Introduction
Quick overview on the purpose and intent of this film. Specification of “Western” piracy over Asian piracy (downloading vs. selling goods in markets).
Modern vs. Traditional Piracy Definitions
Will cover the use of the word “piracy” to mean copyright violations, and compare it to the traditional definition of shipboard theft. Will also cover how the modern definition does not hold true to its roots (how physical losses are non-existant).
The Misinformation of Losses
Will detail the RIAA, MPAA, CRIA, BSA figures of losses, most of which is attributed to piracy. Will then dismantle these claims, and analyse them one by one. For instance; when the RIAA claims x million dollars in revenue loss, they fail to mention that that only reflects that of the CD media, and that the gains through other medias (DVD, Online) far outsurpass any losses.
Industry Corruption
Will cover the corruption in the media industry. How the RIAA payed the senator in charge of American copyrights $180,000. How Sony/BMG bribes radio stations to play their music, as opposed to lesser known bands. How the RIAA artificially inflated prices on CDs.
The Media Link
Will cover the role of the media in the piracy issue. Namely the lack of research on part of journalists. Will have actual media footage on the issue; screenshots of newspapers. Will compare examples of same events being covered very differently (read: skewed) by media entities.
Transformation of IP Law
Will cover the history of copyright, and its recent changes that drastically alter the very purpose of IP law. For instance: How copyrights no longer benefit the public domain, due to constant extensions of the protection of properties.
Collateral
This section will cover the “damages” caused by the media industries in the wake of this war on piracy. Will cover the sideeffects of the DMCA, and the lawsuits that have arisen as such. How the DMCA makes it illegal to watch legally purchased DVDs on a player you own. CSS. Frivolous lawsuits arisen as a consequence of the DMCA and WIPOs stance on TPMs. Will also cover the impact of DRM, and how it inhibits fair use of products.
Fallout: The Lawsuits
Will cover the lawsuits by the RIAA on individuals; MPAA on certain domain owners. The dynamics of how no one is able to afford to battle them in court; and the little-published errors on the RIAAs part (individuals sued that did not possess computers). Will also cover the dirtier rulings in this area. Will attempt to gain interviews of those sued.
The System is Broken
Will cover why people violate IP laws to begin with. Remixing. Overly-Expensive Software. Ripoff prices. Unavailability (radio monopoly, anime, abandonware). Impossibility to liscence. Many interviews with average street joes for this one.
The Solutions
Will cover Magnatune; Creative Commons; other solutions. Will have an interview with the Canadian representative for the CC, and an artist that I consider to be succesful via the CC.
The Future
The last section. Will cover recently enacted legislations; legistlations that are in the process of being; government rulings; and opinions from all the interviewees.
Extra: Views
In this section, I wish to present the unadulterated views of various individuals on the issue of piracy. Interviews will range from average joes to those in the release groups. This part will not be played along with the other topics; but will rather be positionned to be a DVD extra.
I will also attempt to have an interview with: Michael Geist (outspoken member on the whole IP issue); representatives for the CRIA; among others. If you can think of anything I should include, please do tell. This outline is by no means final.
This is not a war on the moralities of piracy. This is a PR war. Whoever has the strongest voice wins. Therefore, I will not look at the Grokster vs. MGM case that deals with morality, so much as the MGM stats that are used in its antipiracy PR campaign.
Comments
2 responses to “Tentative Piracy Film Outline”
Hey Seal 😉
I recomend something which will be usefull on the movie, which i really hope you the best with, since EYNTO is great (for noobs mainly) and it helped me train some people, using it.
The thing is introducing The Scene, as a case study of how future might be, and also introduce that future might contain the following:
Movies will be available for FREE downloads, yes free, but sponsored, like cocacola paid and more companies might pay as well so the movie production is done, and they would have a couple of ads, in a direct way or as the actors are always using their products, saying a line or 2 about how great this product in throughout the movie, so the viewers would be encouraged to get these products, thus this would be free to as much people as possible, because the more the downloads, the more viewers would see the “ads”, the more the revenue for these companies 🙂
Also the DVD’s of movies will be on a low price, since its already sponsored.
You might also count Audio CD’s, Games, and so on.
You might buy a DVD without the ads for the normal price, you can download the audio cds online also but there will be a nag like an ad in the background, and also you can buy the pure cd without any disturbance.
This would make artists spread, legally.
I hope i’ve gave you some ideas, and i hope my name will be mentioned in credits or something 😉
iNfernum
Hey, Sounds really interesting, Im looking forward to it 🙂
You could cover where the profits of piracy go… (for those who profit out of it..) But I suppose thats not the focus.
Take for example my local monthly computer market and the Asian fella who has at least a thousand cd’s / dvd’s selling for 20 bucks each..
I bet he has a rather cool setup at home.. lol. 🙂
take it ez m8 😛