MPAA Plans To Launch Movie Links Site

eldavojohn writes "To combat piracy, the MPAA's latest idea involves a site that would allow users to search for a movie and then provide links to legit legal downloads or ticket purchases for it. Why are they doing this? Because their research showed 'many users have a hard time differentiating between legal and illegal content online.' And all this time I thought people pirated movies because it was cheaper to do! Turns out they were just confused."

Comments

This makes sense.

[evanbd]

One reason many people commit copyright infringement of movies is because the p2p programs provide a simpler, faster way to find what you're looking for, all from a central location. If this really indexes everything available, and is quick and simple to use, I think it might actually see significant use.

Obviously it won't stop all infringement, but it's a much saner response than suing your customers.

Re:This makes sense.

[Cor-cor]

Actually, it seems to me like the MPAA's been taking the saner approach all along.

Every time I hear about the RIAA, they're suing someone new or getting another judgment handed down. Every time I hear about the MPAA, they're trying something new - online services like streaming shows and the whole Netflix thing, "educational" (threatening) letters, or a summer which, in my opinion, has been filled with an unreasonably high number of decent films.

I'm not saying they've gotten things perfect, but it at least looks like they're trying, and it would be nice if people recognize that and throw a noticeable amount of support their way in response. That way, they can see that the evil haX0rs aren't out to get them and the public really is willing to work with them. Because the alternative is that they recognize the RIAA's "bite the hand that feeds you" campaign is turning more of a profit through settlements and go that route. Maybe I've missed news stories where the MPAA does the same thing, but for the sake of not moving to Canada I'd like to think not. It's cold up there. And filled with Canadians.

The flipside of that, of course, is to let the RIAA know how we feel about their strategy. For example, I recently got fed up with them and opened an e-music account. I know there are other sites but I'm a little hooked on this one, you know how it is. It seems to have everything we want straight from a wish list (reasonably priced quality songs without DRM and no RIAA). Like I've seen a lot with similar posts, I missed some of the bigger name bands and it's a little harder to find what I want, but I've also heard that if that sort of thing deters you they take your geek license on the spot.

So yeah, I guess my point here is look around, and use the language they under$tand to tell the *AAs what you like (or don't). That's the only way things will really get better. If you only hide behind "extra features" of illegal services to justify breaking the law, well, sorry to say but they probably are justified in suing that attitude out of you. But if you are willing to support those features, they might actually get implemented. Because, in the immortal words of Peter Griffin, "Black or white, the only color that really matters is green." And I'll continue to watch Family Guy as long as they don't sue me for the $0.02 of whatever I just stole there.

Fine print

[poetmatt]

Watch out for the fine print for one, and two this is a press release equivalent.

This is an "ohhh, sure, we're going to do this" followed by a "well, not enough people followed it, so we're dropping it". That or it will be DRM laden enough that it's a flaming piece of turd. This is a complete unsubstantiated claim by the MPAA right now.

I wouldn't be surprised if they simply restore that one download site they created before that was dropped...maybe someone else remembers the name. The day MPAA offers "legit online downloads" means the day they accept piracy.

Easy Fix

[Renraku]

How about they link us to fairly priced movies?

Fuck paying DVD prices for a crappy quality movie you can't burn to your own DVD. You get no packaging, no extra materials, no DVD, nothing except for the movie file itself. All for the same price. Wal-Mart is a few minutes down the road and if I catch them on a sale, the WM version can be cheaper than the online version!

If the download version were quite a bit cheaper than the real version, hell, I'd do that before I bought the movie most likely.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[spiffyman]

FTFA:the site "could include links to Fandango, Movietickets.com, Amazon, Netflix, iTunes, Xbox Live Video, Hulu, and more."

