Saturday, July 3, 2010

Movie Downloads That Are Illegal Are Often Very Bad

By Louise Huber

These days, technology is so advanced that it is more or less commonplace to see one or more home computers in the house, with a high-speed connection to the internet. This has helped illegal movie downloads to become an increasingly big problem. In many cases, people do not even realize that they are downloading material illegally, and most people have no clue as to the impact of these illegal activities. It is, however, an important topic for modern society to be aware of, as illegal downloads affect a huge number of industries and individuals.

What is illegal downloading?

Every country has its own laws and regulations with regards to copyrighted material and downloads. This should serve as a basic guide to what may constitute illegal downloading of movies.

Sometimes movie pirates are able to make movies available before download before they have finished playing cinemas, and sometimes before they have even been released in theaters. These copies are always illegal. You will find that legal DVD versions are generally released three months after they have played in cinemas. Where something has been made available before that time, it is guaranteed to have been obtained without the appropriate permissions.

One of the most common ways of downloading movies is through file-sharing services. Generally, if an individual provides copyrighted materials to another individual without appropriate permission, that individual is engaging in an illegal activity. In many countries, those people who download this copyrighted material are also deemed to be participating in an illegal activity. Peer-to-peer downloads, such as those obtained through BitTorrents, are usually an unlawful way to obtain movies.

What is the impact of these downloads?

By downloading material illegally, you are robbing the owners of the movie of their profit. If you think about this in the context of millionaire movie producers and actors, you may not have much empathy for the situation. But the effect is more far-reaching than that. Cinemas and DVD retailers rely on the sales of movie tickets and DVD copies to survive. If you download a movie instead of hiring it from your local video store, then that video store is missing out on profit. If the problem continues to increase, then movie theaters and video stores, especially small businesses, may lose business and have to shut down.

Australia's film industry is particularly vulnerable to the effects of movie piracy. The already-struggling industry is said to lose several hundred million dollars each year in potential revenue because people are downloading free versions of films instead of choosing legal, paid options. This means that the capacity of Australian film producers to make more films in the future is greatly limited. This is a shame, as Australian films provide a means to explore the uniqueness of Australian culture, as well as providing a medium for creative expression and ingenuity. As such, it ought to receive full support from movie viewers.

Is illegal downloading a punishable offense?

The answer is yes, downloading illegal or copyrighted material is a punishable offense in a number of countries such as the United States and Australia. In countries where downloading is illegal, individuals can be prosecuted. These people may be fined thousands, even millions, of dollars. Warnings on legal copies of movies will say what the punishments are for such offenses in your country or region.

You can probably appreciate now the problem posed by illegal movie downloads. People from around the world can be affected by your choices, from movie producers to DVD retailers and cinemas. And don't forget that you can be caught, and the fine you receive will definitely affect you. There are enough legal alternatives available that there is no real excuse for illegally downloading films. Support film industries all over the world and purchase legally produced films.

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