MPAA study overstated losses from colleges by 3-15 times as much

[SirFozzie]

Very very convenient for it to be "human error" now that the MPAA has used this study for two years to try to swing the hammer at colleges across America (like the bill in front of the House of Representatives). Yeah, I'd consider saying "Whoops, we over stated our losses by at least 3 times as much". to be "human error"

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j33CBI8sUdc5ni7RlxSj5SIEc2mwD8UB6S0O2

Hollywood laid much of the blame for illegal movie downloading on college students. Now, it says its math was wrong.

In a 2005 study it commissioned, the Motion Picture Association of America claimed that 44 percent of the industry's domestic losses came from illegal downloading of movies by college students, who often have access to high-bandwidth networks on campus.

The MPAA has used the study to pressure colleges to take tougher steps to prevent illegal file-sharing and to back legislation currently before the House of Representatives that would force them to do so.

But now the MPAA, which represents the U.S. motion picture industry, has told education groups a "human error" in that survey caused it to get the number wrong. It now blames college students for about 15 percent of revenue loss.

The MPAA says that's still significant, and justifies a major effort by colleges and universities to crack down on illegal file-sharing. But Mark Luker, vice president of campus IT group Educause, says it doesn't account for the fact that more than 80 percent of college students live off campus and aren't necessarily using college networks. He says 3 percent is a more reasonable estimate for the percentage of revenue that might be at stake on campus networks.

[JonInMiddleGA]

And yet it's still theft on a large scale, and those who engage in it are still nothing more than common criminals.

[RendeR]

Just more and more evidence to support the fact that the industries are putting out far more utter shit products and trying to blame everyone else for their diminishing profits.

#1 Right or wrong, they will never, I repeat NEVER eliminate piracy in any form

#2 Both the music and movie industries have been shown factual data that actually shows illegal downloading makes them money, but instead of taking that consept and running with it to find ways to be MORE profitable, they waste billions fighting ghosts that they can never catch or stop.

#3 like most ego-tistical overinflated windbags, they are so sure they're right that they refuse to even consider that they're actually full of shit.


I really hate the industries for both genres and wish they'd be shredded and started over by people with a fracking clue.

[RendeR]

And yet it's still theft on a large scale, and those who engage in it are still nothing more than common criminals.

Yes it is but there are facts that support the position that even though it is theft it is actually beneficial to them. You would think that they might see the benefit of not wasting the rediculous amounts they do trying to limit peoples access to information and focus more on finding ways to profit from the file sharing systems.

Nothing is ever black and white jon, no matter how narrowminded you might be.

[JonInMiddleGA]

fighting ghosts that they can never catch or stop

You can never eliminate all of any crime but that doesn't mean you stop trying.
Or would you prefer that the cops just ignore it when your house is broken into on a daily basis & your property is stolen? "Oh, we're sorry Mr. Render, but since we can't catch all of them we're not going to bother to try".

More stringent enforcement & punishment with some real teeth are a couple of options that need to be exercised.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Most things ultimately do come down to black and white, no matter how ethically bankrupt you might be.

Fixed that for you.

[Flasch186]

You can never eliminate all of any crime but that doesn't mean you stop trying.
Or would you prefer that the cops just ignore it when your house is broken into on a daily basis & your property is stolen? "Oh, we're sorry Mr. Render, but since we can't catch all of them we're not going to bother to try".

More stringent enforcement & punishment with some real teeth are a couple of options that need to be exercised.

Like parking in the street illegally. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

im kidding

[Pumpy Tudors]

ok so after this breaking news, does that mean it is ok to download these movies now or what

[SirFozzie]

ok so after this breaking news, does that mean it is ok to download these movies now or what


Gotta make up the MPAA's #'s somehow... ;)

[wade moore]

Yes it is but there are facts that support the position that even though it is theft it is actually beneficial to them. You would think that they might see the benefit of not wasting the rediculous amounts they do trying to limit peoples access to information and focus more on finding ways to profit from the file sharing systems.

