BitTorrent Blamed for Matrix2 Downloads 847
MartyJG writes "The BBC are running a story on how Matrix Reloaded is available via P2P. This time BitTorrent is taking the heat for the distribution - even though there's no company behind it to drag over the coals. The story speculates about the source of the copy, suggesting it's from a film or digital source rather than a cinema-screen-leech." Despite this piracy, the flick has made over $365M already. Including my tickets. Twice.
Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:5, Funny)
That's not how it works... (Score:5, Interesting)
Bittorrent is a really clever technology... I was able to download RedHat 9.0 in minutes rather than hours when it was made available.
Re:That's not how it works... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:That's not how it works... (Score:5, Interesting)
My personal opinion is that, since BitTorrent is taking away from IRC based file transfers, a few powerful IRC trolls are mad that they are losing influence, and therefore they are trying to destroy BitTorrent through the use of DDOS attacks, hoping that most IRC users will stick to IRC file transfers as opposed to switching over to BitTorrent, after seeing that most popular BitTorrent trackers keep timing out.
Re:That's not how it works... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:That's not how it works... (Score:4, Funny)
The solution is to distribute
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:5, Informative)
Due to the swarming nature of BitTorrent, additional users downloading a file will not slow your downloads down. Quite the contrary - everyone will experience speedier downloads.
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:5, Interesting)
For example, the latest Doom 3 video [slashdot.org], although just 31mb, was almost impossible to get hold of by regular download, yet I found that BitTorrent maxed out my connection, giving me 60k/sec all through.
The days of smoking servers are over, Slashdot is powering the age of fast downloads.
Well, with a bit of imagination anyway.
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:4, Interesting)
A decentralized p2p web-server network would be an interesting project, and certainly the bittorrent protocol could be a base for serving large files, but for serving small files direct connections are better. Perhaps a giant web-server pool that would simultaneously request webpages from the entire network and initiate a transfer with the first server to respond would work. However, there has so far been no development work towards this.
The Circle is an interesting project which aims to create a p2p network for
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:5, Interesting)
BitTorrent enforces balanced downloads. If you are on an asynchronous line, expect to see download rates no greater than your upload rate.
Here's the relevant section from the BitTorrent FAQ [bitconjurer.org]:
Q: I don't want you stealing my bandwidth! How can I stop it from uploading?
A: You could hack the source to not upload, but then your download rate would suck. BitTorrent downloaders engage in tit-for-tat with their peers, so leeches have very little success downloading.
--Pat / zippy@cs.brandeis.edu
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:5, Interesting)
Many times, i've been the only leech on a file with 2 or 3 seeds, and I download just fine, even though there's nothing for me to upload.
Also, even when I'm not the only leech, my downloads commonly go 50 to 60 k/s, while the uploads only go 10 or 20. I suppose it all depends on the popularity of the file, though. My connection is capped at 150 down and 50 up. In the past, I've had one torrent that maxed both of those
When you read that FAQ entry, it's probably more accurate to say that your client's willingness to upload will allow it to download quickly, not so much the rate at which you are actually uploading.
Re:Slashdotting of BitTorrent (Score:3, Informative)
Link? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Link? (Score:5, Funny)
Worldwide releases (Score:4, Interesting)
The best example is Star Wars I. When this movie was released there were actually people in Europe that FLEW OVER TO THE USA to watch that movie. Can you believe the insanity?
That was also the movie that really rocked the internet for being on the internet _before_ it was released officially.
I downloaded SW1 two days after the USA release and watched it in the public computer room at my university where I drew a huge crowd. Including 2 guys who _had_ tickets already to fly over. (I thought SW1 sucked though. I'm happy I didn't spend money on tickets)
I'm pretty happy P2P movie leeching happened so that I was able to see LOTR in the theater right away. I did buy tickets for that one, and enjoyed it a lot.
