Disney Ditching Netflix Keeps Piracy Relevant (torrentfreak.com)

Yesterday, Disney announced its intent to pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming service. This upset many users across the web as the whole appeal of the streaming model becomes diluted when there are too many "Netflixes." TorrentFreak argues that "while Disney expects to profit from the strategy, more fragmentation is not ideal for the public" and that the move "keeps piracy relevant." From the report: Although Disney's decision may be good for Disney, a lot of Netflix users are not going to be happy. It likely means that they need another streaming platform subscription to get what they want, which isn't a very positive prospect. In piracy discussions, Hollywood insiders often stress that people have no reason to pirate, as pretty much all titles are available online legally. What they don't mention, however, is that users need access to a few dozen paid services, to access them all. In a way, this fragmentation is keeping the pirate ecosystems intact. While legal streaming services work just fine, having dozens of subscriptions is expensive, and not very practical. Especially not compared to pirate streaming sites, where everything can be accessed on the same site.

Comments

Shame

[Anonymous Coward]

Netflix started becoming close to an end to piracy. They were getting a great selection of content (US still had a better selection than most) and I was happy to pay for it as I always found something to watch for a reasonable cost. Not that I watched Disney products but inevitably others are going to follow suit.
I am not a huge fan of paying multiple companies monthly to watch their content. Suddenly it becomes less value for money. Piracy is looking appealing again...

Re:Shame

[Anonymous Coward]

Disney, in a sense, effectively pirated the public domain. As far as I'm concerned, turnabout is fair play.

Re:Shame

[renegadesx]

This, I refuse to subscribe to HBOGo, I happily pirate Game of Thrones. Im on Netflix and Hulu and will not subscribe to a third. Same goes for Disney. I am happy to torrent whats not available on the main streaming services. Disney and HBO have the ability to take my money, but in trying to extract more out of me they will get none.

Re:Shame

[renegadesx]

Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Cinderella, Repunzal, yep fair point!

Re:Shame

[VernonNemitz]

That's not what the other poster meant. One of the recent revisions/extensions of copyright law was called the "Mickey Mouse Law", because it allowed Disney to keep MM under copyright, instead of that character getting liberated into the public domain.

Regarding the other issue, of companies streaming content with fees, an alternative that works is advertising. Major networks like ABC and NBC and CBS and Fox all offer their broadcast programs on the internet for some weeks after the broadcast, and those streamed programs are interspersed with advertisements, just like the broadcasts. When we think about ancient TV programs that are still in syndication, broadcast still with interspersed commercials, it should be obvious that any content-production company should be able to offer its content via streaming practically forever (well, at least until it finally enters the public domain), if it always added some interspersed advertising. The companies would never need to charge viewers fees, but their programs would still be making money. And only the most die-hard of pirates would insist they have some kind of right to view commercial-free content.. Most folks are used to commercials, after all!

Re:Shame

[Wootery]

Ah, the old I don't like the pricepoint, so I'll just not pay.

You'd come across as far more righteous if you just refused to watch GoT.

Re:Shame

[Anonymous Coward]

So you're saying a commercial empire that has entertained millions, employed millions and made millionaires was made possible by shorter copyright duration that what we have now?

The very company that is influential enough to extend copyright duration only exists because it was able to take advantage of shorter copyright terms?

Re:Greed!!

[Rockoon]

..or install another streaming application.

Kodi with a pirate plugin or a solution like it will win because because then its all in one place.

Provide feedback to Disney

[under_score]

It was a bit hard to find a good place to provide feedback. Here is how I did it:

1. 1. Go to https://help.disney.com/en_US/...
2. 2. Select "Other"
3. 3. In the field, type "Netflix"
4. 4. Click the "Next" button
5. 5. Click on the "Email" button
6. 6. Type in your full complaint

They responded to me by basically saying they were forwarding my comment to the appropriate person.

Re:Provide feedback to Disney

[macklin01]

It may go straight to File 13, but I wrote in too.

