Slashdot Mirror


Piracy Fails To Prevent Another Box Office Record (torrentfreak.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The movie industry has reported global box office records reached $38.4 billion in 2015, up 5% on 2014's total, according to the MPAA's Theatrical Market Statistics report. The U.S. and Canada turned in $11.1 billion with international box office revenues hitting $27.2 billion. "I'm proud to say that the state of our industry has never been stronger," the former U.S. senator, MPAA chairman and CEO Chris Dodd said. "To paraphrase Mark Twain, the death of the movies has been greatly exaggerated," Dodd said. It begs the question whether or not piracy is truly killing the movie business -- the MPAA insists it is. According to Dodd, the box office would be more healthy to the tune of $1.5 billion if piracy could be brought under control. Some possible theories to achieve such a goal would be based off making content more readily available to the consumer. Napster co-found Sean Parker has a Screening Room project which hopes to bring first-run movies into the home via a set-top box. Though it has a trick up its sleeve: Customers prepared to pay the required $50 to watch at home would get two tickets to watch the movie in the cinema, which could either boost or at least maintain box office attendance. The Art House Convergence (AHC) said it "strongly opposes" the plan, warning it would only fuel torrent sites and piracy. National Assosciation of Theatre Owners chief John Fithian said, "More sophisticated window modeling may be needed for the growing success of a modern movie industry."

3 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. landlubbers abound by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Some possible theories to achieve such a goal would be based off making content more readily available to the consumer."

    Great idea!

    "Customers prepared to pay the required $50 to watch at home....."

    uh oh, I see more black sails on the horizon...

  2. Re:Old excuses are lame excuse by ewhac · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...can be found on the list of ethical fallacies, [ ... ]

    If you pirate, you either advocate the complete abolition of copyright or are a hypocrite. Period.

    False dilemma.

  3. Re:Flawed logic by JoeDuncan · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you screw my wife then you've attempted rape.

    LOL - nope! It's only rape if she wasn't consenting...

    Given that you appear to think of your wife as property, I would not at all be surprised if she consents... often and frequently.