Star Wars Episode III Leaked to Internet. RRrrrr!

[Nick_Borelli]

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050519/film_nm/media_starwars_piracy_dc_5 (http://dailynews.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050519/film_nm/media_starwars_piracy_dc_5)

LONDON (Reuters) - The final chapter of the Star Wars saga has gone over to the Internet's dark side.

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" has been leaked onto a major file-sharing network just hours after opening in theaters, at a time when Hollywood is increasingly concerned about online piracy.

At least two copies of the film, which was first shown in theaters in the early hours of Thursday, have been posted to the BitTorrent file-sharing network -- a new and increasingly popular technology that allows users to download large video files much more quickly than in the past.

The Motion Picture Association of America has been aggressive in going after Web sites that provide "tracker" links that enable BitTorrent downloads of copyrighted material, including six lawsuits this week against sites with links to TV shows.

According to Web site Waxy.org (http:/www.waxy.org), one print was leaked on Wednesday before the film was even released in theaters. The movie was time-stamped, suggesting it may have come from within the industry rather than from someone who videotaped an advance screening.

One popular tracker Web site showed more than 16,000 people currently downloading the film via BitTorrent.

Hollywood is trying to avoid the fate of the music industry, which claims it has lost hundreds of millions of dollars worth of sales to illicit file-sharing networks.

Movie files are about 50 times larger than music files, which makes them much more cumbersome to download, but new technologies like BitTorrent and increased high-speed Internet penetration are closing the gap.

Lucasfilm Ltd and the MPAA were not immediately available for comment

[Nick_Borelli]

I am one of those people downloading it...right now.

[Wagon]

it's like a cam version, right? Those are almost never worth the time to get...

[copypastepuke]

the time code bothers me too much. ill just wait till there is one without it. ill download it after i see it... possibly.
probably not though. i will be moving home soon and will be stuck with UGGGGGGH DIAL UP

[Nick_Borelli]

This is just something to have before I can find a screener.
The screener will be something to have before I can buy the DVD.

[JABSEN]

This is just something to have before I can find a screener.
The screener will be something to have before I can buy the DVD.The ticket is something to have before going in the theater

[Cth]

Wouldn't it be interesting if someone enterprising on the board set up a private torrent JUST for fellow board members with the caveat of it being shut down if the link is shared elsewhere?

Surely someone would PM people about this :)

Con season is still out, so bootlegs are always an inevitable option.

[Shannon Chenoweth]

See, this scares me. I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole. Get caught and they will probably throw the book at ya.

RC

[Wagon]

This is just something to have before I can find a screener.
The screener will be something to have before I can buy the DVD.

you're the same way I am, then... I have got a lot of screeners, but I always buy the DVD when it comes out... and I see the movie in the theater... I just like having it to watch whenever in the interim...

I know not everyone is like that, though...

[THWIP!]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd. We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.

[batphone begins]

I hear dat

[Wagon]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd. We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.

yeah, but to be fair, I would be willing to bet people like us are in the minority (even if it's 49%-51%)... no one has ever done a legit poll on the subject, though, so it's hard to say for certain.

regardless, there are better ways to go about rectifying the problem than sueing anyone they can get their hands on... it just wouldn't be that hard for someone to set up a iTunes like pay for download movie service... and, if the studios would play ball and give first run movies for download, after, say, a week in theaters, I think it would go a long way to curb this sort of 'problem'...


the other thing they miss is that the other half, the people who download movies but don't see it in the theater or buy the DVD, probably weren't going to see the movie at all if they didn't have the option to see it for free... and who knows how many of those people then decided the movie was better than they thought it was, and go spend money on it?

that's the biggest thing to me...instead of going out and trying to accurately gauge how downloading affects their industry, they use it as a catch-all to explain all monetary losses and clap their hands over their ears when someone tells them different...

[Thomas Mauer]

Ticket's already purchased. Going to see it in 2 hours. Screw screeners.

[Susan BANthony]

See, this scares me. I wouldn't touch this with a ten foot pole. Get caught and they will probably throw the book at ya.

RC

Only fools who use public trackers...

Not that I steal. :shifty:

AMcK

[GelfXIII]

The only thing I'm really comfortable DLing is stuff I cannot get through legit channels... like the new Dr. Who.

Other than that... the MPAA has scared me off. I used to share EVERYTHING. Seriously, at it's height I had my entire album collection available for share... now, nada.

It's really quite sad.

