NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

[PhiberOpticks]

CE-Oh no he didn't, part XXXV: NBC sez piracy hurts 'corn growers'

from Engadget by Darren Murph
Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment
Although some may argue that piracy is (at least on some level) beneficial, it looks like NBC has taken that sentiment to the opposing extreme with its latest comments. In a purported filing with the FCC calling for enhanced regulation of the internet in an attempt to stifle evil P2P activity, NBC blurted out a string of text that it surely hoped would be overlooked. Alas, hardly any ridiculous claims go unseen these days, so now we're faced with this gem: "In the absence of movie piracy, video retailers would sell and rent more titles. Movie theaters would sell more tickets and popcorn. Corn growers would earn greater profits and buy more farm equipment." There's absolutely no need for us to pick apart the aforementioned quote, after all, we're fairly certain the absurdity shines right through on its own.

This is one of the more absurd things I have heard in my life.

[Feba]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

I think it's more absurd that piracy probably has had (a minor) a negative effect on the popcorn industry, since people base their diet habits on the stupidest crap.

The quote as a whole is about as silly as calling linux communist, though.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

While I get NBC's connection to popcorn and farming... corn is in everything, lobbiests even work hard to make sure High Fructose Corn Syrup is in every soda you buy. Even though its the most unhealthy thing IN soda.

Please, someone, think of the corn farmers. Think before you rip that movie to watch on your PSP. There's not enough damn corn in everything yet.

[Feba]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

I can't be totally angry against corn farmers, I grew up in iowa.

[DieselBoy09]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

Last I heard corn prices were going up because the use of ethanol and other corn derived fuels. I seriously doubt that given this trend, the corn industry is suffering at all.

[Rodin]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

A lot of the crap about piracy is crap. It's just a major company trying to put you into a guilt trip to stop you from doing something they don't want you to do. You could argue that hop scotch kills as many people a year as alcoholism if you word your sentences right. Big-wig corporations know that if you can play the 6 degrees of a pity party, you will eventually stop some people from doing what you don't want them to do. Here's another reason I'm glad I illegally download music. Yes, I said it, I'm glad that I download it. Only one dollar of every album sold actually goes to the artists. The rest goes to the recording companies. The funny thing is, now, there's more independent music than ever. It's my hard earned money, I don't think it should go to the big-wigs who jack up the prices of CDs every few years in order to line their pockets.

[Feba]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

don't think it should go to the big-wigs who jack up the prices of CDs every few years in order to line their pockets.

Which is why CDs have gotten cheaper lately?

I will agree though that music is the one type of pirating where it's fairly shady, but not total theft. A lot of that is because the RIAA are assholes, but it's also because like you said, artists make such little money off each one it's silly. TV, you're stealing from the company that made making it possible, you're paying a lot of people involved (animators, actors, sound effects, writers, etc.), same with movies, games you're stealing from the company that made it possible, which like above has many different parts, but with music, the band could still easily make the songs without the company organizing it for them, but the company is getting the large bulk of the profits. When I can go to a jazz band playing at a local bar and get a great CD from them for 10$ that puts food on their table, why does a recording company need to charge 14 bucks for a CD where the artists are seeing such a small amount of it? It's silly now, with a bit of know-how and a computer, any average Joe can make and sell CDs of his garage band. With a 300$ camera, he can make a hi quality music video. So why in the world do record companies take the bulk of the profits?

[Rodin]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

Which is why CDs have gotten cheaper lately?

They're around 25 bucks where I live.(Pennsylvania). Dunno why anyone's saying they've gotten cheaper. They're cheaper if you download them from the internet at $.99 a pop.

[DieselBoy09]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

$25 is crazy. I'm in Texas and we pay $10-15 a cd.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

"In the absence of movie piracy, video retailers would sell and rent more titles. Movie theaters would sell more tickets and popcorn. Corn growers would earn greater profits and buy more farm equipment."

Movie Pirates respond:

"If'n there be anythin' further from th' truth, 'tis be it. We pirates bring in the moviegoers with our charm, charisma an' druken antics. These corn growers need only be worried about thier merchant vessels, as far as movies go, we whore ourselves out fer corn farmers and we get more than a handful of movies per decade. We're not even paid sufficently in rum.

Consider yourselves lucky you have to grow corn on land, matey."

[Feba]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

$25 is crazy. I'm in Texas and we pay $10-15 a cd.

Agreed, except for the whole "Texas" bit.

Rodin, where the hell do you buy your CDs?

[Murphie]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

I haven't paid more than $15 for a CD in a store in years. I generally pay about $12-13.

I don't want to get into a whole right/wrong debate on piracy. I just believe in paying for things like movies, music, games, and the like. I don't feel that I'm entitled to enjoy them for free. But that's me.

[Jei]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

Lately I've been buying quite a few songs off itunes store. 99c a song is quite a good deal if you only like 1 music from the entire album.

They come as .m4p format and can only be played on itunes tho...

[Akashimo]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

Which is why you just burn them to a CD, convert to MP3 and delete the original if the conversion turns out perfect =3 Then make sure you saved album art to use on iTune and your iPod.

[DieselBoy09]

Re: NBC says movie piracy hurts the corn industry?

Agreed, except for the whole "Texas" bit.
Rodin, where the hell do you buy your CDs?

I was just saying in Texas since he mentioned his place of reference, I felt it might be worth something if I did the same.