So, today has been a black day literally for alot of websites. Wikipedia has blacked out, Google and plenty more all have similar images opposing The Stop Online Piracy Act. Now while we’re in Ireland it can effect us in some capacity if this bill were to come to pass in the States. I’m looking at this here, purely from the movie point of view and in particular movie piracy. While this doesn’t encompass everything surrounding internet freedom, here’s my take.
Like all the reputable movie sites, we don’t in any capacity condone piracy of any form. I have an incredibly strict policy here at The Movie Bit, when it comes to bootlegged trailers and still images from bootlegged material. Anybody who does so has their author status revoked and are removed from the site permanently. Besides, it serves zero benefit to our readers to have some shitty, blurred image taken with a camera phone. At the end of the day, its sites like ourselves and our far bigger brothers in the USA that help spread the word about upcoming movies. We are movie fans. End of. And I’m pretty damn sure none of us want people posting illegal material in comments sections of these sites. Why the hell would any of the movie websites want to harm the industry that we love so much?
I accept piracy is a huge problem around the world and the film studios are only protecting themselves and their copyright. Of course making sure they make some moolah in the process. It’s not called the movie business for nothing. Like any other business.
But, shutting down sites left right and center, because, lets say somebody posts a link to something dodgy is not the answer. Does it stop piracy. No it doesn’t. While it might stop a few people downloading something illegal, it doesn’t stop the distribution of it. Surely, the MPAA and other supporters of SOPA have to ask themselves the question “Where the hell is the stuff coming from?”. Besides the camcorder crowd, what about all the Screeners that are leaked and end up all over the world in minutes? What about movies that are uploaded weeks before the actual release date of a DVD or Blu-Ray. What’s been done to combat the internal problem of leaks? Are all screeners not supposed to be watermarked? Has any body been held to task over those watermarks? What about the disc pressing plants? I accept you can blame the pirates for pirating something with a camcorder, but a screener or a pre-release? Think about it, in those scenarios, you don’t have to look to the high seas for movie pirates. They’re already walking among you. Chances are you pay some of them a damn good wage.
Its also an on-going issue in Ireland with the Irish government attempting to please the industry and adopt a removal of internet usage for people who download illegally. And we have a bigger bunch on unqualified clowns running this country. But thats another question for another day. Why are there so many people in politics that are unqualified or have no experience in the portfolio they are given? And I should know. I’ve dealt with enough of the circus performers on my radio show.
In all of this madness, is anybody asking “Why do people download pirated material?” or “Why are people distributing our IP illegally?”
Its like this. Take away the drug addicts and you’ll still have drug dealers. Take away the drug dealers and you won’t have anymore addicts. Remove the downloaders and you still have the uploaders. Remove the uploaders and you don’t have the downloaders anymore. And that’s pretty Black and white!
We salute our American movie friends! Come on over sometime, we’ll buy ya a pint and take you to the Blarney Stone!
