Wil Wheaton Says Chris Dodd Is Lying About Lost Jobs; Says MPAA Accounting Creates More Losses Than Piracy

from the indeed dept

We've discussed a few times in the past about how actor Wil Wheaton seems to understand that piracy isn't an enforcement issue, but a business model/service issue. He's also been somewhat vocal (since before many others caught on) concerning his opinion that SOPA/PIPA are a bad idea. And now he's responded to our story about Chris Dodd threatening politicians that the MPAA has financially backed if they don't pass PIPA/SOPA, by not only calling Dodd completely tone-deaf, but also noting that Dodd is lying about lost jobs:
I have lost more money to creative accounting, and American workers have lost more jobs to runaway production, than anything associated with what the MPAA calls piracy. Chris Dodd is lying about piracy costing us jobs. Hollywood’s refusal to adapt to changing times is what’s costing the studios money. That’s it.
Indeed, we've explained how highly questionable Hollywood accounting is used to keep actors from getting paid, even on some of the most successful movies ever. And, Wheaton is absolutely right. As we've been saying for the better part of a decade, the best way to deal with "piracy" is to properly compete with it. But Dodd and the MPAA still just don't get that. Actually innovating and competing in the market just isn't how things are done in Washington DC, I guess.
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Filed Under: chris dodd, compete, entertainment industry, hollywood accounting, piracy, wil wheaton
Companies: mpaa


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  1. icon
    The Logician (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:21am

    Well said, Ensign Crusher. As any Starfleet officer knows, the first duty is to the truth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:28am

    OMG, Look over there!

    What are you talking about? We don't rob artists of money... uh... quick, look over there! Piracy! OMG, we gotta stop it before everyone loses their jobs!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:28am

    Luke, I am your accountant!
    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. icon
    Kevin H (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:29am

    They are not paying Dodd that much money to have to work harder, or figure out how to do things differently. They are paying him to keep the status quo.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. icon
    Kevin H (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:30am

    Re:

    WRONG reference.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    Kevin H (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:34am

    Re:

    Technically he resigned. After the scandal at Starfleet Academy he was never quite the same. He left with Tau Alphan, The Traveler. He was last seen 2370, and was not heard from again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Simon, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:36am

    Dodd is consistent

    At lease Dodd is consistent with the movie studios: he's just telling the politicians that they are unrecouped.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    isaac Kotlicky (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:36am

    Re: Re:

    until he joined twitter.

    and shared his love of freedom, homebrew, and geek culture with the world.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    demented, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:38am

    See? This is what a smart artist actually has to say about it.

    And really, can you imagine how much money the studios would make if they did this:

    1. Release the movie in theaters.
    2. When the movie is out of theaters, list the DVD as being available for pre-sale.
    3. At the same time, stream the movie with commercial interruptions on their own site.
    4. Release the DVD. Keep stream up.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    The eejit (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:39am

    Re: OMG, Look over there!

    I thought the method of control at the moment was "Immigrant paedophiles are stealing my baby wheelie bins!!!!!"?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:43am

    When is the white house going to respond to that petition that already reached the required number of signatures to investigate Chris Dodd?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:45am

    Re: OMG, Look over there!

    We don't rob artists with bogus accounting tactics. Quick, look over there, piracy!!!

    (quickly shreds documents while no one is looking).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:46am

    in all honesty, it isn't that the entertainment industries cant compete with 'file sharing', it is simply that they dont want to. they have a cash cow with the law suits and the opportunity to be, when it comes to fruition, the only distribution method allowed on the Internet. with what they are now trying to pull off in the EU, (basically exactly what was in SOPA) that wont be far away!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:50am

    Re: Re:

    Even funnier if it was on purpose

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. icon
    Chris Dodd (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:54am

    I refuse to accept that reality exists

    SHUT UP WESLEY.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  16. icon
    Kevin H (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:56am

    Re: Re: Re:

    link to this | view in thread ]

  17. icon
    Rapnel (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:00am

    Re:

    Right about yesterday they were having a chat about just that. Now they're trying to figure out just how to contain it. All cordial like.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  18. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:04am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I was hoping he posted this to alt.fan.wesley.crusher.die.die.die

    link to this | view in thread ]

  19. icon
    weneedhelp (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:12am

    Re:

    2. When the movie is out of theaters, list the DVD as being available for pre-sale.

    Sell the movie right there on the way out of the theatre.

    You go to see (insert favorite band here). Where the merch table usually is there is a sign, we will bee selling CD's and t-shirts 2 months from now.

    That would work well. /s

    link to this | view in thread ]

  20. icon
    Vincent Clement (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:14am

    Canada, especially Vancouver and Toronto, thank MPAA member companies for the jobs they created in Hollywood North. Much appreciated.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  21. icon
    gorehound (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:19am

    Re:

    Yes thank you very much Ensign Crusher.you are true to Starfleet and to all of us Citizens of Earth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  22. icon
    gorehound (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:21am

    Re:

    at the expense of our Freedom ?
    I think not.i do not thank them one bit for their lying ways.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  23. icon
    The eejit (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:23am

    Re: Re:

    Does it involve mass "terrorist" arrests? and possibly some hot gun-on-person action?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  24. icon
    The eejit (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:24am

    Re: Re:

    To be fair, it's kind of hard to lie as much as the MAFIAA do.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  25. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:29am

    Perhaps someone can refresh my recollection. How many in political office, either "bought" or not, have without any qualifications stated that piracy is simply a business model issue? I am not aware of any, but I may be mistaken. Hence my question?

