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Pirate DVDs and Torrent Downloads of Television Shows...

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PsychoPere said:
CaptJimboJones said:
If you're going to do it, at least be man enough to admit you're committing theft.
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Oh, it's theft, sure, I won't pretend otherwise. However, as many of us have pointed out, we'd very gladly trade in our illegal copies for proper legal versions.
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technically speaking media piracy is theft because you are making a choice between paying for an available product or simply not paying for it. that is there is a disruption in an existing revenue stream. In the case of unreleased shows there is no revenue being impacted so it does not affect the owners of that work in any meaningful way. for there to be theft someone has to be negatively impacted and I don't think that is the case with unreleased shows so I would have to challenge the 'theft' classification in this case.
 
zenophite said:
technically speaking media piracy is theft because you are making a choice between paying for an available product or simply not paying for it. that is there is a disruption in an existing revenue stream. In the case of unreleased shows there is no revenue being impacted so it does not affect the owners of that work in any meaningful way. for there to be theft someone has to be negatively impacted and I don't think that is the case with unreleased shows so I would have to challenge the 'theft' classification in this case.
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They could make a case for the fact that your taking before they are offering impacts their earning potential. With a decreased earning potential, it may not be economically viable for them to release the DVDs, and are then denied a significant revenue stream.
 
They could make a case for the fact that your taking before they are offering impacts their earning potential. With a decreased earning potential, it may not be economically viable for them to release the DVDs, and are then denied a significant revenue stream.
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Oh I agree with you - they could likely make all those arguments stick in a court of law. But I just don't think the claims reflect reality. Most people who bother to go to the trouble to find these hard to get shows would be more than happy to pay for a clean dvd quality copy rather than the bad vhs transfer they have now. Some of these shows are so obscure that studios likely haven't released them because there's not a large enough amount of perceived interest.
 
I have all of journeyman, which Ill gladly buy as soon as its released.

And I cant use I tunes. Wont run on my computer.
 
zenophite said:
They could make a case for the fact that your taking before they are offering impacts their earning potential. With a decreased earning potential, it may not be economically viable for them to release the DVDs, and are then denied a significant revenue stream.
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Oh I agree with you - they could likely make all those arguments stick in a court of law. But I just don't think the claims reflect reality. Most people who bother to go to the trouble to find these hard to get shows would be more than happy to pay for a clean dvd quality copy rather than the bad vhs transfer they have now. Some of these shows are so obscure that studios likely haven't released them because there's not a large enough amount of perceived interest.
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Absolutely. Downloading this stuff is a PITA, for one thing. And the quality of the transfers is only passable at best. I'd gladly pay for the 9 seasons of Falcon Crest I have from illegal downloading if they would only release them. And no...I don't need a bunch of fancy extras. I'd rush right out and buy them with only the shows themselves. Just release the doggone things!
 
I only aquire things that I can't buy in the US here movies, series, and games and books from other countries. I watch a lot of Japanese animated stuff through the wonders of the internet, and then I buy them when US distributors make them available. Consequently I've got a bunch of them that I thouroughly enjoyed but have to settle for fansubs because nobody has yet to liscense them which frustrates me sometimes because they're so good. If I can buy it I will. If I can't well than I have to resort to piracy if I want to watch it and would gladly pay for it if it were to become available as I already have so many times already.
 
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I would really, really, really, REALLY like to find The War Next Door on DVD.

"I could kill you with a spoon!"
 
CaptJimboJones said:
I find it hilarious that so many whiny fanboys rationalize this sort of theft with the argument that the company "owes them" a DVD release of some particular TV show. "It isn't stealing, because they haven't put out a DVD set with the original music and lots of extras!"

Hey, I'm the first to argue that the entertainment companies are a bunch of greedy assholes, and the whole music rights issue is a boondoggle that they caused themselves by being cheap assholes in the first place. And yes, it's hard to imagine how downloading a show that's not available on DVD costs them money.
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Well if you torrent an unavailable television series you haven't paid for it, and if you buy it on bootleg DVD you could be funding terrorism. But the greed and incompetence surrounding the bizarre, convoluted music clearance bullshit is whats forcing the consumers into stealing shows that should've been available.

