What’s Right is Rights: Piracy is Theft

Word is getting around that the RIAA seems to be stepping away from lawsuits as a key strategy against piracy.  Lawsuits were never going to be the solution, as other major rights-holders, like those working together through Arts+Labs, will attest.

That’s not to say that we’ve all stopped believing in creators’ rights or that we no longer think piracy is a real problem.  On the contrary: the creative economy depends on creative rights.

We all understand the demand for easy access to inexpensive content, and the people who produce that content – artists, movie makers, journalists, musicians, songwriters and more – are eager to deliver it. But, as it turns out, they want their rights to be respected.

Unfortunately, some consumers get confused about the difference between demand and entitlement. A recent TechDirt screed illustrates this entitlement mentality.  Writing about Joel Tenenbaum, who was sued for pirating and distributing songs online (a jury found that he had willfully infringed copyrights and awarded a judgment far larger than had been asked), Mike Masnick wrote: (more…)

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Tags: artist rights, Music, Napster, piracy, RIAA
Posted Sep 8th 2009 at 5:03 am in Entertainment, Law, Music | 215926120 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/mmckinnon/2009/09/08/what%e2%80%99s-right-is-rights/What%E2%80%99s+Right+is+Rights%3A+Piracy+is+Theft2009-09-08+12%3A03%3A34Mark+McKinnon

Irony? Karma? Inevitable? Film Championing Communist Crushed By Piracy

Director Steven Soderbergh blames piracy for the box office failure of ”Che,” which made less than half of its budget back:

“We got crushed in South America. We came out in Spain in September of last year and it was everywhere within a matter of days. It killed it.”

(more…)

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Tags: benecio del toro, Che, piracy, Steven Soderbergh
Posted Jul 16th 2009 at 6:12 pm in Entertainment | 185426138 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/bighollywood/2009/07/16/irony-or-karma-film-championing-communist-crushed-by-piracy/Irony%3F+Karma%3F+Inevitable%3F+Film+Championing+Communist+Crushed+By+Piracy2009-07-17+01%3A12%3A34Big+Hollywood

How Hollywood’s Missing the Boat on 21st Century Technology

Ask any corporate chieftain about the current economy and – unless they sell burgers for a dollar, canned goods, or alcohol – they’ll tell you about the tough conditions their companies face.  But within this economic crucible, the target is still moving:  Entertainment and consumer tech companies are facing an entirely different set of challenges, as consumers have changed their entertainment habits. 

As has been widely reported, the Hollywood studios have been hit particularly hard.  DVD sales are down 6% over the past year, and Disney and Sony have already cut hundreds of jobs in 2009. 

To be sure, some of this is a natural result of Hollywood’s insistence on churning out tedious, recycled narratives with the hopes that increased vulgarity and special effects will cover for their lack of creativity.  But aside from the obvious criticisms that I, as a conservative, might lodge against the movie industry — Hollywood is also plagued by a refusal to embrace the emerging demands of the marketplace. 

One emerging demand is the need for wholesome entertainment.  Quality films like “The Incredibles” and even the now-classic “Forrest Gump” consistently out-perform R-rated films, yet Hollywood continues to ignore consumer demands and produce more and more “Rotten Tomato” films.  (more…)

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Tags: anti-piracy, DVD, DVD revenue, hollywood, piracy
Posted Apr 24th 2009 at 4:57 am in Entertainment, Featured Story, News | 1131702 Commentshttp://bighollywood.breitbart.com/kblackwell/2009/04/24/how-hollywoods-missing-the-boat-on-21st-century-technology-kenneth-blackwell/How+Hollywood%27s+Missing+the+Boat+on+21st+Century+Technology2009-04-24+11%3A57%3A00Ken+Blackwell