Basic HTML Version
36 | FireFlyz
Techie
Does downloadingmovies and TV shows count as stealing? Andwhich shows are
the ones that theworld can’t resist? Read on for some things to think about next
time you hit ‘download’.
Modern Day Pirates
W
ho
can resist
the prospect
of watching
a br i l l i an t ,
n e w l y -
released film
in the comfort
of bed? Who wants to wait months for the
next episode of that top TV show when
you can get it – or perhaps the whole
series – the moment it has been made?
Downloading has become a worldwide
phenomenon, especially for TV shows
that prove addictive and are often aired at
different times – or not at all – in different
countries, so watchers feel compelled to
seek them via the Internet.
Want it now
We live in an age where we expect ev-
erything to be available immediately,
including the movies and TV shows we
love to watch in our spare time. We are
also likely to be surrounded by other
people routinely downloading films and
TV shows, so it is easy to lose touch with
the fact that downloading online is illegal
– it’s pirating, to give it the popular term.
Just as swashbuckling sea captains
would steal treasure, downloading is steal-
ing the treasure trove of entertainment and
denying those that work to write, direct,
produce and act in these shows the extra
profit your ticket sale or DVD purchase
would provide. Not so for TV shows, as
show creators are paid by the TV channel
that airs it, but whoever posted the show
online did so illegally, thus watching the
show makes you part of the conspiracy.
The ins and outs of illegal downloads
depend on the country in which you
are downloading. It is always a criminal
offence, but one that is very difficult to
police due to the vast numbers of people
doing it and the relatively small amount
of money being ‘stolen’ from the film/
showmakers each time. With so few
people being prosecuted for downloading,
there is little incentive for others to stop.
There is also a difference between
stealing something from a shop – the
owner cannot sell it, so you have lost