666 - the Number of the Farrell - Mad Mike Mageek
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The greedy entertainment industry has taken enough from users
I HAVE COME TO A DECISION. The entertainment industry has had just about as much money out of me as it is ever going to get.
It has milked me as long as I can remember and now that we should be getting on more socially thanks to the internet, it is starting to make me feel like a criminal and a thief, which I most certainly am not, and blaming the internet for its woes.
I must have invested £250 in the film Reservoir Dogs. It came out when I was at university, so I saw it at least three times at midnight showings. I bought a tee shirt, posters, the soundtrack, an ex-rental copy, and then I bought the VHS tape. Then I bought a special edition VHS tape with goodies like a flick comb. I thought I was done with investing in Reservoir Dogs.
But then DVD happened, and I had to buy it on that. Then they released new versions with sleeves that represented your favourite character, so I bought one of those. Now it is on Blu-ray, and guess what? I can't even type it, it makes me so sick.
Has the company that owns that film had enough out of me yet? Well I don't know. It probably doesn't think so. Perhaps there will be a 3D version too that I will be compelled to buy. Maybe a 20 year anniversary release, or a 30 year. Maybe I will buy those too.
I wonder what would happen if, while surrounded by all these purchased copies and versions, I was found to have downloaded a copy. I don't know why. Maybe I just forgot I had it. After all, Reservoir Dogs is not the only film I like, and its DVDs are not the only ones I own.
I wouldn't want to imagine what I have invested in media over the years, and I wouldn't want to calculate how much of it I don't watch, use, or listen to anymore. But whatever I have spent, no matter how many times I spent £20 to see a film at the cinema that I would pay £30 to unsee, and no matter how much merchandise I have bought, it will never be enough for the copyright holders.
Agreements like the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), proposed legislation like the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the US, and the UK's Digital Economy Act (DEA) aim to stamp all over people who consume media, through a variety of means, and drag other users and other material into the copyright holders' nets. And they don't seem to care about that at all. What's the phrase? Collateral damage?
Web abuse is here, and it is rife, but it is the copyright holders, politicians and lobbyists that are behind it. These laws that they want to impose on us aren't just dirty, they are filthy. They fling open doors to web site blocking, communications shutdowns, censorship, sadistic sentencing and punishments, and bend over and extradite government decisions.
Look at Gary McKinnon's case. Ten years in the wilderness while successive politicians pretend that they might have the balls to stand up to the US and its trumped-up charges and deny it the prize it is so determined to get.
And Richard O'Dwyer, who merely made a web page full of links and faces ten years in prison in America, despite not actually hosting content or doing anything at all in that country. This is wrong.
The United States, and the UK government to a lesser extent - and just because it does everything to a lesser extent - need to stop peeing on their people's cornflakes and kicking in their doors just because powerful media companies have failed to adapt to new business models and fear that the profits they have milked from consumers like me for years might be drying up.
Well, they are drying up, and it is thanks to the hand that fed them that they are. Who wants to take anything from one hand, while the other hand is hovering just behind your ear waiting to smack you for stepping over an ever-moving line? Not me.
To borrow a line from the film Network, which thanks to £6 a month I can watch on Netflix, "I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!"
You can take your DVDs and your CDs and stuff your tee shirts, USB keys and figurines. I'm out of your game and I'm not going to feed you anymore, and I don't think that I am alone here either.
Media firms have had it too good for too long. The movement that sprung up in opposition to SOPA shows that we can stop these things - or at least subject them to more scrutiny - and that momentum must grow. µ
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You aren't entitled to anything you don't pay for. The entertainment industry owes you nothing nor does anyone else unless you pay for it. Being in denial is not going to change reality.
Hi all,
I’m the author and I just wanted to clear up what has caused some confusion.
I am not suggesting that I feel that I have paid the entertainment industry so much that I think that it owes me.
Just that I feel that I have given it enough money already. It is not my intention to steal media, or films, or music, of big macs or cars. Rather, I won’t be indulging in the cinema, in DVDs, in CDs and toys anymore.
I’ll enjoy what I have, and enjoy new things through other media. I say in the article that I use Netflix, which I pay for, and I pay my TV license fee, and am a Virgin Media subscriber. I read a lot of books too, which are paid for, and I use my local library.
This was not a statement of my intention to steal, but an acknowledgement that I’ve paid out enough for something that actually I do not get much out of.
I’m glad that people disagree, and agree, that’s healthy. But I do not want to give the impression that my solution is theft.
I once bought a car but it's worn out so I'm gonna borrow your car and use it for as long as I like without paying you for it, because I want to. I don't need your approval nor do I need to pay you because I don't want to.
In fact I think I'll also borrow your house and your CD/DVD collection and your PC too - because I want to. I paid for all of these things once upon a time so there is no reason why I should keep paying for a new auto, CDs/DVDs or a newer house. /s
"I've paid hundreds for Big Macs over the years. Enough is enough. From now on I'm going to demand McDonalds gives me the Big Macs I'm entitled to at no charge."
Your comparing never paying for McDonald's again to Dave Neal never paying for entertainment again is incorrect. Remember, because Mr. Neal has paid for Reservoir Dogs over the years, he now longer needs to pay any money to the entire "entertainment industry". So the correct comparison would be for you to never pay for anything in the entire food industry.
...the Entitled generation and they don't understand reality.
