NBC claims internet piracy is hurting America’s corn farmers! What the…?!

[ChoralScholar]

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=12259

Thanks to NBC, we now know who would be most endangered by a free and open Internet – our nation’s corn farmers.

If that argument seems a bit illogical, here’s the reasoning. In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission calling for far more regulation of the Internet than even the most vociferous advocate of Net Neutrality, NBC Universal (the combo network and studio) painted a picture of an Internet overflowing with evil peer-to-peer traffic carrying pirated movies that lead to losses of money and jobs in the movie industry.

Now the money shot: “Because of our nation’s interlocking economy, two-thirds of the lost earnings and lost jobs are in industries other than motion picture production. For example, in the absence of movie piracy, video retailers would sell and rent more titles. Movie theatres would sell more tickets and popcorn. Corn growers would earn greater profits and buy more farm equipment.”

</snip>

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=12259

[Donnachaidh]

1. oh PLEASE show me where I can download popcorn?

pretty please! :wow:

[elvisbear]

6. Popcorn v1.76 from softpedia.com...

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Internet/E-mail/E-mail-Clients/Popcorn.shtml

:)

[Donnachaidh]

8. ahh poop -- it doesn't take attachments

How am I ever going to get my pirated movies? :rofl:

[acmavm]

2. These people are truly desperate and insane. But that won't

stop them from getting their way.

In fact, after the past few years and what's happened, that's probably a plus for 'em.

[bryant69]

3. I admit that is tenuous

On the other hand I'm pretty sure I'm against thievery.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ChoralScholar]

5. Well, I am too...

but I'm also in favor of just telling the truth, rather than creating spurious connections that amount to 'just making up shit'.

[hobbit709]

4. I only have to say

:wtf: :banghead:

[hootinholler]

7. Because everyone knows that you can't eat popcorn when you watch a pirated movie.

:popcorn:

-Hoot

[ChoralScholar]

9. This corn farmer says:

[enki23]

10. right. because the us farm economy is driven by... popcorn production.

oh my fucking lord. that's just the beginning of what's wrong with that retarded rube-goldberg bullshit.

[Yavin4]

11. Less Popcorn Sold? Good.

That's one of the reasons why we're so fat as a nation.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. For all the energy it takes to invent such nonsense

You'd think that they could develop actual business models that actually work in digital economies.

The problem is fairly simple: if you hold to the old intellectual property regime, you must institute outrageous controls to keep digital content as property OR let go of the notion of property altogether. There are three solutions, therefore:

1) Institute outrageous controls (DMCA and other stupidities)
2) Give up the notion of property (Full destructuring, cyber-communists, "pirates," etc.)
3) Reinvent a new notion of intellectual property/ community value that would apply more readily to digital content (GNU GPL, F/OSS, Creative Commons, etc.)

The MPAA and RIAA are committed to choice #1. Sane people are committed to choice #3. Those pursuing choice #2, while derided and hated the world over (by capitalists and other mystified property fanatics, like artists who throw in with the strong protectionist squad in the deluded belief that this leads to more creative freedom), actually serve to push the process forward. Unfortunately, of course, those pursuing Choice #1 have the power, money, and ideological clout to make our information lives miserable for quite some time, even if they really have no future.

[depakid]

18. You can't talk sanity or sound economics

to people who buy into the "thievery" paradigm. By in large, they're not sophisticated enough to understand that expansive and abusive intellectual property laws actually impede artistic creativity AND cost companies profits due to lack of exposure to the general public.

For instance, I've seen several economic analyses that demonstrate that music sampling and sharing either don't have much effect- or actually increase sales of music, and my bet would be that the same thing applies to videos as well.

And don't even get me started on the academic publishing parasites.

[alcibiades_mystery]

22. No, you can't

You can only construct other systems and economies that develop outside their range of influence, like the Creative Commons or the GNU GPL. The strategy is not rhetorical engagement, but rhetorical and conceptual creation elsewhere (with a healthy dose of activism thrown in, of course, if only to maintain some consistency in the new spaces; i.e., resisting those who challenge the legitimacy of the GPL under the copyright code, etc.).

The projected "losses" imagined by the strong protectionists always operate under the most delusional assumptions, even if we buy reductive rational choice theoretical models (like everyone who illegally downloads a film would have otherwise purchased it, an assumption that would be challenged by any micro-economics freshman worth his or her salt, and many who are in the C range, to boot).

[ChoralScholar]

23. Yeah, I addressed that downthread too.

It's not necessarily a direct correlation is it?

[walldude]

13. Oh yeah the movie industry is hurting

:eyes:

300- $200 million
Pirates 3- $300 million
Shrek 3- $300 million
Spiderman 3- $350 million
Oceans 13- $100 million
Rise OF The Silver Surfer- $100 million and counting
Knocked Up- $100 million and counting

Gee and all they have left is Die Hard 4, Harry Potter and Transformers.. yeah Hollywood is taking a giant hit this year :eyes:

[IChing]

16. Yet you fail to record the popcorn sales at the theaters

which is what really drives the movie business........: :evilgrin:

[ChoralScholar]

17. The whole issue is based on a possibly-flawed assumption

that the movie pirate would have paid money to see it in a theatre.

100 movies downloaded doesn't necessarily mean 100 lost box-office admissions.

