Anybody Buy This Argument?

[theknife]

The latest anti-p2p rant - this time from George Lucas.

Mr Lucas warned that piracy threatened to reduce the movie industry's revenues, forcing film corporations to concentrate on blockbusters, rather than also investing in smaller art movies.

This argument really doesn't fly - the movie industry (and the recording industry, and the publishing industry, for that matter) are already locked into this business model....and all we have to show for it is a very small handful of artists who have access to the distribution channels currently controlled by the industrial/entertainment complex.

The increasing availability of inexpensive but sophisticated technology allows people to create and distribute content on their own terms. I don't think p2p stifles this at all....rather it creates distribution channels that never existed.

It is interesting to see the rhetoric heat up as higher profile members of the industry begin to show a little panic

Crisis? What crisis?

[TankGirl]

I totally agree with you, theknife. Lucas's viewpoint is understandable for somebody who is already a big name in the monopolistic distribution system but that's it. His present position may guarantee him personally a lot of creative freedom and distribution power but that does not make the system any less rotten. P2P and new cheap digital production gear are great equalizers that have the potential of totally reshaping the art production and distribution scenes to much more versatile and creative forms.

- tg

[greedy_lars]

South Park started as a shittly homemade video on the net. There is indeed huge potiental when the right people get busy. But you have to wade through an ocean of garbage to find the jewels, cause alas, all who produce digital content are not always talented.

Some are just skilled enough to occupy bandwith and hard drive space for brief instances, before fading into the merciful past.

[JackSpratts]

the only people feeling threatened by the new paradigm are those who for whatever reasons wound up "in the business" and see serious change in store they’ve not prepared for. interestingly not all the people who have paying industry jobs are scared. many are actually looking forward to the new opportunities provided by the internet.

having said that it should be obvious that for the rest of the population, the other 6 billion so conveniently and arrogantly overlooked by a few hundred princely stars in hollywood like lucas, there is nothing but upside with peer-to-peer. it's not the tail wagging the dog here it's the flea itching the planet.

the day will come and soon i think that a little swat will set things right.

- js.

[justed]

quote:
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Mr Lucas warned that piracy threatened to reduce the movie industry's revenues, forcing film corporations to concentrate on blockbusters, rather than also investing in smaller art movies.
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Actually IMHO, it seems more like "smaller art movies" rather than "blockbusters" would be the way the movie industry would go.

Who'd want to take a chance on a blockbuster, when for the same money ten films (or more) could be made.

With a lower 'break even' point any 'piracy' would be less likely to destroy the profitability of lower ("smaller art movies") budget films. And there'd be more of them - bonus!

It seems there is a lot of reactionary defensiveness going on.
"I am begging for co-operation… the entertainment business ecosystem will collapse.”
By certain vested interests?


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[SA_Dave]

George Lucas' word of the day is : H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-T-E

I'm sure he could spell out the word with $100 bills so that it's even visible from space and still have a small fortune to spare!

Originally posted by JackSpratts
it's not the tail wagging the dog here it's the flea itching the planet.

Introducing the new theme song for p2p, "Itch the Planet". Imagine the reviews : 'For once, a collaborative effort from boombox that is representative of an entire community!'

[justed]

www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2002/tc20021125_8887.htm

Comdex's Secure Side
A sampling of the information security products on the menu at Comdex

By Michael Fitzgerald
…

Comdex typically features several small companies making outsized claims in an effort to get press attention. Even in this slimmed-down Comdex, that was true. In the security space, it was Stealth Media Labs, which said it has a way to prevent movies and music from being copied illegally.

Stealth's timing, at least, was good. Intellectual property issues were the subject of hot debate at Comdex, both on panels and in keynotes. Filmmaker George Lucas even got up during the keynote by News Corp. President and COO Peter Chernin and talked about the cost of piracy.

It's individual entertainers, not entertainment companies, that stand to lose the most from rampant content piracy, Lucas insisted. "Corporations are like cockroaches," he said. "They'll survive everything."

…