One in four people online has illegally downloaded a feature film--and it's cutting into box-office and DVD sales, the Motion Picture Association of America said in a study released Thursday.

Quote: A survey of 3,600 Internet users in eight countries showed that as many as 50 percent had downloaded copyrighted content in the last year. Of those people who have downloaded films, 17 percent said they are going to the movies less often, and 26 percent said they bought fewer DVDs, according to online researcher OTX, which conducted the study in partnership with the MPAA. The trade group did not have box-office sales figures for 2004. But global movie admissions were down by 4 percent in 2003 to about 1.57 billion, compared with 1.64 billion in 2002, according to research provided by the MPAA.

Boo ****ing hoo, I say.. $7.50 just to get in the ****ing door at the theatre's is just TOO ****ING MUCH.

Mind you though, thx. to the sharing I have actually gone out to see *more* movies... hummm

Quote: Originally Posted by TheOutcast Boo ****ing hoo, I say.. $7.50 just to get in the ****ing door at the theatre's is just TOO ****ING MUCH. Mind you though, thx. to the sharing I have actually gone out to see *more* movies... hummm

yeah that seems to be the dilemma with me too...I feel bad "stealing from the industry"...but last year I bought 7 cds from a band i hadn't previously heard of, 2 dvds of concerts, and DIDN'T buy 1 cd that i was going to buy (who knew harvey danger's second CD would suck as hard as it did).

so...stealing has taken from them....-6cds, and -2dvds. hrm...

Dude, what's cutting into movie sales is the fact most people don't wanna go to the freakin' theater...

Sit in cramped seat, get a 5-dollar zip-lock baggie full of popcorn and a 12 dollar coke and hear people talk on their cell phone through the entire freakin' film... yeeha.

Also, I don't know about most folks... I don't actually "sit" through entire movie these days unless it's really gripping. Why is it nobody from the RIAA or MPAA can figure out it's EASIER to download a movie than it is to get in your car and go drive to a theater, or pick up CDs with one good track on 'em...

Someday... they'll figure it out, get it legal and life will be good... but until then, aye-yi-yi...

Quote: Originally Posted by Darksamurai Dude, what's cutting into movie sales is the fact most people don't wanna go to the freakin' theater... Sit in cramped seat, get a 5-dollar zip-lock baggie full of popcorn and a 12 dollar coke and hear people talk on their cell phone through the entire freakin' film... yeeha. Also, I don't know about most folks... I don't actually "sit" through entire movie these days unless it's really gripping. Why is it nobody from the RIAA or MPAA can figure out it's EASIER to download a movie than it is to get in your car and go drive to a theater, or pick up CDs with one good track on 'em... Someday... they'll figure it out, get it legal and life will be good... but until then, aye-yi-yi...

Truth be told there, Sam... "Until they figure it out..."

I would gladly pay a movie admission price to download a high quality new movie instead of going to the theater. I don't want the low quality "in theater" camcorder copies that I have seen(those suck). I too would pay a monthly fee to be able to download the music that I want and not the other "crap" that is used to fill the album....just my $.02

Copyright and/or trademark violations is a small part of the job that I have to deal with every day. Won't say how, but it gets to be pretty aggrevating not to mention mundane. What people will do to make a buck.

Anyway, from what I understand from a friend of mine, theaters themselves hardly make a dime of the admission to a movie. Nearly all the take is returned to the studios while the theater's bread and butter comes from concession stand sales (when was the last time you paid $3.75 for a box of mints at Wal-Mart?).

So, from time to time, I take out a small loan with my Jeep as collateral to go watch a movie alone. Sometimes, the experience of these movies just can't be beat when you're watching it on a screen larger than your house. Somehow, I seem to get more involved in a movie than when I watch it at home. Besides, since I work nights mostly, I get to see all the matinees for cheaper with less people in the theater!!! Seen "The Terminal" only four days after opening in a very popular theater and I was the only one in the noon showing! Can't beat that.

Another thing, I'm not for sure where the MPAA is getting their figures from and who they polled for this "one in four people" crap. What did they do? Call up half of Hong Kong? That is where more than 80% of the theft of movies is occurring, not here in the states. Oh, and as for the 4% drop in attendance? Please! GM seen a 15.6% drop in sales and Ford a whopping 20.5%, both down from last June. Saying your industry is going down the drain with a 4% drop in sales is nothing more than ignorant economics by taking nothing more into account than this lop-sided poll that obviously was taken with advice from the RIAA. Gee, we had 1,000 people go to the movie last year, but this year we only had 960.

MPAA is freaking out over the so-called declining CD sales that the RIAA is unnaturally freaking out over. Gosh, think that all the crappy music out there might have to do with it? Think people are looking to other alternatives such as independent labels or, gods forbid, checking out a book at the local library? Why, that would just ruin you, wouldn't it? We even discussed it in a different thread on how kids nowadays are preferring to listen to their parent's CDs. Think that might have to do with a drop in sales?

I remember when Van Halen's "Greatest Hits" came out years ago when I was working at Sam Goody. It was the first $19.99 single CD that we had in our store and that isn't the only reason why it was such big news. Turns out that Van Halen was making history by demanding that they get over $1.00 per CD sold. Yeah, that's right. History was made in 1996 when an artist was paid more than $1.00 per CD sold.

