"The Interview" was pirated about as much as it was purchased at release.

[ReaperOwnz]

Corrected it for you. Many of the people who pirate things do so because they are not willing to throw money at it anyway. So in reality they don't lose much. They can't lose something they don't have yet.

This. So much this. I pirate things all the time, books, movies, games, all things I would never had paid for if I didn't have my torrents. I do pay for things I concider of good quality or when I feel the makes of a product really needs the money (indie-games for example).

[Elim Garak]

Unless the pirates plan to buy the movie when it does eventually come out, the potential revenue is lost. Sure, you get to watch it, but the people that made it dont get any money form you watching it as opposed to they do when the people that bought it watch it.

If I'm not paying for the movie - it means I can't pay for the movie - not because I lack money or will - but because there's no such option presented to me by the people who made it. Who is at fault here? Why is the revenue lost - not potential I might add - in my case it's pretty real, so why is it lost? Because no one takes my money or because I pirated the movie?

[alturic]

It does, however, deprive the owner of revenue they would have received if you had bought it however.

Again, to the majority of pirates it would not deprive the owner of anything. If I suddenly couldn't torrent, or if there was no such thing as torrenting or Napster way back in the day, I wouldn't magically decide to buy the things I torrent.

[Orly]

Again it has nothing to do with where you took it. Who gave you the permission to take that copy. As legally there is only 1 person that can give you permission. If you don't have their permission you are stealing.

I just had the permission of my friend who bought the movie to see it at my own place, by giving me his copy. The principle is the same.

[Crissi]

If I'm not paying for the movie - it means I can't pay for the movie - not because I lack money or will - but because there's no such option presented to me by the people who made it. Who is at fault here? Why is the revenue lost - not potential I might add - in my case it's pretty real, so why is it lost? Because no one takes my money or because I pirated the movie?

The buy it when it finally does get released?

Although I personally think studios get themseles into this mess by not having a universal release. Staged releases are a stupid idea.

[alturic]

You are still living in the 20th century. DRM exists because of people like you who BENT OVER AND TOOK IT LIKE A CHAMP. Imagine if movie sales dropped because people refused to buy movies with DRM... DRM fuels piracy. Because with piracy not only you get the movie fast with no fuss, you also get it DRM free.

Oh noes, I don't want to buy a product because the owner put something in place to prevent easy piracy. I'm not buying that game console now because it has a security tag on the outside of the box. Fuck it, I'll just steal it.

I can't believe people have a thought process like that.

[Orange Joe]

I just had the permission of my friend who bought the movie to see it at my own place, by giving me his copy. The principle is the same.

That isn't what you just said. You just said you made a copy of your friends movie.

Taking your friends copy and watching it at home is not the same. In this version there is only 1 copy which has been paid for.

[darkblood14]

Quite sad. I am proud to say I have no pirated anything in a very very long time. I think as I got older, I realized that if I had a digital product that I was trying to make a living off of, I would be really upset if 1/2 of the products distributed was stolen.

Maybe you are not dumb enough to limit your products to us only. 90% of the pirated content I'm using are TV series that can't be seen outside US at launch, no I'm not gonna wait for one year to become available worldwide.

The other 10% can't even be considered pirating, those are games that I want to trial before I buy them. Up until now this method saved me a lot of headaches. Companies need to adapt to this environment, it is past new for quite some time

[Orly]

Which i personally still think as an asshole move to pull. "i dont want to pay for this ever, but I still want to watch it! *throws tantrum*"

It's not. I watch every movie i'm interested in in theaters, and I pirate the rest a few months/years after their release. I don't want to financially support something I consider is not worth doing so.

[alturic]

Again it has nothing to do with where you took it. Who gave you the permission to take that copy. As legally there is only 1 person that can give you permission. If you don't have their permission you are stealing.

Technically speaking, is selling legally purchased DVDs and VHS tapes and CD's illegal?

[Crissi]

I don't really see the problem. It's not like physical property, in which taking or using it necessarily deprives someone of something. There are situations in which piracy deprives people of revenue, but there are some where it can generate revenue as well and others where it's neutral. Pirating can cause people to actually purchase things they otherwise would not have and, if you dispute that, I can say that I've spent hundreds of dollars on CDs for bands I never would have heard of or liked if it weren't for the ability to first pirate music.

The only time I have a problem with piracy is when people would have otherwise purchased something, but opt not to in favor of pirating it.

I probably shouldnt even be participating, because everyone knows I'm a goody two shoes and would rather waste 15$ on something I regret later cause it is bad than pirate it to try it first

[Orange Joe]

Technically speaking, is selling legally purchased DVDs and VHS tapes and CD's illegal?

Reselling you mean? I'm not sure on that. I think technically it is illegal, but since it is no where near the scale of todays pirating no one did anything.

[Orly]

That isn't what you just said. You just said you made a copy of your friends movie.

Taking your friends copy and watching it at home is not the same. In this version there is only 1 copy which has been paid for.

So how is that different if I make a copy for myself so my friend doesn't have to give it to me every time i feel like watching it, so long as I don't make a profit out of it by selling my copy?

[Begrudge]

Why would you test your luck by downloading a movie? You guys are aware that is how bot nets are born correct? There are plenty of illegal streaming sites just like torrent sites. That being said I have a hulu and netflix subscription and still watch the shows that come on those sites the day of instead of the next day, I don't feel anything wrong with it.

[Orange Joe]

So how is that different if I make a copy for myself so my friend doesn't have to give it to me every time i feel like watching it, so long as I don't make a profit out of it by selling my copy?

1 copy =/= 2 copies.

[Espe]

It's not unique. In Rainbows only made money on any scale because Radiohead was a long, LONG established band with a somewhat fanatical fanbase, and even the vast, vast majority of the people that downloaded that album didn't pay for it.

I don't understand why the concept of "I won't pay for something I don't have to" is so hard to comprehend and accept.

And yet, in this very thread people have admitted to paying for things they could have downloaded for free.

I already explained how Steam was thriving. Before you quote how the $5 Indie game scene is what makes steam thrive, you need to view their play charts. The vast, vast majority of games played on Steam are multiplayer games, and those can't survive without always-on DRM to prevent cheating (as much as possible, anyway) and piracy, the same way MMO's do. In fact, all of the truly, tectonically successful PC games on the Market require always-on DRM because if they don't, people will just steal it to play it.

Steam still sells masses of single-player only and single-player dominant games. Games that people don't have to pay for if they don't have to... and yet people do.

Netflix has a limited library, and constantly has to drop movies/TV series it once had. I'm a big fan of the James Bond franchise, but if I wanted to continue to watch it? Tough shit if you have Netflix. There is a reason Netflix is pushing so hard to move to Original Programming.

And yet Netflix is not only surviving, but thriving. How could that be? Could it be that their price point and convenience match up with what the majority of the market is willing to pay? I wonder....

So why is it that when digital distribution "works" it's the exception to the rule, and when it doesn't "work" it's just because "all people are wired to be thieves?"

[Orange Joe]

And yet, in this very thread people have admitted to paying for things they could have downloaded for free.

And in this thread people have admitted to downloading for free things they could have paid for.


For the 5th time what is your point? You don't really seem to have one.

[Kathandira]

ITT: Thieves who believe they are justified for whatever reason they deem fit.

Stealing is stealing, no matter your reasoning.

[Espe]

For the 5th time what is your point? You don't really seem to have one.

Over and over again I state my point and over and over again it flies right over your head. If you have nothing of value to add to the thread why even post at all?

[Orange Joe]

Over and over again I state my point and over and over again it flies right over your head. If you have nothing of value to add to the thread why even post at all?

I could ask you the same question.