[Jono]

I uh...may know someone (cough) who dl'd the copy in question, and I must say, I hear it's very nice. Except for the timer obviously, but you get used to it. BTW, it's not a cam copy, it had to have been dubbed in-house.
On an unrelated note, for anyone out there thats interested, I am a big fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, especially their young outfielder Jason Bay. They have quite a nice organization down there.

[BriRedfern]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd. We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.

That seems unlikely. You also don't seem to have a very good grasp on capitalism. I'm just sayin'.....

[Kefky]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd. We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.

Yea, and all the people who download comics buy the real thing too. :rolleyes:

You must be the most naive person on the planet if you honestly believe everyone's that nice....

[Nick_Borelli]

Yea, and all the people who download comics buy the real thing too. :rolleyes:

You must be the most naive person on the planet if you honestly believe everyone's that nice....

You're right.

I buy a shit-load of comics and have definatly downloaded some comic material that just does not exist in a collection.
If it did, I would preorder the sucker.
I told you what I do with film. I mostly download TV shows and other things that just don't exist in any other format.

My good friend, however, stoped buying comics and DVDs. He torrents everything. He doesn't even bother to put them in a DVD format. Just has huge DVD/CD notebook-like cases and totes his moded Xbox with him.
He is Black Beard level pirate.
I'm a deck swabber, at best.

[NickT]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd.
I'd wager the majority who download do it becase then they get it for free.



We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.
And they give you the entertainment, what gives you the right to take money from them?

[RODGER]

i had it thursday....

:)

[NickT]

You're right.

I buy a shit-load of comics and have definatly downloaded some comic material that just does not exist in a collection.
If it did, I would preorder the sucker.
I told you what I do with film. I mostly download TV shows and other things that just don't exist in any other format.

My good friend, however, stoped buying comics and DVDs. He torrents everything. He doesn't even bother to put them in a DVD format. Just has huge DVD/CD notebook-like cases and totes his moded Xbox with him.
He is Black Beard level pirate.
I'm a deck swabber, at best.
Exactly.

I love how people seem to have this Robin Hood mentality where somehow everyone downloading is doing it because of high prices or as a placeholder until a DVD comes out. People do it because it is FREE.

[TheKraken]

So, the movie's available for free online, still shattering box office records, and the MPAA still wants you to believe internet piracy is crippling the movie business. Kinda like back in 2000, when Napster was in its prime and the RIAA reported an increase in profits.

[AAlgar]

This is something that Hollywood doesn't get about us. We pay to see the film, and when it comes out on dvd we buy it. we only download it so we can have it in that middle space/waiting period when we don't want to pay another 10 bucks to see it again and would rather wait to own it on dvd. We give those assholes so much of our money, just fucking let us have this.

Exactly. I only get bootlegs for stuff I can't get otherwise.

[NickT]

So, the movie's available for free online, still shattering box office records, and the MPAA still wants you to believe internet piracy is crippling the movie business.
Proof that it would be doing just as well without piracy? How about the dropoffs?

[Blandy vs Terrorism]

I actually saw a guy with a stuffing a smaller video camera into his cargo pocket before going to see it with his kids. I'm surprised he didn't make them wait to watch the bootleg version at home.

[TheKraken]

Proof that it would be doing just as well without piracy? How about the dropoffs?

How about you write a complete sentence or two so's I can understand what you're asking me? :lol:

[NickT]

How about you write a complete sentence or two so's I can understand what you're asking me? :lol:
Okay, I'll rework it.

"So, the movie's available for free online, still shattering box office records, and the MPAA still wants you to believe internet piracy is crippling the movie business."


Where is your evidence that piracy isn't affecting it's sales.

[Mister Mets]

One of the funniest things was they were reporting this on ABC's World News tonight, and lauding bootleg copies for their excellent qualities.

[bartleby]

Okay, I'll rework it.

"So, the movie's available for free online, still shattering box office records, and the MPAA still wants you to believe internet piracy is crippling the movie business."


Where is your evidence that piracy isn't affecting it's sales.


It more specific terms.... It's made $85M so far. Sure that's a lot of money, but who's to say that it wouldn't have made more than that if it weren't for piracy. Or more likely, the movie finishes with $400M, but maybe it makes $450M if people can't get the bootleg.

[Nick_Borelli]

I'm getting The Phantom Edit and the MagnoliaFan Edit of Clone Wars as well.
Anyone here seen either?

[Nick_Borelli]

...I guess no one else is.