I haven't downloaded the new Matrix film nor did I get it on the net. I'm pretty sure the internet version is of low quality so that doesn't tempt me too much. I don't have the need to go to the theater because I think it's probably going to be pretty mediocre if you don't count the fighting scene, so I'll just wait for a DVD release at the movie rental.
Re:Worldwide releases (Score:5, Funny)
Don't tell everyone that... Now the MPAA will lobby Congress to restrict all international flights when they release a new movie.
Re:Link? (Score:5, Insightful)
Let's see (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Let's see (Score:5, Interesting)
One of the most important features of Bittorrent is that it is almost completely decentralized. Rather than even p2p sharing, it's just swarm downloading. This decentralization is ultimately what will protect it from the incredible litigation powers of the MPAA and RIAA.
Also of note is its noted ability to be used for non-infringing purposes, such as the download of the aforementioned Redhat 9 ISOs. I'm certain that Redhat is *gleeful* that the ISOs are available over Bittorent rather than everyone trying to pull them off of their server and their mirrors. This non-infringing use will be a saving grace when legal-types start examining bittorrent for lawsuit fodder.
BitTorrent does not let you hide (Score:5, Informative)
In order for bittorrent to work someone has to run a tracker. that is the centralization point. it is the single server on the net making the download possible by coordinating the peers for that download.
Legal entities take note: if you're going to sue someone first, sue the tracker operator(s)! Once that is said and done its EASY to simply ask any tracker for a list of peers serving the content to the world. Those are your next obvious targets.
bittorrent as an application is no different than running a simple web server hosting the content from a legal standpoint. it just saves on hosting bandwidth problems by using the downloading peers as a coordinated distributed cache during times of high load.
Matrix???? (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wow! (Score:4, Informative)
(730 MB, DivX)
http://10mbit.com/suprnova/The.Matrix.Reloaded.
(2.6 gb, Bin/Cue) - Great quality...a little dark in places, but essentially like watching it in the theater.
Re:Wow! (Score:4, Interesting)
I already saw the movie in theaters once. $10.
I will see it with my dad. $20
I bought the first Matrix DVD. $20
I bought the Matrix Revisited DVD $20
I will buy the Animatrix DVD -- unknown cost.
I will buy Reloaded on DVD - $20
I will see Revolutions, twice in theaters, $20
I will buy Revolutions on DVD - $20
Lets see. I spent (or will spend) at least $155 dollars on a high quality movie trilogy. I really like the movie. I might even buy the videogame.
The Matrix Reloaded has made $355 million dollars. In two weeks. It could easily make upwards of $1 Billion. The first one might have made that much when everything globally is added up.
Production costs for all 3 movies, I am guessing are at least $350 million dollars (Matrix - 50, Reloaded, 150, Revolutions, 150).
The movie studio is turning a profit from a well-made movie with a huge following. They are decrying the very themes the movie espouses (hacking -- I mean cracking
If you want to completely eliminate movie piracy, do not make movies. Somewhere, someone will use a DVcam and film a movie. Somewhere, someone will bribe a pimply-faced projection operator to transfer a film print onto a computer.
Somewhere, someone will use DeCSS to watch a DVD they BOUGHT to remove territorial restrictions. Maybe someone with less ethics will make it widely available to downloaders everwhere else.
Billions of dollars. Many hours involved in a fictional story by millions of people. That money could have easily have gone elsewhere, whether the movie was "pirated" or not. You made a good movie. Be happy. We are paying to see it. Laugh to the bank. Gleefully. Keep making good movies and you will have our business. Just accept the fact that some people will redistribute copies of movies. If it gets people to be bigger fans of movies, then its just a cost of business.
Microsoft doesnt care too much about piracy. Why? People get hooked on their software like drug addicts. When they get in a corporate environment, its what they know. Their companies want to be properly licensed, so they pay for software.
Look at Macromedia. People download and crack trials of their software. They learn how to use it. When they get into corporate environments, they have users who will put it to good use and put it on a corporate expense account.
