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Monday, February 21, 2011

Bmag Feb 22nd 2011 - TV/movie piracy

It looked like I was about to do a bad bad thing. Not that I was. But it looked like it. Then a 10-year-old saved me! And, at the same time, gave me an idea that might just put a big dent in TV and movie piracy.

My light-bulb moment occurred whilst driving son Jack and his school-friend Cameron into the city for a boys’ day out. With Jack in the passenger seat and Cameron in the back, my phone rang. I was passing it to Jack so he could speak with his mum when Cameron started chanting “pull over, pull over, pull over!”

Parents, you know what it’s like when someone else’s child is with you. You don’t want any tales told when they get home. You’re always on best behaviour. So, despite the fact I wasn’t on the phone – Jack was – I pulled over. And it started me thinking.

Children clearly have the power to influence through shame. We know they teach us about the environment – I don’t know about your place, but Jack’s always switching off appliances at the wall – to the point where I’ve given up re-setting all the clocks every day! And there have been some killer antismoking campaigns featuring children and their dying parents. So, what’s the next parental policing job we can give our children? How about the very-now, hidden-in-the-home crime of internet piracy?

Before I go on, I know why people illegally download television shows. Mainly it comes down to the tardiness of the Australian networks when it comes to showing new overseas shows. For example, Channel Ten made Glee fans wait until this month to see last year’s Christmas special. And many Little Britain fans have already downloaded the new Matt Lucas/David Walliamson series Come Fly With Me which concluded in Britain at the end of January. The same goes for the new Matt LeBlanc series Episodes which Brisbane downloaders have just finished watching.

Local TV blogger molkstvtalk.com even has Best Show Not On Australian TV as a category in his inaugural Molky Awards 2011.

As I see it, movie piracy is much harder for anyone to justify. Pirated TV shows have at least aired somewhere in the world. It’s no different to asking an overseas friend to tape an episode and mail it to you. But it does hurt the television industry, denied money from advertisers. Money that would be pumped into future productions. Feel free to email me explaining why you download movies (see below). I’m keen to better understand people’s reasons.

For now, though, I’m putting TV and movie piracy in the one basket, and have come up with a TV commercial to stop it. The ad comprises a simple conversation between a man and his son but it contains key lines which no TV or movie pirate wants to have chanted back at them! Imagine what would happen if this appeared during children’s viewing time.

DAD: Simon, we can watch the latest episode of Survivor tonight
BOY: Do we have it?
DAD: Almost. 15 per cent to go. Should be ready in about 20 minutes.
BOY: Dad, where do you find Survivor on the internet?
DAD: Just people…
BOY: Is it legal?
DAD: Well…
BOY: Dad, are you breaking the law?
DAD: …
BOY: Dad, I don’t want you to go to jail. Let’s wait until it’s on TV.

Of course, there is another cheaper, easier way to stop piracy. Australian TV stations can start screening programs within a day of them being shown overseas, as ABC1 did with the 2010 Dr Who Christmas Day episode.

Finally, thank you to everyone who has contacted me about the Secrets of Brisbane book I’m compiling.

bmag reader Jenny S. has sent me two crackers – the second “t” in Turbot Street is not silent, and don’t be too surprised if an entire house is moved from your street in the middle of night!

And I’m not sure how long this one will stay now it’s been revealed, but Evan shares this secret: “When using a Go Card, if you travel somewhere and, within an hour after touching off, you get back on the bus/train/ferry to go home, the return trip is free. Translink’s transfer rules don’t seem to recognise a change in the direction of travel.” Love it!

My ABC colleague “Whistling” Warren Boland also adds this one – stand outside Lang Park when there are major concerts on. You might not hear every word but you still feel like you were there! I must confess to doing exactly that when Robbie Williams played in 2006! Keep them coming. If I use your secret, you’ll get a special acknowledgement in the book, to be launched on 25 March.

1 comment:

  1. I think people only download what they can justify to themselves. But they're very good at justification. I never feel bad about downloading shows from the ABC because I pay for that content in my taxes. If it's a show on a commercial station then it gets messy.

    But then, I'm constantly exposed to the same advertising in the form of billboards and posters. I don't benefit from those. I'm sure it all evens out (How's that for some tortured justification?)

    I downloaded a single movie recently for the first time simply because I couldn't find where to rent it from. I really liked the sound of it and wanted to order the DVD but if it sucks then I'll be very disappointed. It's too much of a risk, so a download it was. If it's not awful I'll purchase the disk to get the extras.

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