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MPAA Seeks Stronger Actions To Fight Streaming Video Piracy (streamingmedia.com)

Posted by msmash on from the tussle-continues dept.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) is stepping into the online video piracy debate and calling for criminal charges against violators, as well as strong coordination between a broad range of online service providers. From a report: The association's recommendations came in response to a call from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) call for comments regarding internet policy concerns. On July 17, the MPAA issued a 40-page document advocating a modernization of online policies in response to rampant illicit activity. While a range of commercial offerings help studios and sports leagues battle online piracy, anyone who has a friend with a Kodi box knows that unrestricted access to popular shows and movies is only a few taps away. The MPAA notes that 6.5 million homes in North America are equipped with a Kodi box, and the North American piracy ecosystem generates $840 million per year.

4 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Just hire their own swat team by DickBreath · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why should the MPAA do this when they can get one of their wholly owned subsidiaries (eg, the US Government) to do it for them?

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  2. Trade you ... by PPH · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ... stronger anti-piracy measures for a hard 25 year limit on copyright term. We can't have our law enforcement people chase down every copy of Steamboat Willie.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  3. Only if there was technology by future+assassin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    that the industry could use to stream an archive of all old and new movies and shows to a persons home through the internet for a nice affordable price. Maybe one day someone will invent it.

    --
    by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
  4. Re:That's a lot of money! by Jane+Q.+Public · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We've known these things for decades now:

    1) Downloading is not "piracy". Piracy is a specific crime related to making and distributing copies, generally for personal gain. Somebody who sells copies of someone else's personal DVD and sells them is a pirate. An uploader might be considered a "pirate", but a downloader is not, because a downloader is not distributing. **

    2) Downloading is a copyright violation, not a crime. In scope, it is akin to making a personal copy of a videotape.

    3) In most cases, downloading is done when there would not have been an original sale (e.g., movie ticket or DVD) anyway. So the copyright owner didn't "lose" anything.

    4) Even if there hypothetically might have been a sale, copyright violation is not "theft". See # 3. It is a completely different area of law.

    5) And even if there would have been a sale, all the copyright owner "loses" is the potential profit, which is a tiny fraction of the retail price.

    6) Penalties for copyright violation are already unreasonably harsh.