Download Movies

Is It Illegal to Download Movies?

The answer to the above question would seem to be a resounding "duh," but the truth is that there are some gray areas when it comes to those who download movies and some occasions when it is actually permissible to do so. A film that has passed into public domain (most of these are the same ones you can buy at the local Sav-On for 99 cents on DVD) may be a legal download, and any download movie which has been permitted by the copyright owner (the content at Atom Films is a good example) is obviously perfectly legal. Of course, no one who uses Morpheus or Warez to download movies is looking for the 1954 version of And Then There Were None. If you're downloading flicks that have yet to make it to DVD and are still being shown at the multiplex, you're probably breaking the law.

Why Is It a Big Deal to Download Movies?

Part of the reason why intellectual property such as music, movies, and even software has become such a ripe target for internet piracy is the costs associated with these forms of entertainment or (in the case of most software) tools. The movie industry is seen as the domain of the wealthy, so people don't feel it's such a big deal to steal from the rich and give to themselves while munching on microwave popcorn. "Universal isn't going to go broke if I download movies," is the common rationalization. And it's not a particularly bad one in the eyes of many people. Have you ever gone to the theater, paid your eight bucks, and walked out ninety minutes later feeling like you were just royally screwed without even being taken to dinner and, ironically, a movie first? Of course you have. Everyone has. That's the thing about movies, you are gambling on the outcome every time. After being burned enough times by crap like Episode One, who wouldn't want to get back at George Lucas now and again?

The truth is that the illegal downloading of movies is more detrimental to the motion picture industry than many may imagine. It is impossible to say just how much the pirating of movies costs the industry as a whole, but the estimates are in the billions. For an industry which is already in financial trouble due to its competition (TV, cable, and video games have all taken a bite out of the movie industry's slice of the pie), this is a major blow. Still, when the loss means Bruce Willis may have to buy a Bentley instead of a Rolls Royce next year, it's hard for the kid who works at Taco Bell to really sympathize.

What Movies Are Downloaded?

It really is amazing how quickly some movies become available for download at various locations on the internet. In 2005 the biggest movie in terms of box office gross was Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. On opening day, people lined up hours in advance of showtimes to be among the first to see the final Star Wars movie ever made. What they may not have known is that thousands of others had already watched it from the privacy of their own homes, thanks to a downloadable version which was circling the file sharing groups almost a month before the movie came out.

The very fact that Star Wars did as well as it did even after it was leaked on the internet stands as an argument that illegal download movies really don't hurt the industry all that much. Whether that is the case or not may remain to be seen, but it doesn't change the fact that illegal downloading is still a crime. If the moral arguments won't deter a person from doing it, perhaps the civil and legal ramifications will. Those caught illegally downloading movies stand to face a prison term and a stiff fine. If you think ticket prices are too high, consider that next time you hit the "download" button. And if you're illegally downloading The Dukes of Hazard, you're not a criminal; you're a moron.