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Hollywood Says Piracy Has Ripple Effect
ColinPL writes to mention a Washington Post article about a new study backed by Hollywood on intellectual piracy. The study, which they're presenting to lawmakers today, claims that piracy has a ripple effect on the economy. According to the study, lost revenues may have as much as three times the impact previously imagined. From the article: "Lawmakers and federal agencies such as the Justice and State departments have helped Hollywood battle physical piracy -- specifically, counterfeit DVDs. But now the stakes are especially high for entertainment companies as they sell more of their products online in the form of digital songs, movies and other intellectual property. Internet piracy may be tougher for lawmakers to conceptualize, entertainment companies fear."
They interviewed a crew hand from Waterworld and, aside from forcing him out of a job, the unnamed victim reported that piracy forcefully entered his home and raped him in front of his youngest son. Piracy has taken not only his source of income but also the joy that he and his son once shared.
The report concludes with piracy being at large and dangerous. Piracy is capable of flipping bits in a pattern that resembles music and is also known to cause cancer.
So when are lawmakers presented with the Piracy Is Actually Pretty Bitching for Consumers report? What about the Economics Research is Bullshit & Baseless report? Oh, that's right, the other side of the issue never gets to hear it's voice heard and no alternatives will ever be explored. Silly me.
My work here is dung.
They can find it here
Oh no, piracy is killing minimum wage video store clerk jobs! How will the economy function!
This is not the greatest
Ripple effect is fine. I just don't want to see a butterfly effect. One person pirates, and the next thing you know we have a chimpanzee for president and our rights are being eroded every day... Oh damn.
-matthew
"THERE IS NO JUSTICE, THERE IS ONLY ME." -Death
Shh!! Don't give them any ideas, or we'll have CRM (Candy Rights Management), and I won't be able to share my skittles. Oh wait, that would actually be a good idea. Get your own damn skittles, hippie, these are mine! Proceed.
"Don't you know you're going to shock the monkey?"- Peter Gabriel
Need they say more?
Good. Cheap. Fast. Pick Two.
It's important to remember, however, that even though piracy prevents money from reaching the movie industry, those dollars probably stay in the economy, one intellectual property expert said. Ridiculous! Doesn't everybody do what I do? That is, sink every penny I save through downloading pirated films into doubloons I keep buried in a chest in my back yard. Pieces of eight! Pieces of eight!
What about the study about how only three movies this summer were bearable to watch?
(Pirates, Sunshine, Superman)
"I only speak the truth"
Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
Hollywood props up the monstrous candy industry. Just think of that $10 box of raisinets you buy at the theatre. This is exactly the kind of ripple effect they are talking about. No movie patrons in the theatre => no candy sales => no $2000 root canals. Won't someone think of the dentists?
Vizzini: Inconceivable.
...
Inigo Montoya:, You keep using that word. I do not think it means, what you think it means.
"Don't you know you're going to shock the monkey?"- Peter Gabriel
RIAA: Those danm Pirates are attacking our economy with their Voodoo Economics!!
Pirate: Arrr!! But 'tis naught to the voodoo that you do so well!! Ye scurvy dogs!
May the Maths Be with you!
I'm pretty sure that pirates bury their loot on tropical islands.
I imagine the effects on our descendants will be infinite...
It doesn't matter which ape activates the Monolith
Tom Cruise gets fired. . Stops buying his Prozac and Ritallin at the little pharmacy over by Paramount. . Pharmacy goes belly up. . The person that used to put the labels on the bottles at the supplier gets the pink slip. . Doesn't take that vaction to see Grandma.. Doesn't win the lottery. . Doesn't donate to the school that produces 2075's US President..
So, Tell me again what all this has to do with Piracy?
"Piracy means the economy as a whole gains _both_ the wealth inherent in an extra copy of a certain material for the particular consumer _plus_ the wealth inherent in whatever else the money is spent on."
Mr "IP is worth something", meet "Media sux" and "I never would have bought it anyway [since it's not worth buying]". Discuss amoungst yourselves.
And then ninjas come and dig it up and use it to buy frisbees, swords, throwing stars and red bull.
Read my short stories - You won't regret it.