Movie Piracy

[CStan]

Most of you know of the huge amount of pirated movies online, and the headaches it causes studios. Many releases out on the internet even before they are in theatres, or DVD rips before the DVD comes out. My proposal is this:

Why don't movie companies individualy mark each advance release to critics, to trace where the bootleg is coming from? This'll probably only work on advance DVD and TV show releases (like family guy), but it's a start, and surely software can be obtained or easily made to mark each copy.

Any flaws in my reasoning?

 

[KeyserSoze]

They already have something similar to that. There are certain dots or markings on the screen that aren't supposed to be easily visible. But it helps them trace it down to regions or areas where the movie was shown or shipped to.




KeyserSoze

 

[SouthPaW1227]

yeah, the gay MPAA and RIAA would rather make the evening news

 

[amol]

probably unique watermarks on each disc's content?

 

[geno]

Just because an individual copy gets leaked, it still doesn't mean you can trace it to the person that leaked it. Can you truly hold an entire company at fault when they have one idiot employee?

 

[Ketteringo]

They do this already, groups just remove them. Watermark on, watermark off.

The dots on movies have always been there, you just haven't noticed. They don't mean anything.

/goes back to watching House of Wax on his projector
//not really, don't arrest me

 

[mobobuff]

I didn't think movies were sent to critics in advance... I thought the movie just went to focus groups, hired by the production company, and that's even before the entire production is finished... I just thought critics went to advanced showings. I don't think a significant amount of movie piracy comes from pre-release formats or "bootlegs". A lot of it is cams and ripped DVDs.

 

[neonerd]

aren't many of these leaked by people that work there arleady? It's not the critics then...

Workers probably have much easier access to these movies.

 

[Gurck]

Originally posted by: geno
Just because an individual copy gets leaked, it still doesn't mean you can trace it to the person that leaked it. Can you truly hold an entire company at fault when they have one idiot employee?

Why not? Tons of frivolous lawsuits do exactly this, and the accuser wins without fail. Often there isn't even an idiot employee or fault with the product/service in the first place.

 

[Ackmed]

You cannot do this. Employees of movie stores such at Blockbuster get the movies a week or so before they are available to buy, or rent. Do you know how many stores there are nation wide that get movies early? I dont know, but I would bet its a lot more than they can do.

 

[whistleclient]

what about this:

Movie is released in theaters on a friday.

On the following wednesday it's available on pay-per-view or on a download on an itunes style site for a reasonable price. ($9.99?) You can burn it to dvd or stream it to your tv.

The dvd is released a month or so later. Only the dvd will contain extras such as cut scenes, commentary, or a director's cut.


as theaters make the most of their money the opening weekend, this might allow them time to make their money while still giving consumers the option to have the content they want in their home.

 

[CStan]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
You cannot do this. Employees of movie stores such at Blockbuster get the movies a week or so before they are available to buy, or rent. Do you know how many stores there are nation wide that get movies early? I dont know, but I would bet its a lot more than they can do.

Hmmm... If it was possible to track every DVD (unrealistic, I know), then movie companies can see that these early bootlegs come from "Blockbuster" for example, and then ask or demand them to track which copies get to which store, and then go from there. Sure it might sound expensive, but with the "billions of dollars being lost to piracy", they could afford to take some preventive measures.

Still, this would only be useful for the downloads found pre-release.

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: CStan
Most of you know of the huge amount of pirated movies online, and the headaches it causes studios. Many releases out on the internet even before they are in theatres, or DVD rips before the DVD comes out. My proposal is this:

Why don't movie companies individualy mark each advance release to critics, to trace where the bootleg is coming from? This'll probably only work on advance DVD and TV show releases (like family guy), but it's a start, and surely software can be obtained or easily made to mark each copy.

Any flaws in my reasoning?

Um, and you can't erase the watermark?

 

[MustangSVT]

yes i've lost billions of dollars.

DAMN U DVD COPYING BASTARDS!!!

MY HOLLYWOOD EMPIRE IS GETTING POOR!!! I CANT AFFORD TO HAVE CAVIAR dreams and Champagne WISHES!!! ARGGG!

 

[Ketteringo]

Originally posted by: tangent1138
what about this:

Movie is released in theaters on a friday.

On the following wednesday it's available on pay-per-view or on a download on an itunes style site for a reasonable price. ($9.99?) You can burn it to dvd or stream it to your tv.

