The MPAA Isn't About Helping Hollywood Any Longer

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Interesting article over at Techdirt concerning the real reason MPAA is still doing business in the name of protecting Hollywood from Internet pirates. The MPAA is a self-serving organization whose sole purpose is self-preservation and if it helps out Hollywood in the process, it's purely incidental.

”Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution”.
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The screener for American Sniper was available for about two weeks before it was widely released, and the film still managed to make 70 million opening weekend. The MPAA can suck a dick.
 
I have a hard time believing anyone would actually be surprised by this. I'm pretty sure most knew this about the mpaa and riaa years ago.
 
The MPAA is the enemy of technology. They predicted, that if VHS was allowed, it would be the end of movies.
 
MajorDomo said:
Interesting article over at Techdirt concerning the real reason MPAA is still doing business in the name of protecting Hollywood from Internet pirates. The MPAA is a self-serving organization whose sole purpose is self-preservation and if it helps out Hollywood in the process, it's purely incidental.

"Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution"
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Reminds me of a quote by Booker T Washington

"I am afraid that there is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."

Booker T Washington
 
I've got a solution, make the MPAA a not for profit organization.
 
The MPAA and the RIAA are horrible organizations. They likely started out with good intent - but have fallen into what they are today.
If the artists and companies are not getting benefits, they might eventually fall on the way side (although not easily). I think Unions in the USA are sort of in this mode now. The "right to work" laws are taking away power/money from them.
I'm not going to get into a debate about unions and their relevance in this day and age. When they first started, you could argue they were needed. In some industries, they are probably still needed and beneficial to the workers. Ok - stopping now ;)
 
steakman1971 said:
The MPAA and the RIAA are horrible organizations. They likely started out with good intent - but have fallen into what they are today.
If the artists and companies are not getting benefits, they might eventually fall on the way side (although not easily). I think Unions in the USA are sort of in this mode now. The "right to work" laws are taking away power/money from them.
I'm not going to get into a debate about unions and their relevance in this day and age. When they first started, you could argue they were needed. In some industries, they are probably still needed and beneficial to the workers. Ok - stopping now ;)
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You pretty much nailed it. Intent to protect copyright holders is good and just, but the methods are outrageous.

One thing that goes unnoticed in the writers view is the conspicuous omission of the need to protect copyright holders.
 
5icko said:
Not exactly. Governments don't have to turn a profit to survive, making them so much more scary and insidious. Plus they can enforce their will with guns.
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The MPAA has guns. If they sue you and win they'll just call the police when you refuse to pay.
 
5icko said:
Not exactly. Governments don't have to turn a profit to survive, making them so much more scary and insidious.
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Well when you don't have regulatory capture like we do now, they don't have a profit MOTIVE either, which makes them a far better force to be dealing with than one that's openly out to do make as much money as possible by any means necessary with no moral guidelines except what the government says they can't do.
 
I think the industry itself is getting more and more comfortable they can lock down the internet for themselves. Their underlying fear has always been loosing control of exclusive content distribution. They're getting things worked out with Google to put indies in their place.
 
tetris42 said:
Well when you don't have regulatory capture like we do now, they don't have a profit MOTIVE either, which makes them a far better force to be dealing with than one that's openly out to do make as much money as possible by any means necessary with no moral guidelines except what the government says they can't do.
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While there exists no profit motive, there is a motive to produce in order to justify/keep ones job, so the net effect is the same.

And then there's those short, bald headed bureaucrats afflicted with little dick syndrome that don't have to answer to anyone.
 
steakman1971 said:
The MPAA and the RIAA are horrible organizations. They likely started out with good intent - but have fallen into what they are today.
If the artists and companies are not getting benefits, they might eventually fall on the way side (although not easily). I think Unions in the USA are sort of in this mode now. The "right to work" laws are taking away power/money from them.
I'm not going to get into a debate about unions and their relevance in this day and age. When they first started, you could argue they were needed. In some industries, they are probably still needed and beneficial to the workers. Ok - stopping now ;)
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I can simplify it for you :)
It was all about the status quo when the "industry" was created.

Unions: Employers could treat employees like slaves as long as they "paid" them. Once society changed and the idea of slavery in the work place was reduced (notice I didn't say eliminated) society now views it as part of our social contract. Heck, you have fast food strikes and $15 min wage laws... These are done by the people, not the unions. Hence the Unions are no longer needed due to laws now in place and people standing up for themselves.

MPAA/RIAA: Almost the same story, there weren't any laws in place to really protect intellectual property, people kind of just wrote up contracts and went with it hoping they were getting the better end of the deal. (ie. George Lucas and Star Wars marketing rights huehuehue) Once again, there are now laws in place to protect musicians, computer programmers, house builders, contractors, etc...

Once the group stands up for the ideals they believe in, and get a law put in place to ensure the ideal, like voting rights, speed limits, food/water inspections, etc... You don't need the gestapo running around collecting "protection money" anymore because the problem has been solved.

I'm sure the buggy whip manufacturers were pissed when trains, trollies and cars came rolling around
 
5icko said:
Civil judgements don't involve law enforcement.
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So if I seed American Sniper for 6 months and get sued, lose in trial, am sentenced to pay back $250,000 I can just refuse to pay and nothing will happen?
 
McFry said:
So if I seed American Sniper for 6 months and get sued, lose in trial, am sentenced to pay back $250,000 I can just refuse to pay and nothing will happen?
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Nothing will happen that involves law enforcement.
 
5icko said:
Nothing will happen that involves law enforcement.
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Lol what a bunch of bullshit. If you pirate a movie and get in trouble with the law, the police (ie law inforcment) will come to your house and arrest you. And if the court decides you're guilty, the police will make sure you follow what you're supposed to do.
 
McFry said:
Hmph, didnt know I could disregard jury verdicts and will not be placed under physical force to comply.
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It's a civil action, not a criminal one. Child support and criminal justice debts in some states can land a debtor in jail, however debtor's prison ended in the mid 1800s.
 
PCunicorn said:
Lol what a bunch of bullshit. If you pirate a movie and get in trouble with the law, the police (ie law inforcment) will come to your house and arrest you. And if the court decides you're guilty, the police will make sure you follow what you're supposed to do.
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Show me one example in the US where this has happened. The only people that get in trouble with law enforcement are the Big Fish file sharing outfits, like Kim Dot Com and Pirate Bay fools. Or if you make copies of CDs and sell them out of the back of your car. What McFry is referring to is something very different.

Again, show one case that McFry outlined in the US where someone went to jail. Copyright holders seek and obtain civil judgements. That's it. And not paying it will not land you in prison.

Don't call BS when you dunno wtf you're talking about. :p
 
Megalith said:
The screener for American Sniper was available for about two weeks before it was widely released, and the film still managed to make 70 million opening weekend. The MPAA can suck a dick.
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Concerning large releases absolutely. No one can make a logical argument for large releases and piracy without ending up looking under informed.

However Indie films are horridly effected by piracy. A film that isn't expected to make a dime yet still costs a few million to make gets pirated and then the impact is no longer insignificant. Its sizable and real.

The MPAA couldn't care less about Hollywood. They care about supposedly going after "pirates" but in reality any person with an IP that was used in some sort of torrent or P2P situation regardless if it was that actual individual will do.

We are talking about a group of greedy assholes that literally have sued the dead... THE DEAD.. :rolleyes:
 
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