Poll: Thoughts on internet piracy?

[EdGey]

I don't want a subscription to Now TV, or Netflix or Love Film (why pay to keep nothing in the end), I want a straight purchase of a digital film at HD quality without taking the micky with the price.

Sort of like the way steam works but for films, TV series and music?

That would be nice. Perhaps it could work in unison with the way netflix currently is, with an option to pay monthly for a certain band of content as opposed to buying individually, if the user wanted.

I just had a new business idea for steam. I'll call it Steam Entertainment.

 

[twist3d0n3]

When legal services actually work properly for a fair price.

Until then.. lol

E: I'll add that with all the current services you can subscribe to, there's still a huge lag in some shows (for example) coming across the pond. We live in a world where we here are fully aware of a new show coming out in USA, so why can't they release it world wide at the same time? It really irks me that i could download the latest episode via torrent the morning after its' broadcast over there, yet for some shows, netflix/sky/whatever will take forever to add to their list.

 

[Christmas themed thank]

Steam is pretty expensive though, no?

But I agree, £4.49 for an "HD" film when the Blu-ray is £3 more is ridiculous.

 

[Nevakonaza]

I agree with Tha Reaper somewhat.

Although i prefer Netflix type of plan,Where you pay like £7 a month..they are all laid out in front of you on the screen then you choose what you want to watch or type it in for search and can watch it unlimited amount of times in the future.

HUGE problem i have with Netflix,It takes them way way too long to get the latest films and especially US TV series.."Sons of anarchy" would be a good example,that was always one whole season behind...WHY!

Same with there been a lot of films that were not on there..WHY!

I ended up just downloading the latest series,even though i was paying for Netflix which i shouldn't have to do!


If the games/music/film industry really want to stop piracy they need to up their game in terms of making their content available everywhere in good time,and stop been greedy.

 

[estebanrey]

The world of Copyright complex an area to answer with a yes or no question.

Is it morally defensible for someone with plenty of disposable income to download a ripped copy of a movie they could easily buy? No.

It is OK companies can sue you because you made a Youtube video which features a radio on in the distant background? No.

 

[zegna]

I have netlfix (+dns), which is great, which is a forward move for me in terms of copyright infringement.

But ultimately I couldn't care less about downloading some copyright data. I couldn't care less about the companies that think they have been deprived on my money, the fact is they would haven't have got a penny of it anyway.

The piratebay and the like are doing great things for the entertainment industry

 

[m4cc45]

If the companies producing the software can do it as well as the pirates that's when the game changes.

Piracy offers offline access, no CD/DVD, no worrying about archaic DRM being installed on my PC. No stupid CD Keys to remember. I can archive it off on to another HD as well and have less to worry about when changing OS's as it's normally the DRM that causes issues. The only company that offers nigh on what I want is GOG.

To sell a product you have to make it at least as good as a competitive product - even itself.


M.

 

[Judgeneo]

Haven't pirated games or music since they sorted their act out digitally and I got a salary.

The film and TV industry is way behind, many of the things I watch can only be viewed legally in different countries (Asian cinema in particular, has no download service in the west), or you have to pay for a huge service to access one or two things you want to watch (sky, Netflix etc).

Until these things change I will still pirate. Ironically though, I'm going to the cinema more than ever

 

[wazza300]

Piracy is what the net was made for,long may it reign

 

[Xordium]

I think it really depends. These days I would find it hard to justify downloading music. There are great cheap providers for most genres but not all. TV and film though are really not so great - you have a great many providers each taking a slice of the pie and people don't want multiple subscriptions - just one. It is encouraging to see what Amazon Prime has done with their service and I expect over time it will roll out more. Games - well tbh I don't play the type of games that would chart anyway so the stuff I get I have to pay a lot for and want to support the devs or very little because that is the nature of the devs and how they release.

So in short I see nothing that wrong with people pirating TV and film because the companies create a climate where it is inevitable.

 

[Moothead2]

Modern games I never will considering the cheapness and ease of access these days. If it's an old game that I can only purchase on eBay for £80 then I'll probably pirate it though.

Music I only really listen to on YouTube anyway.