Piracy will always happen. Get over it and spend money on making GOOD movies, not inane shit. Your industry has the luxury of making people pay for movies before seeing them. True, somone can download a crappy cam version, but to see it in full cinematic glory on a digital projection screen is well worth the money being charged. Be happy. For your own sake and bottom line.
After all, the Matrix is not ISHTAR
It's only a matter of time (Score:5, Interesting)
Problem is, its EQUALLY distributed. (Score:3)
Re:Problem is, its EQUALLY distributed. (Score:5, Informative)
Try telling that to the officer when you get a speeding ticket. "Well, I was going as fast as everyone else."
I think you misunderstand. Hope you don't learn the hard way.
They discover that your ip is offering this unauthorized copy of a copyrighted work. They investiate. Track you down. Some days later, you get served with legal process. (Or arrested?)
You are guilty of a crime. It doesn't matter that everyone else is also doing it. It doesn't matter if they don't even go after all the other people.
All they need to do is make a few very public examples. For this reason, I'm sure they'll sue you for $300 milliion, and then settle for $15,000. Just as the RIAA recently did with four students. This had the effect of completely stopping piracy of copyright works owned by RIAA member companies.
Re:Problem is, its EQUALLY distributed. (Score:5, Funny)
Excuse me ?...
Re:Problem is, its EQUALLY distributed. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Problem is, its EQUALLY distributed. (Score:4, Interesting)
Without a Compant To Go After? (Score:5, Insightful)
Howabout going after themselves? I remeber a few days before Episode II came out I had a copy...and it was terrible. Sure I watched it and was wowed but when the movie came out I still went and saw it. Now if YOUR OWN COMPANY leaks a pristine digital copy it seems to me that the problem is your own company and not a file format (.torrent). And as many people pointed out, Ive seen matrix twice now and I garuntee you anyone searching out reloaded on bit torrent is A. a huge fan and B. will or has already shelled out to see it.
If they start to sue individual users since there is no company ill boycot the 3rd movie. Just like ill never buy a CD again (i support my artists by buying a tshirt at concerts, that is where they make money) the only thing you can do these days is vot with your dollar.
You guys (and gals) talk so much shit about the MPAA but who pays their salaries? You do. Everytime you see the matrix / LOTR your paying their lawyers to hunt people down. Never forget that.
.NET act (Score:3, Interesting)
IANAL, but if a user is not sending the entire file, is she/he actually committing a crime by the net act?
The
intriguing, at the very least.
Re:It's only a matter of time (Score:5, Insightful)
Village Roadshow pictures is sueing themselves. (Score:5, Funny)
BitTorrent is being used for piracy? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:BitTorrent is being used for piracy? (Score:5, Funny)
Does Anyone Really Want a Crappy Bootleg? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Does Anyone Really Want a Crappy Bootleg? (Score:5, Informative)
Although it is not unusual for pirate copies of blockbuster films to appear on the internet soon after release, they are often of poor quality, filmed on a hidden videcamera by a cinemagoer.
The picture is often jerky, with poor sound, punctuated by ambient noise in the cinema.
But the copy available using BitTorrent appears to be have made from a film print, and is in widescreen format with surround sound.
Re:Does Anyone Really Want a Crappy Bootleg? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Does Anyone Really Want a Crappy Bootleg? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Does Anyone Really Want a Crappy Bootleg? (Score:5, Insightful)
At last.... (Score:5, Funny)
How much is enough? (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't know what it cost to make, but to whine that "a few hundred million isn't enough, those bastards are ripping us off" doesn't leave me with a whole lot of sympathy.
How much is enough, Hollywood?
Re:How much is enough? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How much is enough? (Score:4, Insightful)
Absolutely. But in the case of copyright infringements against the copyright holders of the Matrix, this is not a valid argument.
The sole reason that they have special reproduction rights over Reloaded is because they are working for us, the public.
The entire point of copyright is to reward people who create original works. We reward them by allowing them sole reproduction rights over their works for a limited time. Then the works pass into the public domain, which they would have done instantly without copyright law.
