http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Or better yet, make them affordable enough so they don't have to travel across the border and exploit our national and subsidized healthcare plan.
]]>May 9th 2007 1:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 9th 2007 2:16PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Let's think about this. if you don't let people who PAID for the movie to see it, where are those people going to turn to? hmmmm..

way to PUSH people toward piracy, MPAA]]>May 8th 2007 4:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/

I think you missed the point there. These are advanced screenings. So when someone steals the movie from there, they're able to make the movie available on the street (for a price) before it's available to the public at large in the theatre or on DVD. There's great value to the initial release, and these theives are taking that value from WB.

WB didn't say they were pulling movies from general wide release in Canada, only the advance screenings.

This will hurt the career pirates, not people who backup their DVD's or download occasionally from bittorrent.]]>May 8th 2007 5:05PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
If you've never bought a DVD off the street with an official looking case, try it some time. It'll be a camcorder version filmed from the projector booth. You'll hear the film in the projector, and someone will probably say "eh." sometime during the film.]]>May 8th 2007 4:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:09PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:10PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/all i can say is that this will only effect the timeline of rogue movie releases by a couple of days. It will remove the avaliability of crappy cam recordings and we will go straight to the dvd quality releases leaked from insiders. The result will actually be increasing the quality and reliability of pirated movies, possibly bringing more people to them.]]>May 8th 2007 5:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Sincerely,
RIAA President]]>May 8th 2007 5:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 10:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Why don't they stop the advanced screenings in the USA, aswell? I can't imagine the difference between the two nations to be that drastic.]]>May 9th 2007 1:07AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
It's like stopping the drug trade from entering into the US from Columbia. It ain't gonna happen. It's like stopping all the illegal aliens from Mexico entering the US, it ain't gonna happen.]]>May 9th 2007 9:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
The monkeys are wearing suits now it seems.]]>May 8th 2007 5:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 5:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Nicely done.]]>May 8th 2007 6:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 6:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
WB isn't coercing anyone. Dude, if I was trying to do business in a certain country and felt that I was getting ripped off, I'd leave too. Coercion involves some sort of force. If they were withholding Canada's food source or something, that would count as coercion. But movies are merely entertainment, not a necessity.]]>May 8th 2007 7:17PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 9:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
I think these RIAA guys are totally nuts for thinking that pirating in movie theatres is going on to any extent in Canada.]]>May 8th 2007 6:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
I *have* seen the "no cameras" signs outside theatres, as well as the "you wouldn't steal a car, you wouldn't steal a purse, don't steal movies" commercials prior to the film coming on.]]>May 8th 2007 8:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 10th 2007 7:32AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Stupid move on Warner's part... Lame attempt to get the Canadian government to waste tax dollars on an unimportant issues.

The funny thing, I am part of the media and I've read a lot of press releases pertaining to people being arrested for selling and distributing pirated media... Now they're telling us the government isn't doing anything?]]>May 8th 2007 6:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 7:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/They've missed street dates several times at the retail level - oh wait! It must be because we pirate their stuff so much. Never mind.]]>May 8th 2007 7:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
If Spiderman's opening box office shows us anything, it's that people will go to the theater when there's someone showing that's of interest to them. The reason that box office is down in past years is because most of what is shown in theaters is a sequel or insulting to the audience's intelligence.

I use torrents, but I do it to see things that aren't available here. I still buy DVD's and go to the theater, but there are documentaries and shows from the UK that don't air because broadcasters don't think they'll get a huge audience. They want all or nothing. They're greedy and it's so bloody obvious to the consumer -- that's why their business models are failing.]]>May 8th 2007 7:14PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Coercing:
1 : to restrain or dominate by force
2 : to compel to an act or choice
3 : to achieve by force or threat

Coercion doesn't stop being coercion just because it's small scale or doesn't affect many people. I can blackmail one person and it's still coercion.

In this case, the WB is trying to get the Canadian Government to change its laws when the Canadian people have generally disagreed with that change. They're using this as a way to put pressure (ie: coercing) on the Canadian movie industry to put pressure on the government - not to mention the tacit threat that in the future, we may not get new movies at all.

As has been noted by many here - you can't stop piracy by cutting off the supply - you stop it by meeting the market demand in some way other than just telling people take what we give you or take a hike.

And also, as has been noted, copying a work for private use when there's no significant loss of value in the original work isn't illegal here - OR in the US (Title 17 Section 506 - go look it up), but SELLING or posting for mass distribution IS illegal here. The laws needed to tackle this problem already exists.

This is just a company having a temper tantrum because things aren't going completely the way they want it.

I'm less than impressed.

Then again, I'm also so sick of going to theatres and dealing with loud, obnoxious people kicking my chair and talking through movies that in truth, I couldn't care less if they get rid of the entire theatre concept and just sell us the DVD directly.

Oh wait - if they did THAT... then there would be far less reason or success in pirating movies!

What a concept.]]>May 9th 2007 4:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 7:18PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
You honestly think that? If a movie comes out on a Wednesday and I can download it on Thursday, how does this stop piracy of cam recordings?]]>May 8th 2007 7:40PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Get your act together MPAA - and quit picking on Canada. We didn't do anything. Get your butts over to malasia, china, south africa, russia, all those other places where people are SELLING bootlegs of your films and start bugging them.

Don't piss off us Canadians. We may not be able to fight back, but we'll keep all our funny comedians and then you will never laugh again - and we'll pull a monty python and make a killer joke.

I'm done now.]]>May 8th 2007 7:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
We are a rural country and thus makes it harder to get media. At this point it is easier to use bitorrent to get media. I myself have to travel at least a half hour to rent or buy a movie.]]>May 8th 2007 7:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/]]>May 8th 2007 7:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 8:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Infact, the number of movies I've seen in theatres has dropped dramatically with my home theatre getting really, really good. And with an online rental service (www.zip.ca), I don't buy many DVDs either...]]>May 8th 2007 8:57PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 10th 2007 1:57AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 9:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
Second, this is completely different than drugs. In Canada we pay fair prices for our drugs so that everyone who needs them, gets them. Second how many Canadian pirates are selling their goods to people in the States? ]]>May 8th 2007 9:12PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/-You signed in at the door with photo ID
-checked your cellphones
-(camera's were clearly banned)
-were wanded down for other recording devices
-took your seat, and were stared at during the entire movie by 2 night vision toting attendants

This my friends, is some serious moose poop.]]>May 8th 2007 9:54PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.thestar.com/article/178181 ... further contrary arguments are from Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Technology, at www.michaelgeist.ca ]]>May 8th 2007 10:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 8th 2007 11:56PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/
On a somewhat side note, pirating is sometimes necessary when you're in Quebec and want to see some French movie that's either not been released or costs $US30+ for the DVD.]]>May 9th 2007 12:51AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 9th 2007 1:03AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 9th 2007 6:36PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 12th 2007 3:20PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/Anyone who downloads movies recorded in a cinema is a moron in any case. Wait for the good shizzle, fo snizzle.]]>May 10th 2007 4:01AMhttp://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/08/warner-bros-ends-advance-screenings-in-canada-blames-piracy/May 11th 2007 12:55AM