Film piracy: the case for

Update: 15.11.11. Madman Films has just told me via Twitter that Snowtown will be available to rent on iTunes on November 20 (ie five days time). 


Tonight I decided to watch Justin Kurzel's Snowtown. I was  overseas when it came out earlier this year and I've been waiting for it to be released on DVD so I could rent it on iTunes. Quaint, I know; most people would just watch via torrent these days, but I've always been reluctant to "pirate".

So off I went to iTunes to download only to find the film is not available for rent. Only for sale, at $24.99.

What?!

OK,  film industry, give me one good reason, apart the threat of legal action, why I shouldn't 'pirate' a copy, given the distributor is clearly unable to meet my interest in accessing a copy legally? Whatever happened to "consumer is king"?

Why have you been unable or unwilling to make it possible for  film lovers to access films in the medium they want to watch them in, at the time they want to watch them, when the technology makes this possible and has completely revolutionised consumer expectations and your old business model and modes of distribution are falling away?

When will you wake up to the fact there has been a paradigm shift and that by standing in the sea, Canute-like, trying to hold back the tide by legal fiat, you are not only failing but making yourselves look incompetent?

I've been invited to come along to the following session at the SPAA ( Screen Producers Association of Australia) annual conference to speak from the floor. Should be interesting:
 
Tuesday 15th November, 11.15am 12.30pm 

Your Underground Audience
360
Level 2 Meeting Room 4, Sydney Hilton.

"It has been said that one way to determine whether your piece of content has a chance of achieving greatness is how many people want to steal it.

"Piracy represents hefty illegal profits for some perpetrators, a free ride for others, many of whom are the biggest fans of that content. With only some of the revenue going back to where it should, the back-handed compliment of piracy is propelling independent filmmakers to search for better ways to mitigate the risks of their content being stolen. Join industry mavens and mavericks at the cutting edge of technology, policy, legislation and law enforcement to review current research and debate this crucial issue."

Moderator Lori Flekser - Managing Director, Motion Picture Distributors Association of Australia
Speakers:
Neil Gane - Executive Director, Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft
Mark Lazarus - Producer, The Loved Ones. Investment Manager, Drama, Screen Australia
Anton Andreacchio - Director, Convergen
Joel Pearlman – Managing Director, Roadshow Films