The idea is that we are rewarding them for something we will eventually possess collectively. Creators are essentially working for the public. So I wouldn't say that we, the public, have nothing to do with their work.
Of course, this system is breaking down as our (the public's) property gets dragged further and further out of reach by extensions to copyright periods, copyright holders are attempting to extert more control than simple copyrights, and people are infringing on those copyrights more and more.
Re:How much is enough? (Score:3, Insightful)
> wouldn't want someone else who has nothing to do with my work determining when
> I've made enough money from it and telling me I'm "whining" if somebody steals
> it.
Well, too bad. I mean seriously, you have no options to do that.
The two options are
1) You copyright your work. In that case the public owns your work after 14 years (I do not observe the new laws, explained below)
2) You do not copyright your work,
Still making their money.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Still making their money.... (Score:5, Insightful)
On the surface, I agree with you - I've seen it, and even if I downloaded a copy I'm going to buy it when it comes out on DVD anyway. Yet, if I downloaded it, they'd claim I "cost them" $30 or so (1 ticket price and one DVD price).
But the fact is that it is their content and as long as it's available to you (currently in the theater). There's never been a good argument for piracy, but then there's no evidence that piracy is really costing them money anyway. I wish they'd wake up and smell the coffee - every time a newer, better, more flexible medium comes along they throw a shit fit, and yet end up making more money than they ever did before.
Re:Still making their money.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Still making their money.... (Score:5, Funny)
Yes. It is wrong that you are that much of a dork.
Social Event (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Social Event (Score:3, Funny)
Hah...I got your social event (Score:5, Funny)
And hey, don't let age be a factor in bringing that family. Got an infant!? Grab an extra diaper or two and bring 'em right in with you! After all, what infant wouldn't love special effects blasting at 1000 db with flashing explosions lighting up the room. They were absolutely screaming with joy!
100s of Agent Smiths... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:100s of Agent Smiths... (Score:5, Funny)
So what? (Score:5, Interesting)
So all I can say is: Bah.
Re:So what? (Score:5, Interesting)
So they suspect an inside job? (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, sounds like the culprit is an insider! Perhaps someone should contact these guys and point out the "inadvertant error" in their analysis before the real criminals get away?
Film source? Nonsense. (Score:5, Informative)
There aren't any screener versions or similar online yet... believe me, I'd have looked!
At the end of the day, I can't imagine any Matrix fans are going to download the movie rather than seeing it on the big screen and/or buying the DVD.
Re:Film source? Nonsense. (Score:5, Insightful)
The rental industry is getting killed by movie piracy online. If you're a fan of a film, you'll go to the theatre to see it.
But all those so-so films that you tell yourself "I'll wait and rent it", can now be downloaded free-as-in-hobo at your leisure.
Of course we only need justify this the same way as we do with MP3 'sharing'; Why should I pay to see a movie that only has one good character and the rest is filler?
Rental industry being HELPED by online sharing (Score:5, Insightful)
I've also heard that movie theaters are in far more trouble from video rentals than they could possibly be from file sharing. Who wants to go to some sticky-floor theater and eat overpriced greasy popcorn and pay $10 per person for tickets when you can rent a DVD and watch it on your home theater with your friends for less than the price of one ticket? Viewers are starting to figure that out.
These days I hardly ever go see big-release movies in the theater. I saw Spiderman and LOTR 1 and that's about it. Oh yeah, Attack of the Clones because a friend dragged me to the theater. I haven't seen LOTR 2 yet and I'm looking forward to seeing it, but I'm going to wait for a DVD rental. If that puts another nail into the MPAA's coffin, I'm all for it.
Matrix reloaded AVIs ain't what you think (Score:5, Funny)
I guess I'll just go the theater to see it.
Re:Matrix reloaded AVIs ain't what you think (Score:5, Funny)
It's a bit of a joke really ! (Score:5, Insightful)
I'll take a bet 95% of people who have an illegal copy of the movie have paid to see it.