What part of that sounds like a "piss-poor selection" of "crippled" flicks? Fandango and Movietickets, at least, aren't exactly DRM purveyors. And Apple's DRM is one of the least onerous options out there, for "legit" viewing.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I actually think this is a good move on the MPAA's part. I do want to know where I can get movies legally, and this could help increase competition - better for my bottom line. I'm not going to complain about what appears to be a sincere attempt to address consumers' needs.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[arth1]

No, they'll use the lack of interest for this site as "evidence" that people are only interested in ripping them off and getting things for free.
Hanlon's razor to the contrary, I think this was deliberately planned to fail, to be used as ammunition for swaying the lawmakers.
The RIAA will submit their own interpretation of why it failed. That it was designed to be cumbersome to make it fail won't be grokked by politicians.

Nonono, MPAA, you got it all wrong

[Opportunist]

People don't download copies of movies because they're free, but because they're free.

When you get a download from a P2P network, you get no DRM, no country restriction, no copy restriction, no media restriction, no troubles, no fuss, just a movie.

When you buy a movie, there's a chance that your player won't read it (because it's a DVD-Rom drive instead of a standalone player, which I don't have and don't see any reason to get), a near certainty that you can't put the movie on your server (which makes it much more convenient to play than to search for the DVD every time you want to play it), a good chance that a "foreign" movie gives you some headaches and no chance to put it on your mobile device (and for some odd reason, I don't see the reason to pay twice for content).

Here's your reason for copying. It's convenience, that's all. Care to tell me how I should explain people to pay for something AND have more hassle using it?

Re:Nonono, MPAA, you got it all wrong

[diodeus]

Yeah, and you're not forced to sit through *^&%$#@ non-skippable previews.

Re:Nonono, MPAA, you got it all wrong

[jedidiah]

I wish I could take my Tivo remote to the cinema and use the 30-skip button to skip all the crap before the movie...

Re:Where do I sign up?

[arth1]

And Apple's DRM is one of the least onerous options out there, for "legit" viewing.

Huh? Which universe are you in? In my universe, Apple requires specific software to be installed on my machine -- software that takes over system functions, and even downloads other software that I don't want, which in turn takes over more of the system. It's the most intrusive DRM system I've ever seen.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[Moryath]

Fandango + Movietickets = MOVIE TICKET sales. I sometimes use them when I'm... oh... going to the theater (something I've done a lot this summer).

Amazon, Netflix - are you referring to renting/buying the DVD/Blu-ray? Or are you referring to their crappy-as-hell never-works-properly "online rental" setups?

iTunes - Great. Don't own an iPod. Not planning to. Decent video quality only if you plan to watch on tinyscreen.

Xbox Live Video - I've gotten precisely ONE video on it, before I realized there was no way to preserve what I bought (supposedly a "purchase" but going to die with the console).

Hulu - lower quality than broadcast TV. No way to download/preserve it or dump it to any portable option. Yeah, awesome. Not.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I actually think this is a good move on the MPAA's part.

You're missing a lot of things.

I do want to know where I can get movies legally, and this could help increase competition - better for my bottom line.

If I thought for a minute it would help increase competition, maybe that would be a point. I don't.

As for knowing where I can get movies legally? I already know. I also know that the supposedly "legal" methods today deliberately and ILLEGALLY infringe on my first-sale rights, and you won't catch me supporting that.

Oblig...

[halsver]

It's a trap!

Re:Where do I sign up?

[Moryath]

Huh? Which universe are you in?

I believe they call his universe "plantville."

Or "Shillverse."

Re:Where do I sign up?

[arth1]

The complaint that FairPlay requires specific software is a) hardly unique, since just about every DRM system does, and b) effectively false.

That's a strange way to spell Effectively true. See, the link you gave for "effectively false" points to an additional piece of software -- not a replacement. You need to both iTunes and QuickTime in order to be able to use it.

What makes Fairplay worse than most is that it's not just "specific software", but several pieces of software that take over system tasks that are NOT related to just playing that specific type of media. In addition, it defaults to installing software behind your back, which is worse than even what Sony managed.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[spiffyman]

I sometimes use them when I'm... oh... going to the theater

Well, I didn't say anything about getting movies online legally. The fact is that this website should provide the sort of one-stop shop a lot of consumers look for. A similar response can be given to your "critiques" of each of these services.

