Pirates Of The Caribbean Bilge Is Good News For Web Pirates
THE latest episode of the Pirates of the Caribbean series (Pirate Of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) limps in to view on a wormy peg leg. David Cox looks at the “industry’s real pirates” ripping off the creators with authentic pirate stuff.
The industry’s captains are appalled by piracy that’s actually aimed at themselves – so much so that they now treat their own customers as potential thieves…
Fancy seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides? It’s on at the Empire Leicester Square in London, where a couple of seats in the circle for you and your beloved will set you back £35.30. If you’re going to bring the kids and throw in popcorn and Coke, you’d better take out a mortgage first.
Cox makes his point well. But the best bit is here:
Film piracy is said to be costing the US economy over $20bn a year.
How? By costing, he surely means that the cash is not going to the film’s creators and investors. But that $20bn is gauged at box office prices, which can be exorbitant, and not at the lower prices a punter pays for a knock off copy. And, then, would someone prepared to invest a few quid in a pirate copy – or get it for free – buy the film at full whack? We’d hazard the answer: no. If the film is free, you will be more likely to give it a whirl and spend a couple of hours watching. The US economy is not losing $20bn.
Cox makes the point:
As the music industry has found, prices may have to be reduced to make illicit material less of a compelling temptation.
And – get his – you may get genuinely creative works hitting the screens, films that in place of 3D tricks and stars use decent plots…
Posted: 24th, May 2011 | In: Film Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