Poor little Davie has to pay for movies that cost millions to make. That's so unfair. So he's going to do the right thing and stop watching movies. Oh wait, he's just going to stop paying for movies. I see his point. I've paid hundreds for Big Macs over the years. Enough is enough. From now on I'm going to demand McDonalds gives me the Big Macs I'm entitled to at no charge. If poor little Davie has a job, I think his employer has paid him enough. It's time that employer demand the same work from Davie at no further charge. Davie has been paid enough.
Some say MJ received a message from God. What goes around... applies to many things in life including piracy.
Time for a reality check for the entitled generation.
The one that killed Michal Jackson will serve 4years in prison. The ones that download his music will be condemned to 5years in prison.
Does this mean that a whole generation of people who have been getting and using music and films for nothing will have to pay for it now? What's the world coming to?
Well no movie is so good it's worth buying that many times....
I'm upset that these companies refuse to support reasonably priced internet distribution.
They are refusing to change their pricing (As if all new movies are worth $20-$30), refusing to release new releases simultaneously with theatres, etc.
I'm sorry, including low res digital copies loaded with drm with a blu ray purchase is crap. The digital copy should be HD as well, and the hardcore DRM is unnecessary. If somebody wants to steal the movie they'll download it over the internet for free.... and probably the day it came out in the theatre...
I dislike optical discs, they take up too much space, they scratch, they have to be physically located.... they are crap. Nobody wants music on cd's, why do they think I want movies on dvd/bluray?
I think they treat customers like crap and I have little sympathy for them.
Not to mention... I haven't seen a movie I consider really good in a long time.
As we see now copyright holders are demanding the removal of copyright material by search engines. That's a good thing.
I you're dim enough to keep buying the same movie over and over again, the producers deserve to get your cash.
That said, SOPA is still something to be stopped and is yet another worrying example of US bullying.
Thankfully the majority of society understands there is no free lunch in this world and thus they support copyright laws. The other 3% of society might as well get in touch with reality.
AND ALL COMIC BOOKS SHOULD BE FREE, TOO. THERES THIS IDIOT WHO IS SELLING A BOX OF COMIC BOOKS AND HE WANTS ABOUT $100,000 AND I'M LIKE WHAT? CUZ I'LL PHOTOCOPY THAT STUFF AT MY EXPENSE AND READ AT MY LEISURE BUT NOW HE SAYS HE WONT LET ME DO THAT! NOW EVERYBODY KNOWS WHO THE REAL CRIMINALS ARE.
I agree with multiple people commenting and i agree with the man that made this post. Digital media is way to expensive, especially when you think about how much is made off of it widespread. And here in the last 10 years none of it has been all that good. And i agree what about those who have bought something and is has been scratched or broke what are you supposed to do buy it again. Well eff that i refuse. Not to mention every few years or so technology changes rendering what you have bought in the past obsolete.
The way i look at it there is nothing that the entertainment industry can do that is going to solve piracy. There is always going to be somebody or a site or some thing that is going to post it and there is going to be somebody that is going to download it. so why don't they just let it be instead of punishing every body for the small group that is doing it. And actually make your media less vulnerable, or here's a thought cheaper.
When you get paid so much for doing so little, I suppose its not surprising you get greedy. And greed knows no limits. No greedy person ever says "I have got enough now - no need to be so greedy in the future". They always want more. One person spends a day working in a factory for a few 10's of dollars, while a songwriter spends a day writing a song, and gets paid millions for it. Where is the sense in it?
There are a lot of delusional people in this world that think they are entitled. WRONG. Your aren't entitled to anything. If you want something you pay for it or go without.
As we all observed those occupy protests have been a waste of time and energy and don't change reality.
Polish protest against ACTA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPiV_SB-scM
Everyone seems to miss that ONLY the so called "IP industries" are allowed to eat their cake and have it to. they say 'Oh now, you didn't buy the disc, you bought a LICENSE to watch the content" but if you disc gets scratched or broken you're told "Oh now, you don't have a license, you had a physical copy you now must replace!"
That would be like my dad selling houses with a LICENSE to actually be in the home, but of course that license is non transferable! nobody else can get away with this bull, its time to pull the plug on this sham.
"JustMe" who also goes by "Me" has made it a little to obvious that he's a paid lackey for the Media Industry.
I think it's time to apply the penalties that the MPAA/RIAA so greedily demand: Make his posts disappear.
Make him disappear, as far as Inq is concerned.
I'm with you - they should be allowed to milk unsuspecting consumers with 20 different special editions which you HAVE to buy only to satisfy some crazy completist gene.
But what else to do?! I mean, you can't make them give you a once-in-a-lifetime content license, and making the, give you a copy of everything just isn't practical. I'm afraid I can see the Joneses disappearing into the distance, one just cannot keep up....
Have you condsidered professional help for your personal issues? Seriously. No offense intended you have many issues in case you aren't aware.
As far as the entertainment industry is concerned, they own you nothing. You are "entitled" to only what you are willing to pay for in this life. No one owes you anything.
Copyright laws are intended to protect artistic works. Those laws are not going to change. Get use to it.
I have given 90% of my DVD collection to the charity shop. I haven't bothered with Blu-ray. Just not interested enough any more. The quality content isn't there to justify it. We used to go to the cinema about 20 times a year. Now it's maybe once. Too expensive and again the quality is poor.
Instead we now rent our DVDs from the local public library for £2. They get all the latest releases and have a large collection of older titles too. Simple and cheap.
I'll always keep my CDs but movies just aren't worth collecting. Be honest how much of your movie library has been watched more then once?
Get rid of it. Trust me you won't miss it as much as you think.
Couldn't have said it better!