The phrase, “Film industry versus digital age” is wrong because it just doesn’t capture the true nature of what is really going on. This war that has been characterized as the film industry’s fight against pirates symbolizes a broader struggle against the march of technological progress and cultural change. This contemporary media consumption by which culture is consumed and shared has not only made an enemy of it, but also waged war against it.
This is more than copyright; it is also the conflict between old concepts and new opportunities. The film industry builds itself on myths – tales of lone fighters battling for justice, interstellar wars, and good versus evil. But ironically, this sector appears to be oblivious to its own fictionality in contrast with current realities of content sharing. They see the digital communication of culture not as a means for broad consumer involvement, but rather as a threat to their traditional business strategies. This kind of thinking is not only dated but it shows a lack of understanding about culture in a digital era.
Since the beginning of time, the entertainment industry has always seen its demise with every new threat introduced. In the 1980s, video game makers were scared by the introduction of the floppy disk because it almost destroyed their business. Music producers feared catastrophe when cassettes were introduced to the market. Even Hollywood once compared VCRs to serial killers, fearing it would strangle their profits. In the end, these fears never came true; instead, there was an explosion of diversity and ease of access to media
Today’s so-called piracy war is often portrayed as a battle for artistic integrity and financial survival though it is more accurate to say that this is about control. Unauthorized sharing just being one thing that Film industry wants abolished. They’re also fighting an overall democratization of cultural production due to changes in how we consume and produce media globally . Through emergence of cheap video equipment on one hand and editing software on other, the film industry monopoly is being shattered. This is not a threat to film culture but the development of it.
It is surprising that the film industry seems to have selectively erased certain events from its memory. Fox and others rose in the ranks by avoiding the restrictive patent laws of Thomas Edison’s era. They too were once rebels challenging the older order, thus contributing to an exciting culture of cinema. The present-day pirates are much like these early film pioneers who offered alternatives to old canons and pushed the business into new unexplored areas.
Some countries have taken more extreme measures against piracy compared with those meant for violent crimes, which indicates that they may have inverted their priorities as regards corporate interests versus personal freedoms. Such approaches are not only inefficient but also self-defeating because they fail to recognize fundamental changes in society’s relationship with and appreciation of cultural content.
Amidst all of this, Pirate Cinema is like a lighthouse, arguing that the public should be able to own and use movies. We push for a new attitude towards film culture which embraces the digital age, instead of trying to counter it. The film industry’s battle against piracy is essentially a war on tomorrow – a future in which film and culture are open to all, shared and made richer by everyone’s input. This cinema is not only reclaiming movies but also our stake in and influence over our cultural narrative.