Who Wants to be a Superhero?
p2pnet.net news feature:- The big question the media is asking these days is, Who Wants to be a Superhero? Bah! Forget that. Stan Lee is washed up. Fake and fixed reality shows are so 90`s.
But Who wants to own a copy of an un-aired pilot of the canceled-before-airing CW superhero series Aquaman, and watch it on any compatible player?
As p2pnet reported earlier this week, Warner signed a super deal with iTunes to sell DRM-infected copies of the failed Aquaman series pilot at US$2 a pop (as well as episodes of other best-forgotten classic TV series) to the unwashed masses, which can only be played on the microscopic screen of an iPod or on a PC with official iTunes software.
Within 48 hours of the announcement on Yahoo! not only was an industry-insider screener available on most p2p networks, in the popular XviD .avi format, the iTunes version, stripped of its cumbersome and ridiculous DRM, and converted to .wmv, was making its way through cyberspace.
No doubt at the same time there were plenty of paying customers for the legal version, enough for Warner and Apple to exclaim that legal DRM-infested downloads are breaking new ground, gaining momentum, and elimination free p2p.
In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Sure, there might have been a sudden upsurge in paying customers for the iTunes version when the agreement was announced, due only to the coincidental timing of the release of the big screen Aquaman movie.
The use of so-called copyright protection technology in audio and video files, besides being something to avoid at all costs; besides being un-American and un-patriotic; besides taking away a person`s right to do what they wish with legally purchased product (whether to share it or play it on any compatible player or computer); besides all the obvious, it`s becoming extremely easier and easier to get around it. Legally.
There are several legal programs that will strip DRM from iTunes or any other infected media file, and convert it to more user-friendly formats, such as .wmv, as the iTunes version mentioned here has had done to it.
At the time of writing, tens of thousands of people have downloaded both the .avi screener version which can be played on any computer or standalone dvd player with the open source XviD codec installed, as well as the .wmv converted iTunes version (without DRM) from free p2p networks around the globe.
The widespread availability of the industry-insider screener of Aquaman shows that filesharers aren`t the pirates. It`s the people in the industry who are doing the pirating. If money is lost because a screener is available for free, it`s not the fault of filesharers. It`s the fault and responsibility of the entertainment cartels. Who`s gonna refuse something for free?
For the past few years there have been more and more TV and movie screeners available in free p2p networks. Where do they come from? The people who work in production and post-production are the only ones who have access to unreleased product. Filesharers wouldn`t mind if there weren`t any screeners or pre-releases of audio or video to be had in free p2p networks, because there`s no shortage of other desirable content to download. They really couldn`t care less. Movie and TV screeners are just an added bonus.
But screeners do have a useful purpose. As with all media downloaded through free p2p networks, screeners help the individual decide if something is worth paying for, or whether it`s worth the time to watch it on TV (if it airs at all). More than cartel-produced trailers hyped-up by marketing agencies, free p2p is the best and most useful tool for consumers to have in order to make wise choices and budget their time and finances. The days when you can get your money back at a cinema because a film was crap are pretty much long gone.
But times change. And so too must the entertainment industry. If they really want to stop pre-releases and screeners from showing up in p2p networks, they need to clean house from top to bottom.
This includes drastic changes in upper and middle management, employing younger, computer-savvy, 21st century-thinking executives who understand the needs and desires of their employers the consumer.
They need to change their business models in order to fit in and compete in cyberspace. Although they`ll never, ever stop free p2p or black market car boot sales, they might have a fighting chance if they start to give people what they want without DRM, in the formats and quality they want, and at a reasonable price.
They need to take more care and employ stricter controls, checks and balances, on who has access to screeners and pre-releases. Post-production staff and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members are the most prolific pirates in the entertainment industry. These are the industry insiders directors, producers, actors, and technicians who are given (or steal) screeners or Oscar-nominated evaluation copies of videos and share them in p2p networks.
The most important thing the entertainment industry needs to do is listen to, and learn from, what the consumer is telling them:
What do we want?
Free p2p – or at a fair price in the format of our choice – without DRM!
When do we want it?
Now!
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July 29th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
i knew someone would make a comment like that.
i said “more user-friendly” – NOT specifically, or completely “user-friendly” – but when compared to what itunes is offering, it is more user-friendly, as i said.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:50 am
“Post-production staff and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members are the most prolific pirates in the entertainment industry. These are the industry insiders â directors, producers, actors, and technicians â who are given (or steal) screeners or Oscar-nominated evaluation copies of videos and share them in p2p networks.”
I’ve heard that the sons/daughters of academy members have been known to copy screeners behind their parents backs, a little more tricky now as you can only play a lot of them with the Cinea player. Just have to borrow the player when dad’s not looking and plug it into a video capture card I suppose. Hopefully they’ll bring out an HDTV ready Cinea player (with digital out of course)