Not to mention, not everyone eats popcorn.

Also, not to mention, that raw popping corn is about the cheapest fucking thing on the planet to make - so the farmers can't be getting all that much money. Most of it goes in the theater owners pockets.

It's not really a 1-for-1-for-1 correlation.








ON EDIT: Sentences make more sense when nouns are used.

[depakid]

14. Another poster child for media divestment and re-regulation

The corporate media has gone so far over the top as to be Kafkaesque.

[ChoralScholar]

15. For sure.

I like the word you used, by the way. (Kafkaesque)

It reminds me of back when we used to call KFC 'koof-ka'.

"Hey, you wanna stop and get some 'koof-ka'?"
"Sure!!!"

[tired_old_fireman]

19. It's the new six degrees of Kevin Bacon.

See if you can find six or less steps to connect an activity to hurting corn farmers.

Here's one -- gay marriage.

The men or women will want to look good in their wedding photos.
They will diet and consume less high fructose corn syrup.
It will hurt the corn farmers.

Anyone else?

[ChoralScholar]

20. Universal healthcare

People have better health coverage than ever before, causing them to be healthy

THEREBY

Allowing them to do more outdoor activities such as jogging and badminton

THEREBY

Leaving them less time to eat Cornbread, Hominy, and Grits

THEREBY

Selling Less Corn

THEREBY

Hurting the Corn Farmers.

[tired_old_fireman]

34. Excellent shout out to Hominy.

[Edweird]

21. If their movies didn't suck so bad, maybe they would make more money.

[Uncle Joe]

24. On the other hand,

should we watch movies on the Internet or just at home for that matter, we can afford a hell of lot more popcorn than what they sell at the theater. The last time I went to a theater was to see "An Inconvenient Truth" and the bank wouldn't approve my loan to purchase popcorn at the theater so I had to do without.:cry:

[ChoralScholar]

26. I know what you mean...

I went to the Rave Theater in Little Rock to see the ATHF movie with a friend. A large popcorn and coke was like 11.00. That's absurd.

About ATHF - I like the show a lot - but the movie was 120 minutes of just random shit.

[Uncle Joe]

27. ATHF?

:shrug:

[ChoralScholar]

28. Aqua Teen Hunger Force

ON EDIT: Mein Gott!! That other graphic was HUGH!!!111!

[Uncle Joe]

31. Thanks ChoralScholar

peace to you.:hi:

[Fleshdancer]

25. If the motion picture industry would stop making crap movies, then I would go see them or

I would rent them. When movie sales are down in the theaters, what makes anyone think video retailers will have more success several months later? What are my options really? I can go to blockbuster and what do I see? Half of the movies are gross horror flicks that I have no interest in watching. I could see Eddie Murphy in drag as an obese woman but why would I want to? Then again, why would John Travolta in drag make Hairspray any more interesting?? The romantic comedies all have the same plot, the action movies all have the same plot, and the decent movies have already been watched. I don't need to pirate anything to be bored quickly by what the industry is producing.

I'll watch Sicko in a few days and Harry Potter next month but everything else just looks boring to me. I don't care about comedians building arks, cars transforming into robots, or musical movies made over for no reason. The industry needs to stop blaming consumers for not wanting to see bad films. As for the corn growers, I don't eat the nasty theater pop corn anyway so continue to blame me all you want.

[KamaAina]

29. Shouldn't that read "porn" farmers?

One look at your spam/"bulk" inbox will tell you there's a helluva lot more porn than corn out there on the tubes! :P

[ChoralScholar]

30. hehe...

It's been a while since Preposterously D. Banjoes has sent me any e-mails about 'Doll Faced Amateurs' who are 'so young am shoking!'

[annabanana]

32. Is THIS how Net Neutrality will be attacked?

It reminds me of police departments (who are not allowed to strike) OVER-enforcing the laws and clogging up the whole system just as badly as if they HAD walked out...

[Feron]

33. Why do squirrels hate America..

I buy corn to feed the backyard squirrels and I noticed today that there are three cornstalks growing in the way back with a small ear on one of them. Sadly that is probably illegal even though I didn't plant the dumb things (which is another example of ridiculous piracy laws).

I hate going to the movies and never buy concessions there. Why pay money to hear someone yak on their cellphone, step in something sticky,etc. ?! Furthermore, I hate renting from a B&M store as well. The selection usually sucks.

If you want to avoid piracy then offer services like Netflix and online movies on demand. Offering TV shows online was a positive first step. Getting rid of DRM and DVD regions would be another one.

Treating your customers like criminals isn't a great way to build a positive relationship. Not to mention that many people just don't have the disposable income to buy entertainment in bulk like everyone did in 1999-2000.

DVDs really shouldn't be any more than 9.99 unless it is something like a documentary. CDs are awfully overpriced as well. The lower the price=recouping the money and making a profit through more sales.

But the *AAs would much rather stagnate and sue their customers.

[Canuckistanian]

35. More propaganda from the powerful popcorn lobby

Little-known fact - microwave popcorn was invented in a CIA laboratory and distributed on the black market to all the towns with no movie theaters.

They've got us all hooked now.

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[porphyrian]

36. Stop giving your valuable attention to the corporate media.

They're full of shit and entirely irrelevant.