The media companies are also hurting consumers when they forced upon us the silly multi-Region scheme to slow down piracy, but at least recent DVD players are multi-regional and Americans can buy DVD imports of Region 2 Ally McBeal, Spaced, and Quantum Leap with their music content intact (and you also don't feel the same pang of guilt to when you paid money to a shifty criminal outfit that secretly selled young Thai boys as well as bootleg DVDs).
 
zenophite said:
Temis the Vorta said:
I don't pirate anything. I demand my entertainment be served up to me on a silver platter (literally in this case at least as long as the DVD format persists) or I'm not bothering with it. ;) There's too damn much available that is available in an easy-to-access format for me to bother seeking things out. (Latest find: Deadwood! Wow! Four seasons should keep me busy. Are they still planning to do that rumored wrap-up movie?)
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I think we're all expecting to see a Deadwood Temis Avatar.... ;)
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That might be a challenge. To do something clean enough not to be permabanned. :D
 
Temis the Vorta said:
I (Latest find: Deadwood! Wow! Four seasons should keep me busy. Are they still planning to do that rumored wrap-up movie?)
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I can't remember where i heard it it might have been my brother who told me that there is no longer going to be a deadwood film :(
which is a shame as i loved that show even though when they were not Swearing i had trouble following some of the long winded conversations:lol:
 
Look at this anti-piracy add. It's an obvious spoof, but it has a valid point by poking fun at recent anti-piracy adds comparing people who download stuff to bank robbers and muggers.
 
TedShatner10 said:
Look at this anti-piracy add. It's an obvious spoof, but it has a valid point by poking fun at recent anti-piracy adds comparing people who download stuff to bank robbers and muggers.
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That was a great episode of IT Crowd. The real ad is annoying as hell, the put it on a DVD, you bought it, and they're still complaining at you.
 
TedShatner10 said:
But the greed and incompetence surrounding the bizarre, convoluted music clearance bullshit is whats forcing the consumers into stealing shows that should've been available.
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No, no, no. No one is FORCING anyone. Consumers are CHOOSING to steal. Big difference.

It's a TV show, not food.

People are making a choice to do it, they are not forced, that's a ridiculous justification for theft.

And it IS theft regardless if it's available for purchase or not. It's not yours.
 
Professor Zoom said:
TedShatner10 said:
But the greed and incompetence surrounding the bizarre, convoluted music clearance bullshit is whats forcing the consumers into stealing shows that should've been available.
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No, no, no. No one is FORCING anyone. Consumers are CHOOSING to steal. Big difference.

It's a TV show, not food.

People are making a choice to do it, they are not forced, that's a ridiculous justification for theft.

And it IS theft regardless if it's available for purchase or not. It's not yours.
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Correct, however, the industry seems schizophrenic about this whole thing and releases some shows and not others -usually the shows released on disc are the ones everybody saw when they were on the air -and that during the last couple of years. -The shows some might DL illegally are the shows the industry -obviously- have chosen not to release on disc. In this way they are telling us just how much they despise us -their customers- no wonder lots and lots of people turn to self help.
Sure it's stealing, but only in the strictest 'law'-sense, and the laws about this are about ten years out of synch with the realities of life on this planet.

Mr. Open Minded said:
TedShatner10 said:
Well if you torrent an unavailable television series you haven't paid for it, and if you buy it on bootleg DVD you could be funding terrorism.
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Oh good lord.

I hope you don't really believe that. :eek:
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In all fairness: it is possible to buy a variety of cd's and dvd's where the proceeds go towards funding terrorism. -I just have never heard of anyone doing it with run-of-the-mill tv-shows and series :lol:
 
Doesn't really matter what follows. It's a stupid clause either way. Breaking the law is only breaking the law in the strictest sense? Downloading a television episode or a movie is stealing; stealing is breaking the law. There's no room for distinction there. I've already posted that I download shows, and I've posted that I admit it to be theft and therefore illegal. Let's just all admit that and not try to spin it that we're only technically breaking the law.
 
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