The dvd is released a month or so later. Only the dvd will contain extras such as cut scenes, commentary, or a director's cut.


as theaters make the most of their money the opening weekend, this might allow them time to make their money while still giving consumers the option to have the content they want in their home.

It's impossible w/ the time it takes to convert everything. DVDs take 3 months alone.

Theaters do not make most of their money the opening weekend. Theaters pay the studios ~70% of the ticket price the 1st weekend, ~60% the 2nd, and around 40% after. As you can see, theaters make much more money if people go to see the movie after the first weekend. You'll also notice that studios push all their ads before the first weekend, so they can get the largest 1st weekend gross possible.

Theaters currently rely almost entirely on concession sales to make their money. That's why a pop and popcorn costs you $8, and costs them $.60.

 

[CStan]

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: CStan
Most of you know of the huge amount of pirated movies online, and the headaches it causes studios. Many releases out on the internet even before they are in theatres, or DVD rips before the DVD comes out. My proposal is this:

Why don't movie companies individualy mark each advance release to critics, to trace where the bootleg is coming from? This'll probably only work on advance DVD and TV show releases (like family guy), but it's a start, and surely software can be obtained or easily made to mark each copy.

Any flaws in my reasoning?

Um, and you can't erase the watermark?

I'm not aware how watermarks work. Please educate me . If you put a random dot on a random frame or scene, how does software detect that the dot is not supposed to be there, and erase it, filling it with the right colour?

 

[neonerd]

so uh...any leaks on SWIII yet?

 

[whistleclient]

Originally posted by: CStan

Originally posted by: Looney

Originally posted by: CStan
Most of you know of the huge amount of pirated movies online, and the headaches it causes studios. Many releases out on the internet even before they are in theatres, or DVD rips before the DVD comes out. My proposal is this:

Why don't movie companies individualy mark each advance release to critics, to trace where the bootleg is coming from? This'll probably only work on advance DVD and TV show releases (like family guy), but it's a start, and surely software can be obtained or easily made to mark each copy.

Any flaws in my reasoning?

Um, and you can't erase the watermark?

I'm not aware how watermarks work. Please educate me . If you put a random dot on a random frame or scene, how does software detect that the dot is not supposed to be there, and erase it, filling it with the right colour?

there is a new system in the works which would be very difficult to defeat. a random series of dots is spread out through the movie. deciphered, they form a number like a bar code. except only the master clean print, which is never distributed, can be used to compare and decipher the dots.

 

Originally posted by: neonerd
so uh...any leaks on SWIII yet?

lol

 

[MustangSVT]

Originally posted by: buck

Originally posted by: neonerd
so uh...any leaks on SWIII yet?

lol

wink wink nudge nudge

 

[sniperruff]

they are already inserting some tiny marker inside the movie to be rated by the critics to identify who leaks the movie, plus i think they now send movies via VHS to critics therefore the quality will not be as good as DVD's.

 

[whistleclient]

Originally posted by: Ketteringo

Originally posted by: tangent1138
what about this:

Movie is released in theaters on a friday.

On the following wednesday it's available on pay-per-view or on a download on an itunes style site for a reasonable price. ($9.99?) You can burn it to dvd or stream it to your tv.

The dvd is released a month or so later. Only the dvd will contain extras such as cut scenes, commentary, or a director's cut.


as theaters make the most of their money the opening weekend, this might allow them time to make their money while still giving consumers the option to have the content they want in their home.

It's impossible w/ the time it takes to convert everything. DVDs take 3 months alone.

Theaters do not make most of their money the opening weekend. Theaters pay the studios ~70% of the ticket price the 1st weekend, ~60% the 2nd, and around 40% after. As you can see, theaters make much more money if people go to see the movie after the first weekend. You'll also notice that studios push all their ads before the first weekend, so they can get the largest 1st weekend gross possible.

Theaters currently rely almost entirely on concession sales to make their money. That's why a pop and popcorn costs you $8, and costs them $.60.

1) The conversion of DVDs doesn't have to take 3 months. (My friend makes DVDs for one of the studios) Mostly it's extras, commentaries, clearances, subtitles, QA, etc. An english only, "no extras" release could be done almost immediately to digital. The value added DVD could take as long as needed, as hardcore fans would buy it no matter when it's released.

2) I meant most of the box office is the opening weekend. Obviously the theaters would balk at such an early digital release, but perhaps if the BO sharing was evened out (%55 across the board?) they might change their mind.