Actor Admits He’s a BitTorrent Pirate

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Let’s see, if we go by recent court rulings, actor Stephen Fry admitted to illegally downloading between $240,000 and $500,000 in TV episodes. Mr. Fry, the MPAA’s lawyers would like to have a word with you. :p

Stephen Fry, a highly respected actor, comedian, writer, presenter and author yesterday admitted to downloading TV shows for free using BitTorrent. Speaking at the iTunes Festival in London last night, Fry told the audience that he’s grabbed episodes of 24 and the series finale of House, starring his former comedy partner Hugh Laurie.
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F%$± the MPAA!

Seriously, that is awesome.
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Steve said:
Let’s see, if we go by recent court rulings, actor Stephen Fry admitted to illegally downloading between $240,000 and $500,000 in TV episodes. Mr. Fry, the MPAA’s lawyers would like to have a word with you. :p
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Except that it wasn't $240,00 and $500,000 in TV episodes. There were two episodes that he downloaded via Bit-Torrent. And no one, or two, episodes of any TV show are worth anywhere near that much money! That's what's ludicrous - it's Wrong to value them that way just because someone downloaded them.
 
Redleader said:
A season finale is the ending of the show to that season. A series finale is the end of the show forever.
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Not necessarily.

For example, in the UK TV shows are often sold in Series.

ie.

"I just bought Series 1 of House"
 
I'm I the only one who didn't know who he was before IMDBing him?

None the less his point is only hitting the people who already know what he is saying.
 
stevedave said:
I'm I the only one who didn't know who he was before IMDBing him?

None the less his point is only hitting the people who already know what he is saying.
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I had to imdb too. Then I hit THGTTG, as the narrator, and though "Oh yeah. Ok".
 
tv shows on public broadcasting should not be even be illegal to download
 
Part of it probably has to do with how much easier it is just to torrent an hifi episode, compared to trying to track down the legal versions to buy... :(

Especially if you have to jump through various region rules for movies.
 
stevedave said:
I'm I the only one who didn't know who he was before IMDBing him?

None the less his point is only hitting the people who already know what he is saying.
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Version_3 said:
I had to imdb too. Then I hit THGTTG, as the narrator, and though "Oh yeah. Ok".
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Evie's mentor in "V for Vendetta," the older gay guy. Great actor, although I didn't much like "Bits of Fry and Laurie." Monty Python was better.
 
I do it...I don't have a DVR and I don't want to be tethered to my TV. Seriously Comcast's OnDemand is a fricking joke...$4.99 for a new release movie ($1 redbox) and $1-$2 to watch the most recent network episodes...WTF is that all about?
 
why isnt this guy in jail? if it were any one of us, we would get 10 years in jail plus 3.4 million in fines. i want my justice dammit!
 
How is downloading TV shows stealing, when they're free to watch. Saying it costs up to $500,000 is silly.
 
I actually don't think it is illegal to download TV shows as long as they still have the original commcercials in them. It is only illegal to re-broadcast them, without the original commericals.
 
Will someone in the know please write a story about how when where and why the RIAA, MPAA and their clones have so much power over government, that laws are made without input from the public, and to have this kind of power with governments all over the world.
 
if its anything like major league sports rules, you cant even hit "replay" on your dvr remote without technically committing a crime...
 
Oh gee, he downloaded tv shows that are available for free on actual TV, just probably with commercials removed... almost like you can do with a DVR (except you FF through).... gee the calamity of this reckless abandon!
 
I agree with all of you that the illegality of downloading is rather questionable or laughable.. but I would say logically your arguments are flawed :(. You can hear songs for free on the radio, but that doesn't make them legal to download.. so why would it be any different for tv shows? Just because they're aired for free, doesn't mean that you're free to download them. TV shows are not free either.. contrary to popular belief, for 90% of all television shows, you have to be paying a subscription to a cable or satellite company to provide that channel.. so in no way is it free.
 
To me, downloading a TV show online is no different than borrowing the VHS recording a friend made for you last night because you may have been working and missed it, so he recorded for you to catch. Yes, I realize that in today's somewhat high-tech world of 24 hour digital cable and DVR boxes that can record such things with timeshifting, etc... but it's still just somebody recording it for me so I can watch it whenever I want.

Money... greed... stupidity... humans. What a terrible mix.
 
lol, just like everyone else it seems, I too kind of freaked for a moment when I read "series finale" on the House quote......
 
Maybe RIAA should outlaw everything. VCR DVD BD MP3players DVR PVR and any and all downloadable or streamable digital content. RIAA MPAA should make it a law that you have to watch a performance live in person, period. Afterwards you should never even speak about it publically. Lets get this rolling.. I mean come on what's the hold up! ... freakin ridiculous.
 
Been a long time since I've heard of Stephen Fry. He acted in BlackAdder along with Rowan Atkinson and Huge Laurie before the later two became famous worldwide

If any of you guys are a fan of Huge Laurie now, you should check out his video in BlackAdder, he was a totally different person there :p
 
Fry has a huge following online, he's quite the popular chap so, this sort of announcement isn't exactly news but it's refreshing to see someone, especially a noted personality that's very technologically inclined, to come out and make his position known, somewhat.

More power to him...
 
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