Villian or hero?

[doodab]

Hmm I think you will find that sharing everything for free is a little more communist/socialist than capitalist????

Not at all. We are moving towards a post-capitalist age where digital technology enables zero marginal cost. Taken to the limit many things will become virtually free to consume. Look at the likes of google, facebook, twitter, the growth of open source software and free editions of closed source software, or the exceptionally low cost of lovefilm, netflix etc. Those latter services are paid but the USP isn't the content itself IMO, it's the superior experience they offer over torrenting (no poisoned downloads, you get what you want etc).

[SpontaneousOrder]

Those latter services are paid but the USP isn't the content itself IMO, it's the superior experience they offer over torrenting (no poisoned downloads, you get what you want etc).

This is key. Regardless of whether pirating is right or wrong, if they weren't trying to desperately resuscitate a long obsolete business model then this wouldn't even be an issue to them.

I personally don't think piracy will be on the radar in any significance in another ten years time. The industries will have eventually caught up with the pace of change and will offer products that 99.9% [waits for the morons to turn up] of people will prefer to pay for.

[TheFaQQer]

Not at all. We are moving towards a post-capitalist age where digital technology enables zero marginal cost. Taken to the limit many things will become virtually free to consume. Look at the likes of google, facebook, twitter, the growth of open source software and free editions of closed source software, or the exceptionally low cost of lovefilm, netflix etc. Those latter services are paid but the USP isn't the content itself IMO, it's the superior experience they offer over torrenting (no poisoned downloads, you get what you want etc).

The torrent sites are realising this and moving towards a better experience, though. For example Popcorn Time, which is looking at delivering a Netflix / Lovefilm / NowTV style interface for downloads.

I'd like to think that at some stage in the future, film studios automatically release a low-quality torrent when films hit the cinemas. Those that want the experience and the quality will still go and watch at the cinema, buy the DVD / BR etc. and they'll still get the money; those that want a quick fix and aren't fussed about the quality get a reliable download in low quality (similar to getting a camera capture, maybe) that they might pay a small amount for, and the studio gets rid of the low quality stuff on torrents. Everybody wins.

[SpontaneousOrder]

The torrent sites are realising this and moving towards a better experience, though. For example Popcorn Time, which is looking at delivering a Netflix / Lovefilm / NowTV style interface for downloads.

I'd like to think that at some stage in the future, film studios automatically release a low-quality torrent when films hit the cinemas. Those that want the experience and the quality will still go and watch at the cinema, buy the DVD / BR etc. and they'll still get the money; those that want a quick fix and aren't fussed about the quality get a reliable download in low quality (similar to getting a camera capture, maybe) that they might pay a small amount for, and the studio gets rid of the low quality stuff on torrents. Everybody wins.

I thought popcorn time died a death about 6 or 7 years ago? Maybe it's been revived.

i think a massive amount of downloaded films are done by people who would never have paid for it anyway - the same as people enjoy free cake at work but wouldn't necessarily buy it.

I wonder if they could do something like teaming up with broadcasters, so that people who actually pay for their movies get advert-free/reduced live broadcasts.

[original PM]

The torrent sites are realising this and moving towards a better experience, though. For example Popcorn Time, which is looking at delivering a Netflix / Lovefilm / NowTV style interface for downloads.

I'd like to think that at some stage in the future, film studios automatically release a low-quality torrent when films hit the cinemas. Those that want the experience and the quality will still go and watch at the cinema, buy the DVD / BR etc. and they'll still get the money; those that want a quick fix and aren't fussed about the quality get a reliable download in low quality (similar to getting a camera capture, maybe) that they might pay a small amount for, and the studio gets rid of the low quality stuff on torrents. Everybody wins.

What???

So if you were a software designer you would be okay with people using your software for free if they only used a 768*1240 screen res but if they used 1080*1940 you would charge?

Really I think firkin not?

[SpontaneousOrder]

What???

So if you were a software designer you would be okay with people using your software for free if they only used a 768*1240 screen res but if they used 1080*1940 you would charge?

Really I think firkin not?

That's incredibly common in software. You get a limited experience for free, and pay for the full experience.

[MicrosoftBob]

What the holy crap does theft have to do with capitalism? Theft is antithetical to capitalism.

This

[Unix]

The torrent sites are realising this and moving towards a better experience, though. For example Popcorn Time, which is looking at delivering a Netflix / Lovefilm / NowTV style interface for downloads.

I'd like to think that at some stage in the future, film studios automatically release a low-quality torrent when films hit the cinemas. Those that want the experience and the quality will still go and watch at the cinema, buy the DVD / BR etc. and they'll still get the money; those that want a quick fix and aren't fussed about the quality get a reliable download in low quality (similar to getting a camera capture, maybe) that they might pay a small amount for, and the studio gets rid of the low quality stuff on torrents. Everybody wins.

Or, which is much more likely, people will still pirate the high quality ones. I use pirate bay and have saved literately thousands over the years on extortionate cinema/blu-ray fees. If some fat-cat producer or egomaniac actor can't buy another yacht because of pirating then WGAS.

[VectraMan]

i think a massive amount of downloaded films are done by people who would never have paid for it anyway - the same as people enjoy free cake at work but wouldn't necessarily buy it.

A massive amount of cars are stolen by people who would never have paid for them anyway. So that's okay too.

[SpontaneousOrder]

A massive amount of cars are stolen by people who would never have paid for them anyway. So that's okay too.

Cars are scarce. There is no scarcity in data. Hence why pinching cars is called theft, and copying is called, er..., copying.