Pointlessness
This is amongst the most pointless things in the known universe. Napster, kazaa, morpheus, they've shut them all down and another has popped up instead to take up the slack. A quick search will show you a load of torrent sites, the Man is just fixated on PB at the mo'. They should try to work out a legal way of doing it or forget about it and stop giving PB the oxygen of publicity. My Mum's heard of piratebay even though she hasn't got a clue what a torrent is :)
What's the cost/benefit analysis on this?
On the downside of all this legal gubbins
- $$$$$ spent on lawsuits and investigations and what not
- Some people don't go to see a film/don't buy the DVD/CD
- Shut PB down and another will just take over, wind all this up and start again
- Millions of people watching the 10 o'clock news hear about somewhere you can get films for free
On the upside
- People who don't have a desperate desire to see a film/listen to a CD download it then like it so much they buy a legal copy
- People get introduced to material they wouldn't normally see
- People don't waste money on stuff they don't like, so, as they're confident with there choices, they spend more than they would otherwise have done
Most people obtain a copy of a film from the bloke in the pub/someone at work/someone down the market which are all physical copies imported illegally from the far east manufacturing plants from the master copies.
Downloaders may proportionally get a lot, but half the housewives in the country getting robin hood (richard armitage makes it worth the price of entry alone apparently) on DVD from frank down the pub is going to take a sizeable chunk out of the profits. And you don't have to wait for it to download, worry about getting caught or wonder what the hell a tracker is or that you'll get a virus.
The reason cinema audiences are going down is because it's so expensive and the stuff they're making is rubbish. 10 years ago you'd go to see a film if if it looked "alright <shrug>" now why should I when it costs £20 (for 2 people and car parking) and in 3 months it'll be in the bargain bin in asda (other supermarkets are available)
The only films I go to see in the pics are ones which require big screens, the one's with explosions and/or spaceships and even then I'm more choosey. The new terminator film 4 or 5 years ago I would have gone to see even though it didn't look great. Now I think, why waste the cash when it doesn't look that good.
Same with CDs, I've bought so many rubbish ones over the years with one song on I like or by someone who's other tunes I liked, so I'll get this one, "it's bound to be good if the last one was", etc.etc.etc.
Now I only buy CDs I've listened to a few times but I buy a lot more. We're all winners, I've got a better music collection and the bands I like have the cash to make more decent records, while the bands who're "meh" or "alright if I'm in that kinda mood" "Must try HARDER" as Mrs Meallor used to say