Release It, Legally and Soon -- at least that would be one simple message coming out of our work on Piracy. But it's far from a complete answer, for some content is not particularly prone to piracy.
And anyway, Piracy is simply a secondary consequence of a technology that enables simultaneous global access to new content. (Each new distribution technology offered new opportunities for piracy: rogue employees at Hollywood studios have been stealing DVD masters and duplicating them for years).
But our clients, some of whom are global companies, are people with property to protect, and they need a proper plan for their releases. No industry can flourish if property rights can be stolen.
The critical choice for media companies is to determine the best release pattern, taking piracy into account.
As above, not every type of content is equally vulnerable. A series like Lost is pirated if it's not made available shortly after release. On the other hand, German viewers enjoy watching science programmes of indeterminate age and pay for them.
Simultaneous online release is therefore one way to stem piracy. But the key question will always be: what impact does that have on other potentially profitable windows? For simultaneous release may limit sales down more traditional paths to channels with well-established audiences and solid revenues. (Then again, an early online release can create further buzz for the show. That’s why Warner Bros. released Vampire Diaries on iTunes for UK users prior to its ITV2 airing.)
For most of our clients, piracy is therefore a contingent issue. How much money is your business losing due to it? What is the best thing to do under the circumstances? (The Internet is a price killer).
To answer this we build models based on available data.
Drama and Comedy are the most likely genres to be pirated, mostly in connected markets, like the English speaking territories.
Thus the business critical decisions are not about whether a piece of work will be pirated, but how much, and what is the best release plan for a given piece work. That's not saying we should live with Piracy. As an industry we need innovative ways to curb piracy and convert illegal consumption into profit.
And anyway, Piracy is simply a secondary consequence of a technology that enables simultaneous global access to new content. (Each new distribution technology offered new opportunities for piracy: rogue employees at Hollywood studios have been stealing DVD masters and duplicating them for years).
But our clients, some of whom are global companies, are people with property to protect, and they need a proper plan for their releases. No industry can flourish if property rights can be stolen.
The critical choice for media companies is to determine the best release pattern, taking piracy into account.
As above, not every type of content is equally vulnerable. A series like Lost is pirated if it's not made available shortly after release. On the other hand, German viewers enjoy watching science programmes of indeterminate age and pay for them.
Simultaneous online release is therefore one way to stem piracy. But the key question will always be: what impact does that have on other potentially profitable windows? For simultaneous release may limit sales down more traditional paths to channels with well-established audiences and solid revenues. (Then again, an early online release can create further buzz for the show. That’s why Warner Bros. released Vampire Diaries on iTunes for UK users prior to its ITV2 airing.)
For most of our clients, piracy is therefore a contingent issue. How much money is your business losing due to it? What is the best thing to do under the circumstances? (The Internet is a price killer).
To answer this we build models based on available data.
Drama and Comedy are the most likely genres to be pirated, mostly in connected markets, like the English speaking territories.
Thus the business critical decisions are not about whether a piece of work will be pirated, but how much, and what is the best release plan for a given piece work. That's not saying we should live with Piracy. As an industry we need innovative ways to curb piracy and convert illegal consumption into profit.
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so sweet
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Not sure how to read that, Princess.
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