There's no substitue for seeing a movie like the matrix on a big screen.
Re:It's a bit of a joke really ! (Score:3, Insightful)
There's no substitue for seeing a movie like the matrix on a big screen.
Too bad so many of the multiplex theaters don't have a big screen any more. Just 10 or 12 small to mid-sized ones.
If I have to watch on a small screen I'll watch at home.
theatre sneak-in (Score:5, Funny)
They are just pissed... (Score:5, Funny)
Rob
Re:They are just pissed... (Score:3)
No need to click on the article, it compares Bruce Almighty [imdb.com]'s first week with TMR [imdb.com]'s second week.
A noticebly more scientific study is available at IMDB.com [imdb.com].
To be fair to CNN, they do point out their article is crap, with a quote from Warner Bros.
You can't compare an R-rated movie over a holiday period with movies that appeal to a broad family audience.
This would appear to be what they have done - and further bias it by comparing chalk with cheese.
Real Menace (Score:5, Funny)
I'd say SARS is a real menace. Or AIDS. Or rednecks in the white house. How many people has my piratred copy of Matrix 2 killed? Injured even?
OK, there was the Russian. But I didn't know he was standing there when threw the CD.
Clearly ones and zeroes are dangerous things. We shouldn't be teaching these things in school. Think of the children! Won't someone think of the children!
Oh, the humanity.
Jack Valenti must not have a very good grip on reality if he thinks my vain effort to figure out if Carrie-Anne Moss shows either of her no-doubt perfect nipples in that one scene is in any way dangerous to civilization as we know it. Fucktard.
Re:Real Menace (Score:4, Funny)
Clinton was more of a hillbilly than a redneck.
Just In: Cisco Routers Blamed for Matrix2 Swapping (Score:5, Funny)
Here's a hint (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact that large-scale movie piracy (and indeed, any piracy) is happening is an indicator that people are largely unsatisfied with the current prices and/or distribution methods.
Factual inaccuracy in the linked Article (Score:3, Insightful)
There was no 'co-ordinated worldwide release' for Reloaded, here in Britain we got it a week an a half later than the US.
There were a whole host of pirate versions on alt.pictures.binaries.divx before the film was even released over here.
As for a solution to the problem, I've seen the film at the cinema, and I'd buy it on DVD, but guess what, there is no legitimate DVD yet.
I'd be tempted to download a divx as a stop-gap until the DVD is released (in it's final, most complete version) but I know that divx files rarely play back with sound even with the latest 5.05 release of the divx codec for Mac.
Don't need no BitTorrent (Score:5, Funny)
_O__-._O__
_|\___\|__ Dodge this !
_|_____|__
_/\____/\_
BitTorrent? Just shows how clueless they are.. (Score:3, Informative)
Newsgroups are where it's at. All three cd's of the Centropy SVCD release are in many of the alt.binaries groups.
Criticising BitTorrent shows just how clueless these guys are. Always aim at the end-user sharing program, and never at the underlying violators who are hosting the actual data being shared. Maybe if they went after Centropy, something might get done, but then again where could we go to download status symbols and be sup4r l33t??
Can't help noticing that it still somehow managed to gross a totally ridiculous amount of money..
A little perspective (Score:4, Interesting)
Let's assume the worst case scenario*: Every college student in the united states downloads the movie and don't pay their $7 to see the movie in a theater. There are about 5 million college students**, so that works out to $35 million. That's ten percent of the total. And that total is still rising -- the movie hasn't been out that long, and the DVD is still far away.
* Ok, this isn't the worst case - sorry to be us-centric and imply that college students are the pirates. But, this is their propoganda and I'm following it to the MPAA's extreme.
** 1.3 mil college bound seniors [nais.org] * 4 = guesstimate
Arr, they be rich! (Score:5, Interesting)
Piracy: a crucial part of viral marketing.