Hello, I'm really disappointed that Disney is pulling its content from Netflix to force customers to purchase yet another subscription service. As more and more companies like you do this (e.g., CBS All Access), you are fragmenting the online market, and making it harder and costlier for customers to legally access content. We were willing to cut the cord from cable providers and buy access to 2-3 services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu to get access to most content at lower prices. But this fragmentation is quickly driving costs above traditional cable access. This is unsustainable. We don't plan to buy the extra subscription to Disney when it's off Netflix. Maybe we'll start watching more Dreamworks and Warner Bros. movies.

The Entitlement Mentality is wrong.

[gfxguy]

Sorry, there's really no reason or justification for pirating Disney movies. Or any movies, really. If you don't want to pay what the companies that made them are asking, then don't watch. This is the entitlement mentality at it's worst. Nobody owes you anything, and you don't need movies. It's not like stealing bread to feed your family.

That doesn't mean I'm happy about it - I'm not, but the worst thing an individual can do is come out and say they are now going to start violating the legal rights of others because they don't want to pay for a f#@king Disney movie. Do these people even listen to themselves?

Re:The Entitlement Mentality is wrong.

[Anonymous Coward]

You say that.. but I don't think you understand the OP's thoughts. You have been paying for a subscription-based service (Netflix) that you have up to this point... have had access to content from the Disney network. Suddenly.. and without a refund from Netflix.. you find that the same content you've enjoyed for days/months/years is suddenly no longer available. Little did you know.. that the content owner decided that the Charlie Sheen-esque cocaine and hooker parties for the Disney elite were being impacted... they started to run low on ca$h. Their decision... consumer be damned.. is to force you to pay for yet another content provider's source to see the same content.

Some percentage of us will just grin, bear it and hope for some overtime opporuntites to absorb the increased cost.

Others.. will just buy the DVD content of their kid's most favorites.. and explain to them they can't see the other stuff.

What the OP here is saying.. is category 3. The rebels.. that will find a way to *not* pay any more than they had with their Netflix fee.. to see the content they've been enjoying. That means piracy. You have decided that there is no reason or justification... but I encourage you to read my post. There is a reason... when your paid-for content access is stripped away and then re-assigned to a new paid subscription.

Peace out.

Re:The Entitlement Mentality is wrong.

[StormReaver]

Do these people even listen to themselves?

While I don't use pirate sites, I applaud those who do. Those are the people who put pressure on movie studios to bring the price of movies from $100+ down to $14.95.

Piracy is an important facet of the free market. It's an indicator that the seller's product is priced too high. Everything the seller does contributes to this indicator. It can be that the seller puts too many obstacles in place for paying customers to make use of the product, making the product less valuable, or any number of things that makes the cost exceed the worth. When this happens, piracy is the relief valve.

Disney is actively encouraging movie piracy by exiting Netflix, and this will bite them in the ass for years to come. I think the market for paid streaming services is near saturation, and Disney is too late to make much of an impact.

Re:The Entitlement Mentality is wrong.

[TheGratefulNet]

when people feel that they are constantly cheated and lied to, well, they start to lose faith in the system. when they are fucked repeatedly, they just say 'the hell with it' and do whatever they feel like.

the companies have had control for WAY too long and there is no balance. we still have DRM and all that goes with it.

I don't weep one bit for media companies. they are all thieves and so if we are 'thieves', we have at least created our own form of balance.

I sleep well at night. and I pirate. if you don't, that's you; but I'm going to do what I want, when the power brokers all seem to tilt the rules their way.

treat me fair, I'll treat you fair. treat me like shit and you'll get the same back at you.

and its not about entitlement. unless, of course, you mean the mega corps who think they have a RIGHT to keep charging rent over and over again for the right to view or hear things.

fuck them. I weep not one tear for the rich .1% who own everything and keep it all to themselves.

yes, its gotton to this. and it will get worse, too.