Rob Feind Class time: 11am
Name of Movie: Steal this Film
Year: 2006
Producers: The Pirate Bay
1. What questions/thoughts/reactions do you have after watching this film? (QUESTIONING):
o I thought it was interesting how at one point the Pirate Bay was compared to Google, as a good point was made. Essentially, the Pirate Bay simply indexes what people decide to put on it, as Google does with websites, which I considered a very interesting argument.
o Another intriguing point is how 18th century publishers using printing presses had very similar issues. The fact that they weren’t allowed to copy certain works (and would be apprehended if they did) rings true to this situation, and questions the same parts of freedom of speech that persecution of internet piracy does.
o At the end, the movie mentions that 35% of internet traffic is due to internet piracy. Not only does this show how significant this is to today’s society, it also shows that piracy is becoming an unstoppable force and will be impossible to be fully persecuted against as time goes on.
2. Foundation (UNDERSTANDING):
a. What is the Pirate Bay?
The Pirate Bay is a peer-to-peer file hosting site where people can share virtually anything, from music to games to movies. While it has legitimate purposes, many people use it to pirate movies.
b. What do they stand for (what is their mission)?
Their mission is to connect people and help share information as freedom of speech intends. They also encourage the promotion of work that otherwise wouldn’t be known (such as the “Grime” movement), hoping to connect more ideas as time goes on.
c. What is their purpose for making and distributing this film as a free download?
Their purpose was to inform more people about piracy and the issues and debates surrounding it. They were also making an important statement by distributing it for free, as that is exactly what they push for with such file hosting sites, declaring it a necessary freedom.
3. Provide 3 referenced connections to Baase readings (LINKING).
a. The Rio mp3 player was mentioned in the movie as well as A Gift of Fire; in the movie it was mentioned how it couldn’t be prosecuted for being the medium of mp3 files, and the link is made to the Pirate Bay not being able to be prosecuted for being the medium of all works found on the internet. (Baase, 214)
b. The issue of Napster being shut down was mentioned in both the movie and the book. In both sources, it is mentioned that this was the first attempt for file sharing online, and even though it was shut down, it started the movement to share all types of files on the internet through peer-to-peer sites. (Baase, 209)
c. Sony’s video recorder being under fire is also mentioned in both of these sources. Both sources mention how the movie industry wanted to come down hard on this technology as they thought it would ruin the industry even though it was only used for private reasons. (Baase, 207)
4. There are at least 10 people interviewed in this film. Name 5 of these people, explain why they are included in the film (why they are significant). How do they relate/add information to the overall theme of the film (KNOWLEDGE):
a. Peter Sunde – Co-owner of the Pirate Bay, and one of the ones on trial. He firmly believes that he has the right to host everything for everyone, and to do otherwise would infringe on our freedom of speech.
b. Rick Prelinger – The owner of a vast internet archive site. Prelinger acknowledges how important intellectual property on the internet is, as he is in a similar business. He also discusses how despite all the issues, suits won’t solve anything as there are too many users who partake in internet piracy.
c. Erik Dubelboer – Owner of mininova, another renowned file sharing site. Dubelboer believes that suits will realistically do nothing to stop peer-to-peer hosting; he thinks they are too aggressive, and are rarely actually effective.
d. Rasmus Fleischer – A part of the Bureau of piracy, Rasmus discusses how the WTO would place trade sanctions against Sweden if they did not take action against the Pirate Bay. He firmly believes this is another effort by America to try and police the world.
e. Frederik Neij – Another owner of the Pirate Bay. In court he mentioned how his hosting site is no more different than Google, as they index in very similar fashions. “If we are guilty, then Google is guilty.”
5. Name, and define, 3 significant people interviewed in the movie (KNOWLEDGE):
a) Peter Sunde – Co-Owner of the Pirate Bay, a strong advocate for file hosting and ending corporate greed.
b) Frederik Neij – Another advocate of the Pirate Bay with Sunde, Neij doesn’t see what he does as inherently wrong, as they are only providing a medium for users to share information with each other.
c) Yochai Benkler – A Yale professor, he argues that the spread of information is something we are entitled to, and more importantly, something he thinks will be unstoppable as file sharing continues to grow in strength.
4. What are the main ideas being discussed within this movie? By referencing the book, make 2 connections between Baase and this film (COMPREHENSION).
