Saturday, July 3, 2010

Let's Stop Illegal Movie Downloading

By Louise Huber

Technological advances in recent years have seen an increase in the number of home computers in use and hooked up to high-speed internet. These figures correlate to an increase in the download of illegal copies of films. Often people are not even aware that their downloads are in fact illegal, and it is usually the case that people simply do not know what kind of effect their actions are having. It is important, however, to look at this issue and see how industries and individuals are being affected by unlawful movie downloads.

Definition of illegal downloading

Every country has its own set of rules and regulations regarding copyrighted and downloaded materials. The following information should give you a rough idea of whether a download is legal or illegal.

Sometimes movie pirates are able to make movies available before download before they have finished playing cinemas, and sometimes before they have even been released in theaters. These copies are always illegal. You will find that legal DVD versions are generally released three months after they have played in cinemas. Where something has been made available before that time, it is guaranteed to have been obtained without the appropriate permissions.

There are a number of file-sharing sites available on the internet. If someone provides copyrighted material to someone else, without having permission to do so, they are acting in violation of the law. It is the case in many countries that those who download these materials are also committing an offense. In general, peer-to-peer downloads, like BitTorrents, are an unlawful way of obtaining films.

What is the impact of these downloads?

Whenever a movie is downloaded illegally, the lawful owner of that material is being robbed of profit they would otherwise have received through movie sales. When considered in the context of movie producers or actors who already possess millions of dollars, it may be difficult to see how this is unfair. However, movie makers are not the only ones missing out. In fact, the impact is probably felt most by cinemas and video stores. If the problem becomes worse, it could easily jeopardize smaller, local businesses.

The problem is especially great in Australia. Figures suggest that some hundreds of millions of dollars are lost each year in an already-struggling film industry, because of illegal downloads. This limits the capacity for Australian film-makers to produce more films in the future. Australian film is a breeding ground for creativity, ingenuity and expression of Australian identity, and should be supported as much as possible.

Can you be punished for illegally downloading movies?

The answer is yes, downloading illegal or copyrighted material is a punishable offense in a number of countries such as the United States and Australia. In countries where downloading is illegal, individuals can be prosecuted. These people may be fined thousands, even millions, of dollars. Warnings on legal copies of movies will say what the punishments are for such offenses in your country or region.

As you can see, illegal movie downloads are a big problem. They affect people all over the world, from producers to cinemas and DVD retailers. And if you get caught and fined, then it will definitely affect you. With plenty of legal alternatives, there really is no excuse. So do the right thing, and support the global film industry through legal downloads.

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