Movie Studios Sue File Traders

[Clint DeBoer]

Ah yes, the other shoe is dropping this week as the trade group that represents 7 of the largest movie studios filed its first round of lawsuits Tuesday against people who allegedly share copyrighted films on the Internet. The MPAA would not release the number of lawsuits or the locations of course, and we can expect much more news in the coming weeks as this story unfolds. Taking a cue from the RIAA, who revved up its business model to include shaking down its user base for settlement fees, the MPAA, despite record sales this year and a complete inability to stop worldwide copyright infringement, is going after users of domestic peer-to-peer file sharing applications. Almost comically, the MPAA also said it would soon make available a computer program that sniffs out movie and music files on a user’s computer as well as any installed file-sharing programs. Presumably, if you would like to initiate your own lawsuit, you can also call their toll free number and turn yourself in.

[outsider]

So, are the movie studios going to use all this money they win in court to make movies that are actually good? You know, movies that I would actually be willing to pay $8 to see.

[farscaper]

Originally Posted by outsider

So, are the movie studios going to use all this money they win in court to make movies that are actually good? You know, movies that I would actually be willing to pay $8 to see.

You pay $8. Crap, now I really feel ripped off.
I hate to say it, but only 10% of movies that come out even interest me. That maybe a high figure. Once I think of the price to take my family, then that drops to about 5%.
Another thing, there are far too many copy-cat movies and each variation worse then the other. Its almost like they have a yearly quota.
J

[Topher]

Personally, I like watching movies & I want to see them made, so I don't share movies, nor do I copy movies I don't own, but you'd think the big problem would be people who rent movies & copy them.

[outsider]

Originally Posted by Topher

but you'd think the big problem would be people who rent movies & copy them.

I have friends who do that. In fact, that sort of thing has gone on for as long as I can remember.
My friends and I used to borrow each others movies and copy them. It was like a trade -you can copy mine if I can copy yours.
We did the same thing with music.
The biggest difference now is that it's trackable.

As for some movies, I wait until they go to the cheap theatre. Then it's only $1.50.