Pirates have been given a bad rap, historically. History is written by the victors, remember. Many of the pirates from the great sailing age freed slaves and the indentured, set up their own kingless mini-republics and functional anarchies, and would appear more modern to us than their other contemporaries.
See this excert from TAZ on pirate utopias [sacred-texts.com] or this article [eco-action.org] or google it [google.com]. And of course if you're really into the spirit of things, you could goof around reading No Quarter Given [noquartergiven.net].
"They vilify us, the scoundrels do, when there is only this difference, they rob the poor under the cover of law, forsooth, and we plunder the rich under the protection of our own courage. Had you not better make then one of us, than sneak after these villains for employment" - D. Defoe
But you didn't really download it (Score:5, Funny)
In other news... (Score:5, Interesting)
*yawn*. All things can be used for good or evil. Duh. What would be ideal would be for the BitTorrent folks to publicly denounce this. Or add a little disclaimer to their page (like Apple did with Rip Mix Burn) saying "We do not endorse or support the use of BitTorrent for illegal activities".
Now, here come the cries of "waaah, censorship, you're a fascist, etc". But think about it for just a second. All BitTorrent would be saying is "look, we created this to solve the problem of distributing things like ISO images to hundreds of people. We didn't create this to help you download the matrix. We stronly encourage you not to use it for that". That's not censorship, nor is it selling out. (Unless, of course, they really did create BitTorrent specifically for downloading movies.) They can't actively prevent you from downloading illegal files, but they can tell you that they think it's not such a bright idea.
Napster, Kazaa, and all the others really couldn't pull the "people can download anything from our networks, not just music" without the entire world laughing. Seeing as how BitTorrent has been used by RedHat and others to distribute ISOs, they actually can pull that argument and have it stick. And I really hope the BitTorrent folks don't pass on this opporuntity. Because then the RIAA has two choices: 1) accuse RedHat and others of supporting piracy by encouarging BitTorrent (which, while it would have MSFT dancing with glee, just isn't going to stick in this day and age); 2) suck it up and realize that tools can be used for both good and evil
in related news... (Score:3, Redundant)
Gun blamed for killing spree
Circular saw blamed for rash of new buildings
Gasoline blamed for smog
People kill people with guns. People build buildings using various tools. People burn gasoline in their cars. People illegally download the Matrix: Reloaded.
Ssssh! (Score:4, Funny)
Posted by CmdrTaco on 2003-05-27 15:32
Damnit, too late.
They have to be kidding (Score:5, Insightful)
The majority of their target are probably 20's-30's, working males. Many of them downloading it are probably only filling the gap between when they no longer want to see it in the theater and when they can get the DVD. I did the same thing for LotR:FotR and LotR:TTT. I downloaded the movie, but the second that dvd comes out I"m getting the extended edition. Why? I want to watch the movie now, but I want the actual DVD when I can get it. Will I download Matrix Reloaded? Maybe. Will I buy Animatrix, matrix:reloaded and matrix when they come out on dvd? Of course. (And yes I realize matrix is out, I want to get it w/ reloaded though.)
350 million in a couple of weeks is not "'debilitating' for the industry no matter how they slice the pie.
But hey, at least bittorrent is getting some advertising in.
Governing Dynamics (Score:5, Interesting)
MPAA Shouldn't Freak .... (Score:5, Insightful)
Try doing that at home without the wife ripping your head off
Hypocrisy (Score:3, Insightful)
I didn't expect journalistic integrity but I'd like to see a longer-than-10-second attention span..
It's their own fault... (Score:5, Funny)
-R
We know why this movie is so popular. (Score:3, Funny)
They could've made more than $365 mill.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Torrent links for Matrix Reloaded (Score:4, Informative)
ESOTERiC Release [siol.com]
REAL PROPER-APM Release [10mbit.com]
Centropy SVCD Release [10mbit.com]
Daduck-sn Release [10mbit.com]
...the very meaning of our lives (Score:5, Funny)
MPAA needs to clean its own house (Score:4, Interesting)
How do movies get leaked? Who has access to them? What potential fines/penalties/criminal charges can and should be levied aginast people who actually have physical access to prints or digital copies?
