES AN ORIGINAL COPY
      THEFT WOULD BE GOING INTO THE THEATER AND STEALING THE ROLL OF FILM
      PIRACY WOULD BE GOING INTO THE THEATER AND MAKING A COPY OF THE ROLL OF FILM

      CRUISE CONTROL ETC
    • Radamand, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Moron, net neutrality has nothing to do with piracy.
    • AllButOneDay, on 08/07/2008, -1/+2"If you can afford pot, which is illegal, then buy movies."

      Are you saying that pot makes movies better?
  • Crana, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2*****.
  • mrzack, on 08/07/2008, -0/+3***** *****.
  • leladax, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Now digg, with its apple, video-editing, metrosexual douchebags, is going to promote the movie industry.
    • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0What?
      • RAGEdemon, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1he's asking how the ***** this got onto front page.

        That is a very good question.
      • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0How is this promoting the movie industry?
      • RAGEdemon, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0So many diggers dug the article that it got onto the front page. How is it not?
      • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0But the article isn't saying piracy is bad. It is saying that some ***** french group that no one has heard of or gives a ***** about says that piracy COULD put the film industry out of business. Wow, that's the most damning indictment of piracy I have ever heard. /s
  • Thomaschaaf, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0In my opinion they should give me the possibility to watch the movies that are in the theater at home without having to wait until they are released on DVD.. and I like watching movies in English instead of in German
  • umbrellainabin, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2news just in: weed smokers threaten the cigarette industry
  • sarchosis, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Oh no, actors might not make millions anymore, what will we do?!
  • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0WHAT THE ***** IS GOING ON? Why the hell are all the comments stuck at 0 diggs?
    • alexforcefive, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I thought it was a one-man bury brigade, but maybe digg is ***** up. It's asking me for a captcha but it won't show me the image! Wait, how am I going to post this? Oh, there we go
      • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1I thought it was a bb at first as well, but then I saw that all the comments were at +0/-0. ***** THING SUCKS!
      • theaceoffire, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0There is no diggs here!
    • Kyrgizion, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Someone paid by the MPAA is also on Digg.
      Not that it truly matters, because this article is preaching to the choir.
      But that won't stop them from trying.
      • btschul, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0It is not a bury brigade, all the comments are at +0/-0 diggs, and it is on every article.
  • Crazymaniacc, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0thx group, for pointing that out!

    and what's up with the bot image checker for comments now? lame
  • aftern9ne, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1When Dark Knight is making $400 million, I really don't give a rat's ass.
    • Kyrgizion, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0The only thing piracy is threatening are the ridiculous profits being raked in by producers and actors worldwide, which are FAR out of touch with reality. Start paying yourselves and those you hire a sensible salary so you don't have to allocate 90% of your film budget to gages & fees. I don't care if actors get rich doing their job, but there's a difference between rich and blatantly decadent. I don't feel compelled to pay 20€ for a movie when I know where that money is really going.
      • senatorpjt, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Well, the argument is that they are getting paid what the market will bear. Of course, piracy also alters the market and they're trying to alter it in such a way that they can demand more money.

        For movie piracy, there's some "cost" involved. Not a monetary cost but a loss in picture quality/sound quality/experience/etc. For the vast majority of people without top-notch home theater equipment, seeing a movie in a theater can have a significant added value. For some people this is over the current price of a movie ticket, especially for something like Dark Knight in IMAX. Even though I'm aware of the availability of pirated copies of the movie, I still saw it twice at the theater.
        Piracy seems to become more involved when it's a movie that, in the absence of piracy, people might say "I'll wait for the DVD." And, in that case, I have no reason to pirate it, because I'll just get it from Netflix.
  • Wakers, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1What absolute bollocks this is - Dark Knight just broke the record for getting to $400,000,000 in 18 days! If people make good movies, they will get people into the cinemas, it's as simple as that.
  • Abomonog, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1It's funny how they say this but at the same time the most pirated movies seem to always be the one that breaks the box office records. Then, after the $100,000,000 project has made $300,000,000 in profit there is bitching from the MPAA about how much money was lost due to piracy. Wasn't it the Transformers movie that lost more than it made due to piracy (supposedly) despite being number one for a month? Maybe it's just me, but I think that once a movie has dragged in more money than some nations possess piracy starts becoming irrelevant really fast.

    PS: What's up with the monkey test below? And didn't an article about a program that could read captcha pass through here recently? This one perhaps? http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080415-gone ...

    (not trying to steal a thread but I ain't submitting a story over it either.)
  • Rocco03, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0So, what's the current sprca/m(*) rate?

