Posts by LK19

Harvey Weinstein wants US to adopt French piracy laws

While I do not think that Mr. Weinstien made his point as eloquently as he could have, I do think he has a solid argument. Films shown on television are required to pay the artists and creators who bring those films to life. Why should the same not be true of films shown on the Internet? In fact, the Internet provides a more convenient service to consumers, allowing them to choose their films as they wish rather than depending on a TV programming to show their films at a set time. The Internet often gets a free ride, escaping under the guise of “freedom of information,” when in reality, offering a good or service for free, into which many people’s hard work and time went, is piracy. I could also understand people’s hesitancy to enact stricter laws, fearing that the laws that might have adverse effects on business. However, these laws have already been enacted in France and none of the businesses have failed. This should give Americans a greater sense of faith in the laws effectiveness. In fact, by requiring that the Internet providers pay the artists and creators of the products they stream, these laws may in fact provide a boost to the very same Internet providers they are fining. If the Internet providers begin to pay the artists and creators for the films they make, the film industry as a whole will grow, allowing them to make new films that may appeal to varied audiences. A greater audience means a greater support base of users for Internet providers, a boon to their business. But most importantly in this discussion is the fact that these laws are necessary for our own ethical and moral standard of behavior. We all know stealing is wrong. So why is it that we tolerate rampant piracy across the country (and, in fact, across the globe)? The passage of these laws could signal, loud and clear, that the US upholds its values and regulates itself to ensure that we always behave according to those morals.

While I think that Mr. Weinstein may not have presented this argument in the most eloquent fashion, I do think that he makes some very valid points. The filmmaking industry is rewarded every time one of their products is shown on television. This is not the case for the Internet. One has to ask why this is. Isn't the Internet even more convenient than a television? There are much more limited commercials and any film you could imagine is at the touch of your fingertips rather than having to rely on television programming to show your favorite flick. Doesn't it make sense that for the same service television provides, for which we, as consumers, gladly pay, that we should be willing to pay at least equally as much for a more convenient service? The fact that France serves as a test run for these types of laws makes his argument all the more legitimate. A country has already implemented these laws and as Mr. Weinstein mentioned, none of the French branches of these companies have gone out of business. The fear that these restrictive laws against piracy will cripple the companies that provide them is irrational: these laws could boost the film industry, earning them more profits and thus, a greater capacity to produce new films. These new products would in turn give companies like Google and Yahoo more material to offer their customers and therefore, an even broader consumer base. More importantly than the profits of the industry, however, we need to be focusing on the underlying issue here: behaving in an ethically and morally right manner. Stealing is wrong and any law that allows for that type of behavior should be amended and that is precisely the type of change that Mr.Weinstein is proposing.