The film DS watched at his mates last night....

[MrsPiddlewink]

...isn't out on DVD yet. Any other way they could have watched it without it being pirated?! DS is 8 so is probably none the wiser, but I'm a bit . Or is this standard? Would it be over the top to mention it?

Anyone seen that South Park episode about illegal downloading? It was pretty funny, as I remember. Charity-esque appeals from Britney Spears and the like that everyone should stop downloading as it meant she was currently unable to afford to install a second swimming pool in her beach-front home...cue world's tiniest violin

splendide - that rings very true. I definitely remember reading a few pieces about how people who illegaly download also tend to spend more than the average person on DVDs and merchandise.

Yes it's illegal and somewhat morally wrong, but there are tons of things are MORE morally wrong than illegally downloading, IMO. I'd judge people for a million immoral behaviours before I judged them for illegal downloading.

HayDayQueen did you see what was being said about people who would not have bought the film anyway? So in that instance there is no loss of revenue.

Someone gains and no one loses (not in every case, but in many)

I don't think I'd judge people who do it on a moral basis, more as impatient or cheapskates who don't mind being a bit dodgy.

I'm under 30 btw, just.

> Of course it's stealing! You're stealing the income/revenue that the owners are entitled from it.

Wow. Everyone who makes a movie is entitled to make money from it? News to me. Logically then, you think everyone who invests in the stock market is entitled to make money from it? And everyone who puts a fiver on the 3:30 at Newmarket?

They are entitled to any potential revenue, yes! If there is no legitimate revenue because the movie was abysmal, then clearly no. Everyone who invests in the stock market is entitled to their legitimate returns, whether that be in the plus or the minus.

Would you consider sneaking into a movie theatre honest? I mean, they're showing the movie anyway..... or sneaking into somewhere like Chessington, the rides are all on anyway, after all...

Complete and utter bollocks that no one loses. You want to be able to share things legally, then buy the DVD and swap them with friends.

FFS, some people have no concept of honesty and morality at all.

Yackityyakyak your examples are of situations where you are actually taking something from them. Wear and tear on equipment and such.

Can you think of any examples where it has no effect on them whatsoever?

I wouldn't buy pirate DVDs but I have downloaded stuff. Equally I have bought real DVDs and we now have a subscription to Netflix which I much prefer - the quality is better and you don't have to wait for it to download/buffer.

Lending DVDs is also illegal, so you're wrong about that. Read the unskippable thing next time you watch one - you also can't show DVDs in schools. Obviously they all do. And most photocopied materials are not legally photocopiable.

About photocopying it is not illegal to photocopy for your own reference, but if you're a teacher and hand out photocopies in class that would be illegal.
With DVDs there are different types of them personal use and rental copies. The thing is, that what a teacher or lecturer wants to show in class, is often impossible to obtain a rental copy.

And for those who argue morality -- where do the second-hand DVDs stand? It obviously "steals" revenue from copyright holder.

Rental vs retail version has nothing to do with public viewing, that's just related to how the discs can be sold in the first place. Blockbusters isn't allowed to rent you a retail copy of a film, they pay much more per disc for the rental copies. Rental often has fewer special features than the retail copy too (I know this from working in a second hand DVD shop where we sold both rental and retail copies - perfectly legal when second hand, just not when new).

This is the law: www.themplc.co.uk/page/about-copyright-law

So for education purposes - fine. And most bought educational DVDs will come with the license to be shown in schools etc anyway. But the wet play DVD or end of term film, nope. They'd have to have a specific licence for that particular film. It's not like the music one where you have one licence to play music and once you have it you can play what you like. It's very doubtful that most schools actually apply for this licence and it's also unlikely that anybody is going to go around and fine every school in the country for not doing so.

Hi everyone,
Just sweeping this interesting thread into films.

Quiet day in the office Sandy?

@headinhands

Quiet day in the office Sandy?

HaHa! We dig deep for these little gems. Although granted it's an oldie, but a goodie we think.