    (*) sequel, prequel, remake and comic adaptation per month
    • alexforcefive, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Then compare it to the OC/m(*), which is at 0.00001

      (*) Original Content
  • n0odles, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Bull. I say crappy movies and blood sucking a industry that doesn't know how to adapt to modern technologies could put film industry out of business.
  • gravityboard, on 08/07/2008, -0/+2This is ridiculous. The people who download movies through bittorrent and other P2P services are the people who LOVE film, and an overwhelming majority of the movies they download they wouldn't have payed for anyway. That content just wouldn't have been watched.

    A few years ago I downloaded a flick called "Memento" by then-relatively-unknown director Christopher Nolan. After seeing his first Batman film as well, I became a huge fan and payed to go see The Dark Knight in theaters... twice. I don't pay for theaters very frequently because I'm patient and have an excellent theater set up at home but I support him because of the two films I got off mininova.

    I have a bittorrented copy of TDK on my computer that I would be content with but I WANT to support this director. This is what the studios don't understand- piracy doesn't always translate to loss of money. My copy of TDK has become part of a statistic that ALPA uses to "prove" that piracy hurts the industry, but I payed to see it twice! I will buy Blu-Ray Batman Begins and TDK discs as well, so the studio will make more money off me than most consumers who didn't torrent the movie.

    The studios need to recognize that as soon as they embrace the technology and let it work FOR them rather than against (perhaps setting up a high quality, speedy service to download new movies as soon as they're out in theaters for less than the cost of a ticket but more than a rental?) I will continue to do what's most convenient.

    My message to these studios: stop thinking everyone who visits TPB has it in for you and has no conscience. Your strategy is failing but it's not too late.
    • ivanwave, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1"The people who download movies through bittorrent and other P2P services are the people who LOVE film, and an overwhelming majority of the movies they download they wouldn't have payed for anyway. That content just wouldn't have been watched."

      -Where are you getting these estimates?
      • gravityboard, on 08/08/2008, -0/+1Purely anecdotal. But I believe it. I don't want to watch 6/6 cam where somebody gets up in front of the screen for a minute at the best part of the movie. Or a compressed as ***** DVD rip that looks pixilated when it's full screen (not to mention impossible to watch on a full television). If I'm watching one of those it's only because it's THERE, available, and free. I would never pay to go see "Flyboys", I would never rent it because the premise looks retarded, but axxo ripped it and he does a damn good job so I got it to see how it was because I LIKE movies a lot. Turns out it sucked. (seriously, don't go see it). Anyway ivanwave, I personally believe, from the people I know and talk to both in life and on the internet, that the pirate community is not a malicious group of individuals who want to bring down the industry or ruthlessly get something for free. My guess would be most of them are the industries highest paying customers already anyway. This is why anti-piracy measures bother me enough to write little essays on digg; they're going after their most loyal customers and making them feel unappreciated (and less and less willing to keep paying for services).
      • ivanwave, on 08/22/2008, -0/+0I do like how you give a more personal and humanized description of the pirate community that may not get that much coverage in the news, but you can't really make arguments using anecdotal evidence (especially to demonstrate any kind of consensus). It'd be like a person disagreeing with the claim that cigarettes increase a person's chance of acquiring emphysema because they know plenty of people who smoked every day and lived perfectly healthy lives. Or that Native Americans don't tend to suffer from higher rates of poverty because all the Native American's you know are doing just fine. That by no means is a random sample or fair and unbiased picture of the aggregate population [of the pirate community in this case]. You probably need more controlled figures if you hope to make a statement that carries any validity.

        I know that you may just be doing the best you can for the time being by giving personal estimates, until more studies or polls have been done, but it seems rather pointless to make an argument if the evidence used to support that argument isn't usable.

        To my knowledge there haven't been any demographic studies on this matter, and obviously you're free to believe whatever you want, but if the way which you acquire your evidence is purely anecdotal, then why feel that the movie industry needs to accept your conclusion, when they could reach the opposite conclusion using their own anecdotal evidence as well?

        I'm sure however, if you managed to quantify your experiences of the average downloader, and really give people something that just couldn't be passively brushed off or denied - as an artifact of biased memory, or an representation of a small group of people - that you could start opening some eyes to your view point and make some changes. Your argument and the changes you recommend, if the numbers are true, certainly would be good news for both movie lovers and the studios alike.
  • JoeSalk, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0This would really depress me because I plan to take a profession in the film industry, but the dark knights huge box office and the knowledge that its huge on tpb in totally not worried.
    • TheMachine1, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Robert Rodriguez made his first movie for $7000. If you want to make film pirates are not a roadblock. If you want to make 200 million dollar budget movie then perhaps you do need an army of slimball lawyers.
  • lordwow, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0It COULD, and I COULD win the lottery today, but neither is very likely
  • RAGEdemon, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Buried for Epic *****.

