VERONICA BANEZ WRITES – Is piracy becoming too big of a problem?
Some may argue that pirating movies off the Internet is simply nothing more than a form of free entertainment. After all, why pay so much money to watch a movie when one can simply get it online for free? However, most people do not realize is that piracy is actually a much more serious issue than originally thought to be.
Nikki Macdonald, a writer for the website Stuff.com, states that, “In an already tough film-making market, sources say internet piracy is the single biggest issue facing New Zealand’s billion-dollar film industry.”
When a person has an urge to watch a movie, most people automatically try to find the desired film online. Many consider this an easier option as opposed to driving to the local movie theater and or spending money to rent the film which will eventually end up on DVD or an online streaming service.
According to the website Stuff.com, Tom Pullar-Strecker said, “Piracy is theft and it is just plain wrong. When the royalties are not coming in due to piracy then the producers, actors, crew members and distributors do [not] get paid.”
However, regardless if a film or CD is pirated, the artists, actors, and everyone associated with the creation of these movies or CD’s will still get paid regardless. Despite this fact, they will still not be profiting as much from the sales as much as they would be if fans paid to view their product.
Chris Keall, National Business Review writer provides a great counter-argument by stating “People are still making money from movies and music – just not always the same people as before. Long term, regional monopolies – set up to protect exclusive distribution rather than copyright – will crumble, and consumers will have more choice.”
Even though Keall makes a good point and pirating movies makes for a quick and easy entertainment fix, nothing beats seeing films on the big screen complete with surround sound and a bag of popcorn.