Certainly if the MPAA keeps throwing numbers around about how much camcording is actually done in Canada, they’re bound to get it right eventually. Only thing is, they wouldn’t know it and most people wouldn’t really believe it anyway - they’ve been crying ‘wolf’ for too long now.

It shows how much research the MPAA has actually done. Most private bittorrent trackers recommend going and seeing certain movies in the cinema because a CAM quality release is not going to do justice to a release. Anyone who’s ever watched one knows the typical problems - faded colours, un-synced audio, people moving in the frame. Sure, now releasers have HD cameras, direct digital audio lines and access to preview screenings so some of those issues are slowly going away.

People ask me why I think piracy is OK. I don’t think stealing is OK. I don’t think deception is OK. I do, however, believe in rewarding those that indeed deserve it. Are the movie cartels now trying to dupe consumers into watching movies they hate? I’ve come across enough flicks that had their best moments squished together in a 45 second trailer. I’ve seen movies that were set for box-office failure by their advertisers yet became cult classics. I look upon a pirated release as an extended preview. Everybody I know still likes the little bonuses that come with a collector’s edition DVD. I think failing to realize this very issue is what might drive some online video stores à la iTunes into the ground: pricing should not be such that it has ownership in mind, but more of an advertising-and-service charge. I will not spend $10 or $15 or $20 for a movie I don’t know if I will like; I would throw $5 or so and then go out and get the DVD if it’s worth it. Yes, there is such a thing as artistic worth, and I think the MPAA might have forgotten what is, exactly, that they’re supposed to be taking our money for.