TV shows I'll often watch online if they take the **** with release dates where the US gets in months or years before us.

 

[Freefaller]

I don't think it is okay - however what I'd like is a subscription service that you can watch ANYTHING you want (be it series or movie). I'd happily pay for that (how much, I don't know) but if it was truly ANYTHING, and you could stream it at 1080p with full DTS, then I'll sign up tomorrow.

As for things other than media, so software for example, I 100% feel it isn't okay to pirate.

 

[Arsonist]

I voted that piracy is not ok. Piracy is piracy, you're stealing something even if it's just digital.
I will be honest though, doesn't stop me from doing it. It's an almost uncatchable crime. I do try and buy the things I really like and appreciate though, as then it's worth my money. Sort of a try-before-you-buy type deal.

I'm a walking contradiction, I know...

 

[McBain]

Depends.

For example, if i've missed a show on Sky (that I subscribe to), i'm guessing it would be considered piracy for me to torrent it - I think that's all gravy.

 

[estebanrey]

Depends.

For example, if i've missed a show on Sky (that I subscribe to), i'm guessing it would be considered piracy for me to torrent it - I think that's all gravy.

I thought Sky had an iPlayer type of thing?

 

[Kenai]

It all boils down to how well the product can compete. There will always be a shortfall because a legal option can never ever compete with 'totally free, instantly available'.

However the only way to really stamp out the majority of piracy is to realise some very simple truths about most consumers - they like cheap, they expect 'reasonable' quality and they don't want confusing crap like regional licensing that means someone else can have it but they can't.

If we could legally watch US TV shows here without waiting months and months, piracy of those would plummet - it's not a cost thing so much as a 'why should I wait?' and realistically, why should they? What REALLY prevents these shows being aired over here beyond a bunch of suits in an office who want exclusivity?

Films just aren't available in a decent universal package yet, Prime and Netflix are ok but very light on blockbuster releases or indeed many 'new' films at all and if they were better populated more people would take them up rather than balking at £15-£20 for a DVD/BR on release before running back to bittorrent.

 

[Kaeo]

I voted that piracy is not ok. Piracy is piracy, you're stealing something even if it's just digital.
I will be honest though, doesn't stop me from doing it. It's an almost uncatchable crime. I do try and buy the things I really like and appreciate though, as then it's worth my money. Sort of a try-before-you-buy type deal.

I'm a walking contradiction, I know...

For me, stealing is when you take something away from the person that owns it. With digital, you aren't actually removing anything from their possession. If I had no intentions of giving them money for a copy of whatever they've created anyway, then there is no measurable loss to them.

Truth is :- As long as free is just as easy as cheap, people will always choose free.

 

[Mynight]

For me, stealing is when you take something away from the person that owns it. With digital, you aren't actually removing anything from their possession. If I had no intentions of giving them money for a copy of whatever they've created anyway, then there is no measurable loss to them.

Still theft in the law regardless if it is to you though.

I do see what you're saying.

 

[[TW]Fox]

You can kill piracy pretty much by providing the content people want, how they want it, when they want it at a half decent price.

Who pirates PC games these days? I don't know anyone - there is simply no need, you can purchase it legally on the platform of your choice and be playing it in minutes.

I bet the most commonly pirated material is still material that people couldn't buy at the time they want it in the format they want it in even if they wanted to.

Streaming services are all very well but there still appears to be no way to actually buy content you can store locally, view offline, upload to a tablet for plane journeys, etc.

Why can't I pay to subscribe to my favourite TV series and then have them available for download and home use?

 

[twist3d0n3]

You can kill piracy pretty much by providing the content people want, how they want it, when they want it at a half decent price.

Who pirates PC games these days? I don't know anyone - there is simply no need, you can purchase it legally on the platform of your choice and be playing it in minutes.

I bet the most commonly pirated material is still material that people couldn't buy at the time they want it in the format they want it in even if they wanted to.

Streaming services are all very well but there still appears to be no way to actually buy content you can store locally, view offline, upload to a tablet for plane journeys, etc.

Why can't I pay to subscribe to my favourite TV series and then have them available for download and home use?

Games get pirated because so much **** gets released for 35-50 quid with no demo to see if it's the right game for you.