Don't Steal Movies!

David Card | August 28, 2005, 11:00 AM

The Times mouths 2,950 words on movie piracy.

"It's hard to say exactly what amount of money is involved, but it's huge," said Bob Wright, chairman and chief executive of NBC Universal, the parent company of Universal Pictures and a division of General Electric. "There is a very dark, black cloud in this game. It's not in the hands of kids who live next door to you; it's organized groups and organized crime."

But three quarters of the story's all about warez (pronounced "wares," says the Times, helpfully, by those who have online "nics" or nicknames) file-sharing, and goofs in theaters with videocams.

Geek sensei Peter Jackson chimes in:

"Piracy has the very real potential of tipping movies into becoming an unprofitable industry, especially big-event films. If that happens, they will stop being made," said Mr. Jackson in an e-mail message from New Zealand, where he is putting the final touches on his version of "King Kong." "No studio is going to finance a film if the point is reached where their possible profit margin goes straight into criminals' pockets."

Gotta hand it to the MPAA, if the RIAA had press coverage like this early enough, people wouldn't hate the labels for suing their customers.