By Grace Bowman, Writer
Piracy: what is it, why does it happen and what can we do to avoid falling into the trap?
Among the questionable clothing, constant cultural changes, the fluctuating economy, and technological advances, the 2000s were particularly known for the 2004 You wouldn't steal a car advert. This advert that appeared on many of the 2004-2007 DVD’s was etched into the memory of terrified Gen Z children until it became a massive meme in the later years. The advert focused on the piracy of DVDs and compared them to that of the theft of a car, handbag, television, and movie.
So what really is piracy? It’s defined as the unauthorized use or reproduction of another's work. Technically speaking, this could apply to many things however, the advert focuses on the crime of illegally downloading movies for one's own enjoyment. So why do people risk downloading movies if it's such a huge crime?
There are many ways to steal a movie - you could enter a cinema without paying, you could even steal a DVD from a shop. Yet many people don’t do these things. Instead, they head online and download movies to stream on their phone or laptop. But why? They think it feels less direct, or that there's less chance of being caught compared to outright stealing a DVD. Downloading or streaming movies feels less illegal than physically stealing a DVD. That’s the reason that people go online to get music or movies however, there are many other reasons people download movies:
1) They don’t want to pay for it.
Teenagers have a limited budget and cash flow is always a problem. Instead of forking out for Netflix or a trip to the cinema it can be more budget-conscious to watch movies or download music online. Oftentimes they can afford to buy or rent a movie however it feels like a waste of money as you can download or stream it for free.
2) They can’t afford it.
Roughly around 700 new movies come out a year. Considering movies are around £5 and you see around 2 each month, that's around £120 on movie tickets alone. In order to keep up with the latest films and TV shows, many young people resort to downloading movies or music online; peer pressure plays a major factor in this as the youth are unwilling to fall behind on trends, even if they cannot afford it.
3) It’s not available in their region.
This is a surprisingly common reason that people download movies online as sometimes they are physically unable to see the movies they want as they are not available in their region. Foreign-language films are rare to view in cinemas as many British people seem to be unwilling to read subtitles. Anime fans are hit particularly hard by the restrictions from foreign countries and often turn to questionable websites to fuel their obsession.
4) They want to use it only once.
Gone are the days of DVDs clogging shelves, streaming services are on the rise. Netflix alone raked in 20.15 billion U.S. dollars last year. People don't want the hassle of owning DVDs or purchasing something when there’s a good chance they will only use it once. Purchasing something like a movie or song feels like a waste as there's a good chance they will not use it enough for it to be a worthy investment.
5) Other people do it.
Downloading or streaming movies is something that many people do. With more and more people staying at home and just streaming movies, other people fall into the trap of piracy.
Although piracy doesn’t feel like a crime because you weren’t the one who set the website up in the first place it does come with a sentence, just like the way illegally downloading games and movies and stealing music via piracy is a crime in Britain. Punishment can range from paying back the copyright holder to spending time in jail. Other people argue however that the way to "solve" online piracy is to offer affordable, flexible ways to consume new film and music - however, new sites like Netflix or Spotify show that people will still not want to pay for it and will continue to download illegal movies or music despite these new affordable sites popping up.
Despite the warnings and threat of a jail sentence, people continue to illegally download and stream entertainment every single day. If you choose to ignore the warnings of the 2000s, make sure that you have some good antivirus software at the very least. Next time you consider downloading a movie or some new music make sure to consider the work and effort that went into creating it.
Stay safe and remember, You wouldn’t steal a car...
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