Nothing is ever black and white jon, no matter how narrowminded you might be.


Do you have any links to these facts/data? I've heard pirates try to make this argument before, but I've never actually seen data to back it up.

FWIW, I'm basically in total agreement with Jon here. That being said, I would be interested in seeing this data if there really is data to back the theory up.

[Vinatieri for Prez]

And yet it's still theft on a large scale, and those who engage in it are still nothing more than common criminals.

I guess that makes the RIAA criminals too:

Take note of the NY AG lawsuit from a few years ago where the RIAA was found liable for failing to pay millions in royalties to musicians from licenses (they settled for paying $50 million after claiming they couldn't locate artists like P.Diddy, David Bowie, and Dolly Parton to give them royalty checks - yeah right). Of course, it was the smaller artists who really need the money who would get hurt most. It was when that happened that I lost all sympathy for the RIAA and stopped listening to anything they had to say.

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=25247&highlight=riaa

The "faulty math" by the MPAA is just another example of why they get no sympathy either. They stood on the mountain top and proclaimed the evil of the college student. But wait, that was a lie. Oh, I mean a math error.

[k0ruptr]

the only movie I ever regretted downloading was the Punisher, and thats only cause Flasch didn't get his royalty check :D

[Flasch186]

the only movie I ever regretted downloading was the Punisher, and thats only cause Flasch didn't get his royalty check :D

BASTARD!!!

[watravaler]

You're all common criminals, in my mind at least...

[gstelmack]

You're all common criminals, in my mind at least...

"I am an EXCEPTIONAL thief".

(Well, not me, but the quote seemed appropriate)

[Fighter of Foo]

And yet it's still theft on a large scale, and those who engage in it are still nothing more than common criminals.

Go take your self-righteousness someplace else.

[Surtt]

I wish they would just tax everyone an extra couple of dollars a month for internet access and be done with it.

I would gladly pay it (even though I do not download any music or movies) just to not have my OS crippled with DRM.

[Shkspr]

I wish they would just tax everyone an extra couple of dollars a month for internet access and be done with it.


Don't charge me money to subsizide someone else's theft.

[k0ruptr]

I wish they would just tax everyone an extra couple of dollars a month for internet access and be done with it.

I would gladly pay it (even though I do not download any music or movies) just to not have my OS crippled with DRM.

a couple a dollars? I know people that download at least 3 movies a day, that would be a lot more then a couple a dollars lost right? what if they charged an extra 100 bucks a month for the net. would it still be worth it?

[Northwood_DK]

You would think that they might see the benefit of not wasting the rediculous amounts they do trying to limit peoples access to information and focus more on finding ways to profit from the file sharing systems.


Trying to stop people from downloading music and films illegally can hardly be seen as limiting people’s access to information.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I feel like an idiot for not even knowing how to download music, movies, or games illegally. I'd be afraid of getting fake files or viruses or something. Ah, well. Ignorance is bliss.

[Ksyrup]

I feel like an idiot for not even knowing how to download music, movies, or games illegally. I'd be afraid of getting fake files or viruses or something. Ah, well. Ignorance is bliss.

Most of what I see is just a technologically advanced form of tape trading. It's uploading albums to file sharing services and sharing them with friends, or more broadly, certain online communities. Everyone knows and trusts each other. And if someone's looking for something you don't have but you find, you simply warn people that the link you've provided is not your burn/upload.

I realize I'm in the minority since I don't abuse the system, but the music industry has made thousands of dollars off of me that they wouldn't have seen if I did not have access to the music I've heard thanks to file sharing. For me, it's simply "try before you buy." And listening to a few bad quality songs on myspace, or low-quality streaming of entire albums, is not sufficient for me. I need to live with it for a few days, listen to it in the appropriate ways (car and/or MP3 player), and then make a decision on whether to buy it or trash it. Works for me.