The only cause for concern that the MPAA should be dealing with now is a lack of sales due to their ever increasing cost of admission to their movies. Big names are now demanding more and more money to star/direct/produce films than ever and the studios have done nothing to control it, rather they tend to encourage it. Until the problem is taken care of at the source, it is only going to continue to spiral out of control until the industry strangles itself.

Well, I started off small and built into a huge, almost incoherent rant. Sorry, but I get so aggrevated when large corporations suffer the sickness of greed so much that they are willing to lie to the public to put another penny in their pocket. It goes even further when they attempt to legislate total control, even after the product has been purchased. Sort of like a car dealer getting pissed off because you let your friend borrow your car instead of your friend going out and buying a car of their own.

Damnit.

Rob

Quote: Originally Posted by TheOutcast Boo ****ing hoo, I say.. $7.50 just to get in the ****ing door at the theatre's is just TOO ****ING MUCH. Mind you though, thx. to the sharing I have actually gone out to see *more* movies... hummm

What ??? Try $10.50 around here. Before your done went to dinner, seen a movie bought a snack and drinks for your freaking date you looking at $100 easy. ****, ever since going strait (from being dishonest not gay - I know one of you went there ) that has stopped me from more dates then anything. Easier and cheaper to do one date every couple of weeks, hell every couple of months, then several a week, my wallet just can't hang anymore!!!

ok ok..the name I use here is an alias for the name I regularly use in "other" circles. I am trying *I swear) to go straight as well. It's hard though really it is...think of it this way. family of 4 go out to fast food joint (BK lounge, Rotten Ronnies, or Taco Hell and you spent 20 bucks. Now you go to the movies and your wife doesn't carry the HUGE purse full of snaks and drinks...so you have to buy some out counter. Being a sound money manager you get 2 Large sodas and 2 candies or 2 large popcorns...holy crap! You just spent 50 more bucks with admissions included..now lets talk about the big car/van/truck you had to drive to get your ass there...now we are talking a minimum..counting gas, wear and tear, and insurance cost of roughly 7 more bucks...see this adding up real quick? try that 3 times a week..yeah 3 times a week..how many times do you and yours sit down for a movie?

oki now lets add this up on the other hand...Broadband cost you 50 a month. Xbox cost you 100 (pawn shop people!) to mod the Xbox it cost you under 50 bucks...DVDR a buck a piece DVD burner 100 bucks ..now you are watching movies every night and it cost you next to nothing.....

see the picture?...yeah ok so My 36 inch TV ain't the size of a house, but I do have a killer 5.1 home theater that cost me under 500 bucks..plus I can pause and take a **** and piss or have a smoke when I want to..snacks are complements of Wally World for the sum of chump change

Like i said it's hard to want to spend all that money for a short night out with the family..oh and if the movie sucks...I can fire up a different one and not lose but a buck something.

ehh sounds a bit stupid, but thats the reality of it....when they figure out that I would rather download a DVDR of a movie for say 20 bucks...yeah 20 bucks....then i will go straight legit..I promise

I saw something the other day at my local Blockbuster Video, for 30$ a month, you get unlimited rentals, and return them when you want, as long as it is by the end of the month.

I think that is a great idea, they need to make paying for Entertainment more attractive to people that want to do the right thing, but may choose "Alternatives" be cause they feel they are being ripped off dropping 50$ or more to take the family out for the night.

My friend just paid 100$ for a Van Halen ticket, and he was wondering if he could afford to buy the 50$ concert shirt, cause he is gonna have to cough up 7.50$ a beer

I hope the rest of the Corprate World starts to see it like that, rather than trying to lable everyone as a theif. They are gouging everyone and then wonder why people stopped paying...

Hmm... I wonder how many more "Market Studies" it will take to come to that conclusion

Watch out, the RIAA/MPAA is watching you all.

The situation is pathetic. The people (can you call them people?) that are in charge of these huge mega-companies are morons. I have met a few people in these high places, and it has been my experience that the higher up they are in a company, the dummer they get.

Couple this with the fact that economists/accountants, that are employed by said companies, have to prove their usefulness to the company somehow...

...anyone want to guess how they do that?

There are quite a few movies I regret paying for to see in theatres, including some at the cheap theatre of all things. I prefer to go to the indy theatre where most of the money goes to keeping the building in shape and running than going to feed Tom Cruise crack budget. Why would anyone want pay for bad movies?! I payed 7.50 to see Troy and I was royal disappointed with it being far to inaccurate to The Illiad and far too long. It would have been better to sit and read the unabridged version of Les Miserable in French! Ugg, and 7.50 for House of 1000 Corpses was far too much for a rehash of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Oh, and the remake of TCM at 1.50 (cheap theatre) was too much too! I'm far too disappointed in the movie industry to actually go to the theatre. If I enjoyed the movie, I buy the dvd. Plus, I'm one of those people who will watch the movie with the commentary on. I'm sorry MPAA , make some quality films and than I'll go to your movies again at the theatre and I'll buy that oversized bag of popcorn on top of it. Screw Episode 3!

For one year (2002-2003), the number of people going to movies dropped by 4%. During that same period...

• DVD sales and rentals went up 50%
• 83% of people who pirated movies went to the theater the same amount or more

Might I suggest that those 4% of people who skipped the theater did so because they actually bought the movie for less than the cost of 2 movie tickets?

that only concludes that the MPAA is bsing us. I quite sure the RIAA is at the same level.