If it was a digital copy leak... how was it done? If it was copied over a network, why wasn't it secured? Why wasn't in ecncrypted to prevent this in the first place?
Seems to me that the MPAA has much bigger problems than a few people who want to copy semi-decent quality rips of their products to watch on little tiny desktop monitors after they've already gone to see it in the theatres and helped make the movie a huge sucess.
It doesn't matter if there's a spoon or not.
The only solution - zero day offical DVD's (Score:4, Insightful)
They can then offer the DVD later with all the extras, and most people would buy that too. At least for movies like the Matrix... it would probably only be a good plan for mega-movies and not smaller stuff.
Say it with me (Score:4, Insightful)
Guns blamed for armed robbery
Airport security blamed for terrorism
Music blamed for school shootings
McDonald's blamed for fat people
I could go on...
stategic criticism (Score:4, Informative)
Also, if they are so concerned about the state of their art, why don't they focus on making the movie theatres enforce a modicum of civility. Last time I went to the movies (for the matrix reloaded) two people's cell phones rang and they answered them... they had conversations that went something like "hey"
A company can't charge $10 a pop for that kind of experience and then complain that they aren't getting all the money you deserve. You deserve what you get.
pirates should stop complaining (Score:5, Insightful)
I actually help pirate movies and games, and I think any attempt to justify my actions is ridiculous. I know what I'm doing is wrong; I'm not foolish enough to pretend it isn't.
The movie industry has the right to produce crap and distribute it however they like. They have the right to charge you $100 a ticket. And guess what... even if they did, you STILL wouldn't have any right to sneak into a theater or pirate the movie. If you think they're charging too much, or they're taking too long to get the DVD to you.. tough shit. I know it's painful to hear, but you don't have any rights when it comes to movies.. unless you've already paid your money.
It's absurd: Someone makes a product you want, but you don't need. They don't want to sell it to you at the price you would like to pay for it.. and they don't want to give it to you (in DVD form, in this case) when you want to receive it. Too damn bad. It's THEIRS.. they can do with it whatever they please. If you have a problem with it, then don't support them... but it's never justifiable to steal something you merely WANT, simply because you can't legitimately obtain it in a manner that would please you.
That being said... I pirate some stuff because I want it quickly, and half of the stuff I seriously wouldn't buy even if I couldn't pirate it.. For the most part, I just enjoy collecting things. If someone makes a product that I think should be supported, I pay for it. I do not think, however, that what I'm doing is okay. I just acknowledge that I'm not the most morally upstanding person around. Piracy supporters: Stop fooling yourselves.
time for a new poll (Score:4, Funny)
1. saw it in the theater
2. saw it twice or more in theater
3. theater, then Divx
4. theater, then Divx, then Matrix box set
5. there is no Divx
Re:Who cares (Score:5, Insightful)
I beg to differ. I downloaded Fight Club off of some file sharing network a couple years ago. I heard it was good from a friend, but never got around to watching it. I was extremely impressed, so I bought it later that week. The same thing happened with Donnie Darko. There's something just *good* about owning a movie you know is good.
Re:Who cares (Score:4, Interesting)
Two things. One, it doesn't take days to download it, it takes hours. Three hours on a broadband connection, if you had actually read the article before speaking ignorantly. Second, the people that rent the DVD for $5 from Blockbuster or at an even lower price from Netflix aren't going to buy the DVD, either.
Oh yeah, one more thing. The guys that download the film can do something else while it downloads. They can click the link, then walk away for three hours while it downloads, and then click the file to start it up. What were you doing while the trailers, commercials, pathetic trivia questions, and advisories not to talk during the movie were playing before the movie started?
Funny you mention this :-) (Score:4, Funny)
I laughed my ass off when they called me up bitching and insisted on getting the DVD back. I can hardly wait for someone to ask to borrow it