The main ideas being discussed are that file sharing and hosting is becoming an increasingly significant issue, as well as one that government agencies are constantly trying to crack down on. On one note this persecution is justified, as in A Gift of Fire, it is stated that affecting the market and the work as well as hosting the files themselves (unless the site takes actions to remove the content, which the Pirate Bay had no intention of doing) are reasons enough to make the activity look illegal (Baase, 205-206). However, Baase also put forth the idea that these peer-to-peer sites and tools only act as a medium for people to post information, and because of this should not be frowned upon as some such as the movie industry do (Baase, 211).
5. What is BitTorrent? Explain what it does and how this technologic advancement had changed society. (COMPREHENSION)
BitTorrent is a tool used by people to download files on the internet that would otherwise have copyright protection, such as music, movies, games, etcetera. This has greatly changed society, as even as some of the interviewees in the movie have said, people rarely ever buy CDs anymore and some don’t even see it as something you should spend money on now.
6. Based on the main point off this film (If you don’t understand read: http://stealthisfilm.com/Part2/). Where do you see connections to your experiences, or within society – BE SPECIFIC AND REFERENCE THE BOOK (APPLICATION)?
I see connections as it is mentioned that 35% of internet traffic is due to piracy; I myself know several people who use these peer-to-peer hosting sites and applications (In fact, 9/10 people I know), so this statistic seems correct, if even a bit small. There is another connection in society in the sense of the Digital Rights Management materials Baase mentions; these are a normal part of iTunes, and while it keeps music from being stolen, it still has issues with new computers, operating systems and etcetera (Baase, 215).
7. Analyze what you’ve watched. Use your Baase connections. What do you think is the future of distribution, production and creativity? What do you think is the future of Intellectually Property in the Information Age? ? (ANALYSIS)
I personally believe that such piracy on the web may cause some artists to show a decline in creativity due to the easy spread of things and lack of money involved, however at the same time I picture it increasing creativity for young independent artists who are simply trying to gain a fan base. With increasing technology I do believe that copyrights will become a thing of the past, as in the video it is even told that file sharers are growing by the day, and even at today’s numbers it is impossible for authorities to shut something like the Pirate Bay down. I believe the Information Age will make Intellectual Property very irrelevant.
8. Do you think that downloading is stealing someone’s Intellectual Property? Why or why not? Back up with Baase (ANALYSIS)?
Downloading to me is not entirely stealing somebody’s intellectual property; as an example I’ll use a band. Because of the fair-use doctrine, one can argue that it deprives the members of their income as people are downloading albums for free, and that in turn lowers their value on the market (Baase, 206). However at the same time this is creating a larger fan base for the band, and while CD’s are being downloaded, that means more people will attend concerts of theirs, buy band merchandise, and maybe even buy an album regardless to show appreciation. Considering most money that is made from albums goes to the record company instead of the artist, this isn’t always necessarily stealing someone’s intellectual property, as the band is still getting money out of it in the long run.
9. How do you see issues of copyright and Intellectual property effecting the world 50 years from today? BE SPECIFIC (SYNTHESIS)
In 50 years, I feel that intellectual property will either be completely impossible to enforce, or that the government will have strong enough restrictions on the internet to stop sites that BitTorrent once and for all. At the rate it is going, it’s plausible to believe that the government won’t be able to do anything about the copying of intellectual property and that file sharing may even send us into a new era with new concepts of this being introduced. However, it is also possible that the government will get tougher on these sites and start shutting them down, making sure torrent sites are not used, and those who create or use them will be persecuted. In that scenario, I see our internet becoming similar to that of China’s or India’s, though I do not personally believe we will take that route.
10. Do you agree with what is being said within movie? Explain. (EVALUATION)
I am conflicted with the message being sent in the movie. In a sense I do believe that hosting files on sites such as the Pirate Bay is the ultimate form of freedom of speech, and creators of such sites are only trying to link people together, help indie groups be heard, and show us what the internet is truly capable of. At the same time, I do believe a publisher is entitled to their rightly earned money and recognition, and torrent sites may take this away. Also, for some this will definitely cause a drop in creativity in works, which is something that is understandable regarding the nature of file sharing.
11. Has your opinion shifted on this topic after watching this film? Have you created any new ideas after watching, and thinking about, this film? (EVALUATION)
I cannot say my opinion has shifted, as I have always thought that people have come down too hard on peer-to-peer applications and sites, and that whatever they do is their own business. I say if people want to share movies, music, games and more over the internet, they should be allowed to do so, despite others seeing it as immoral or unfair to the publisher.
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