P2P attacked for keeping corn farmers poor

THE ANTI-P2P campaign reached a new level of silliness over the weekend when the NBC/Universal studios blamed file-sharing for a downturn in corn prices.

In a filing to the FCC NBC/Universal's general counsel Rick Cotton apparently wrote that in the absence of movie piracy, video retailers would sell and rent more titles. Movie theaters would sell more tickets and popcorn. Corn growers would earn greater profits and buy more farm equipment.

We are not sure why he concentrated on corn farmers, he could have equally ranted about poor beef farmers who provide the hotdogs, the impoverished peanut farmers, or car makers whose products bought you to the theatre.

Unfortunately for Rick, corn farmers are doing extremely well since the introduction of P2P in fact according to the Wall Street Journal corn sold at $3.83 per bushel, up from $2.08 a year ago. Corn futures predict $4.03 for the December crop. If there was a link between P2P and corn prices, your average corn farmer is going to want more video piracy.

Rick is the bloke who recently told man plus dog that the government should stop investing cash in fighting violent crime, like bank robbery, and instead concentrate on dealing with piracy instead.

More here. µ