    How the ***** did this get onto the front page?!
  • RetepNamenots, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0There has ALWAYS been piracy.
    • Eddiecoaster, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Even in the 1930s?
      • frepnog, on 08/07/2008, -1/+0yes there has always been piracy. but not at the level it is now, and you know it. the internet makes it possible to get anything that exists as a digital file quickly and for free. jesus people, piracy nowadays is OFF THE CHARTS and you all ***** know it.

        I am no hypocrite, I download TONS of *****, but I don't delude myself into thinking that I have the right to do so. I, just like most of you, have not been caught yet. that is suppose is the problem, easy access to software and movies and music for free, and little chance of getting caught. Just the other day I was in F.Y.E and some kid got busted trying to steal a Trivium cd. All I could think was "damn dude why didn't you just torrent the damn thing." And that, my friends, is the problem.
  • bitseq, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Bollox! an industry like that go down, never! Im sure that the dark knight is going to turn a huge proffit! perhaps 1% of that is lost to piracy... Who cares when it probably going to take in more that $800mil!
  • hugolp, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1We dont eat the *****. Buried.
  • NarrativeCarpet, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0FTA: "...concluded that a number of popular films had been downloaded so many times that the phenomenon could endanger the entire film industry."
    And a plane could crash into my office after I post this comment, but I don't think that's going to happen.
  • yunus, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Where do they make up these numbers like
    "ALPA monitored 100 of the most popular films (both French and foreign) on P2P networks during this time period and found that these films represented some 90 percent of all P2P downloads."
    How do they know its 90% of ALL P2P downloads. I bet they can't even name the sites that host 90% of all P2P data.
  • icepick314, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0it's amazing that recordables like VHS, betamax, cassette tapes, DVRs, CD-Rs, and DVD recordables have yet to kill movie/music industry and just NOW they're worried about digital distribution will kill all entertainment industry?

    OH PUHLEEEEEZE!!!
    • frepnog, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0once again.

      please understand.

      VHS and cassette tapes were not easily copied and distributed digitally for hundreds of thousands of people at once.
      • Bahamut240, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0They were easily copied, and you could still distribute them to your entire circle of acquaintances. You are right in that you couldn't share it with thousands of people at once but I don't think the centralization has such a big effect as a lot of people claim. If say, you could only share it with people in your own city (a medium between the two) then piracy wouldn't suddenly die off, its just that each city would have their own copies being shared.
  • milkycoffee, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0If the suits and stars of the movie industry spread the wealth a little better, ie pay technicians etc more. The industry will do just fine. Buried.
  • eanbowman, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0I'm sorry but I just paid for 4 movies in the last 2 months at the local theatre. How do you figure?

    More fudged numbers by another sensationalist industry group.

    -_-;;
  • Lynx77777, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0In other more recent news, Al Gore has invented something called the internet..
  • wcasey, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0video killed the radio star
  • unitedkronos, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Can they tell how many people pay to see a film at the cinema and download the same film for free?
  • Sicarius, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Music piracy has a good 10 year start on movie piracy. So when the music industry collapses then maybe they can start to panic. Any day now...
  • jeremyduffy, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Once again, for the final time (I wish), if you were to draw a circle representing moviegoers and another circle representing downloaders where the tiny overlap between the two was moviegoers who downloaded instead and DIDN'T still go see it in the theater, you'd have an accurate picture.

    The number of downloads does NOT equal the number of lost ticket sales.
    • doublejay1973, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1Exactly right. What's happening, is rebalancing. The market is re-adjusting. I won't pay 20$ to go and see that latest 90mins of comic book rip off while those "actors" are all pocketing millions and getting richer. I might be tempted at $2 dollars - at which point, I've no desire to rip it off. I'd rather get out of the house and enjoy it at the movies.
    • doublejay1973, on 08/07/2008, -0/+1..my point is - that if I had no access to pirate films.....that's not going to get me back in at the movies or buyuing dvds.
  • davidkeithjones, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0If the Mummy 3 can open with over 40 million the industry is fine.
  • gl77, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0my local theater has slashed the price of tickets in half, i dont know if it's all AMC theaters across the country, but my local one is selling tickets for 5 bucks from open to close on the weekdays. The only time it is full price is after 5pm on the weekends. how is that affecting the film industry? they dont report on that.
  • Brumjo, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0What a steaming pile of crap, make decent films and people will go and see them, churn out rubbish and you'll get what you deserve.
  • junkwheel, on 08/07/2008, -0/+0Yeah, it might put them out of business if they all still want the same profit margins and wages or they'll say they're not playing anymore.
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