None of them are perfect, and I never claimed they were. But I think it's silly that those of us who have spent so much time lambasting the MPAA for its heavy-handed methods are now assailing them for providing a non-profit index of legal services. "Ooooooh! How eeeeeevil of the MPAA! Please don't inform me of where you'd like me to shop!"

The iPod isn't the only device iTMS movies play on. Get your facts straight.

If I thought for a minute it would help increase competition, maybe that would be a point. I don't.

Ok. Here's some substantive disagreement. I think the fact that these sites are all linked on the same site will put them in direct competition with each other. If I want tickets, then I'll pick the site that charges less for reserving tickets. If I want a rental, I'll consider the price/benefit ratio of getting a movie tonight at X price vs. Wednesday at Y price, etc. I think that's pretty straightforward.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[bravecanadian]

No, they'll use the lack of interest for this site as "evidence" that people are only interested in ripping them off and getting things for free.

And for many of the people in this crowd.. they will be correct.

First the studios have content that is not available online. People download it for free like crazy because it is "convenient".

Then the studios offer online in various forms. People download it for free like crazy because "it costs too much" or "it has DRM".

Then the studios reduce the costs on the online offerings, perhaps subsidized with advertising, and loosen the DRM. People download content for free because.. they can.. and claim it isn't stealing because of xyz b.s. argument.

Morale of the story: people will justify stealing stuff as long as they can find some argument, however pathetic, to support them. Just another case of Internet anonymity gone wrong.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[veganboyjosh]

I think you're close, but off the mark.

I'd say most people download (illegally) because it's just easier. It's easier to find content via TPB than it is going to retail store xyz and finding a movie that's 2 years old. It's easier to get it in a format that works (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc). It's easier to deal with the files once you have them. (DRM, etc)

It's easier to get for free from torrenttracker123 than it is to pay for it from netflix, amazon, or wherever. It's too bad for the **AA, too. If they had been even a little forward thinking to realize that people would use this big new technology to get content. If the **AA had thrown half as much energy and money at the problem of coming up with a decent distribution network/model that works via the internet, they could have beaten the pirates in a big way early on. As it is, they've allowed the pirates to come up with an easier way for people to get their content. I think they kind of missed the bus. They're struggling, but if they want to put an end to piracy in a big way, then they're going to need to come up with a distribution method that makes it easier for joe content user to get to and use. I truly believe that if it's easier, then enough people will pay for it to make it worth the content creator's investment.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[moosesocks]

Ok. Name a *less* intrusive DRM system.

Honestly, it sounds like it's the only DRM system you've used.

Apple didn't want to buy into Microsoft's DRM standard. What would you have proposed that they did instead?

Also, what "software that you didn't want" does it install? Complaining about iTunes installing Quicktime is like complaining about the VLC Player installing the VLC Libraries. (No, iTunes and Quicktime for Windows aren't as good as they could be. Still, things could be a lot worse)

We need some sort of standardized, cross-platform system for DRM. Sadly, it's going to be a reality that we have to deal with. We might as well make the best of it. For now, Apple's system isn't terribly bad.

Re:Where do I sign up?

[ColaMan]

I was accosted by a convenience store clerk as I entered the store, and told that I had to remove my ski mask or they would call the police.

Having no idea on the current 1984-esque laws in the US at the moment, from an Australian point of view I can only point out that that is a "store policy" only. It's a far cry from "public places".

To use a bit of Political Correctness (spit) against The Man, one can simply say,"but what about Muslim women and their full-body, face-covering burkhas and veils? Surely you're not discriminating against them, are you? Tsk-Tsk. Maybe I should call a few people in the press."

They'll be backpedalling before you can say "Anti-discrimination Comission"