Besieged Movie Industry Suffers Record Takings

nagora writes "The BBC is reporting that the movie industry, in yet another illustration of just how much damage the Internet is doing to the long-suffering members of the MPAA, has just endured a record breaking $1Billion dollar takings for the single month of June. Clearly there is a desperate need to tighten up copyright laws in the face of this huge mountain of cash that is literally being metaphorically syphoned into the studios' pockets. How will they survive? "

Comments

For those that didn't read the article

[Anonymous Coward]

Here's some infomration to put that figure into perspective:

The box office tally for June 2004 is 37% higher than the same period in 2001.

Michael Moore

[TheMeddler]

From the Sunday Herald (link at end of article):

Controversial film-maker Michael Moore has welcomed the appearance on the internet of pirated copies of his anti-Bush documentary Fahrenheit 9/11 and claimed he is happy for anybody to download it free of charge. The activist, author and director told the Sunday Herald that, as long as pirated copies of his film were not being sold, he had no problem with it being downloaded.

"I don't agree with the copyright laws and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labour. I would oppose that," he said.

Sunday Herald

Re:Shocking, I'm sure

[Call Me Black Cloud]

Considering the price of movie tickets has doubled in the last 6 years. They aren't selling more tickets, they're extorting money from those willing to pay.

Where did you get your numbers from? Here's what I was able to dig up:

Average ticket price 2003: $6.03
Average ticket price 1997: $4.59
source

Number of admissions (billions):
2003: 1.57
2002: 1.63
2001: 1.49
2000: 1.42
1999: 1.47
1998: 1.48
1997: 1.39
source

It seems the price has not doubled and ticket sales are generally rising.

Re:If they don't stop making shit movies they won'

[Izago909]

Many theaters do refund your ticket if you leave before the end of the show. I know for a fact United Artists/Regal does.

Attendance is down

[forii]

The rise in revenue is due solely to increased ticket prices, not because more people are seeing movies. In fact, movie attendance has dropped in three of the last five years. The fact is, there will always be a market for movies, as few non-slashdotters consider watching a bootlegged movie on your computer to be a "good date", but tickets will instead become even more expensive.

Re:If they don't stop making shit movies they won'

[ScrewMaster]

Better re-read your industry group history. The MPAA (and it's politically-very-well-connected) head, Jack Valenti) was heavily involved in the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act and the DMCA, to name a few of their more egregious crimes against the nation. So, no, while they have avoided most of the RIAA's PR gaffes they are by no means blameless or any less dangerous than their sister organization.