    Out of curiosity I took a look at the link entitled in this article "isn't an enforcement issue". I was about to watch it when I noticed your quote from the video concerning piracy. In essence, it provides that honest people will stop pirating when content providers (presumably mostly labels and studios) make it just as easy to acquire the content as is the case with "pirate" sites.

    Frankly, use of the word "honest" struck me as particularly inapt.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  26. icon
    Rapnel (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:33am

    Re: Re: Re:

    What? Noooo. Just your standard fare of coke, hookers, a hockey team and a check. Boring.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  27. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 11:55am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I just have to comment on the fact that Google - the King of Search - has such utterly shitty and SEO-unfriendly URLs that it's pathetic.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  28. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:07pm

    Well...

    Wheaton speaks the truth. Piracy is taking a bite out of the movie and TV production business, and maybe even costing a few jobs, but that effect is trivial compared to other, much larger economic factors.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  29. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:15pm

    Re: Well...

    It's more that the technology has changed the playing field.

    I'm surprised we don't hear more from TV people, it is TV that is facing the stiffest challenge for all that it's the movie people we hear from the most.

    TV's model is toast, and I'm not sure there is any reasonably direct digital analogue to move to, much the same situation that newspapers face.

    They can move online, but advertisers are able to see with online content what their advertising buck is worth and it ain't worth anything like what TV has traditionally been able to charge.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  30. identicon
    Malcolm Hume, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:15pm

    Because Will has some special insight into economics, having a role in a sci fi show when he was a kid. His opinion carries a lot of weight.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  31. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:18pm

    Re:

    Having been at the receiving end of hollywood accounting, he is in a position to comment on it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  32. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:19pm

    Re:

    (Waves hand)
    "These aren't the financial records you're looking for..."

    "These aren't the financial records we're looking for..."

    "We can go about our business..."

    "You can go about your business..."

    link to this | view in thread ]

  33. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 12:51pm

    Re: Re:

    Are you saying his compensation for work done was tied directly to royalties?

    But for the few mega-stars who command large up-front payments, as well as royalties that are "gross" based, most who appear in movies, television broadcasts, ads, etc. are paid a fixed amount, and for a few the possibility of royalties at some future date.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  34. identicon
    DogBreath, 24 Jan 2012 @ 1:01pm

    Re:

    Even the evil "Darth the Accountant" didn't cost Luke an arm and a leg, just a hand.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  35. identicon
    JaDe, 24 Jan 2012 @ 1:30pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Remember, back in the 80's Wil was a rising star. He was the star of Stand by Me which did very well both financially and critically. Then on Star Trek:TNG he was a title character for the first 3.5 seasons. I would be surprised if he didn't have at least a few contracts that included royalties.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  36. icon
    AzureSky (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 1:46pm

    Re:

    damn to bad somebody else got to this first.....gotta get online earlier in the day :P

    link to this | view in thread ]

  37. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:07pm

    There are...

    ...four lights!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  38. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:09pm

    Obviously he never wants to work in Hollywood again.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  39. icon
    ltlw0lf (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:18pm

    Re: Re:

    Sell the movie right there on the way out of the theatre.

    Release the movie at the same time as it appears in the theater, as many folks have awesome theaters at home and don't have to deal with the modern distractions that current public theaters have such as noisy patrons, cell phones, laptops in the theater, parents using the theater as a child care facility, etc.

    Sure, it would kill off the worst of the worst when it came to movie theaters, but the ones that actually care about their customers would do fine. Theaters could have "Rocky Night" events like some currently have where fans who dress up like the characters from the movie could get in for 2 dollars off, so that you'd fill the movie theater with those who wanted to be there instead of those who are just using it as an excuse to burn two hours.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  40. icon
    ltlw0lf (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:50pm

    Re:

    Obviously he never wants to work in Hollywood again.

    Well, from reading his books, it appears that Hollywood really didn't want him to work in Hollywood since he left STNG, though he has gotten geek roles on Big Bang Theory and a couple of other shows, so he is still wanted even though the majors have all but ignored him.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  41. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:51pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    I'm pretty sure they don't need a search algorithm to take into account the URL when they are themselves hosting it, in the same way that you don't always need your house number to find your house when you leave and return your house (after the first few times).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  42. icon
    AdamBv1 (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 2:58pm

    Re: Re:

    I can't count how many times I would of bought a DVD of a movie as I walked out of a theater because I liked it enough at the time but never end up buying by the time I can get it 6-8 months later in a store. Think of all the suckers (like me) that would end up buying a DVD or Blu-ray just because they are on a "just watched the movie" high.

    Theaters could even give a 20-30% discount on a physical copy if you bought a ticket to see said movie to help sell more there on location.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  43. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 4:42pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Some day soon, the weight of their lies is going to collapse into a black hole. Let hope it happens at Disney, this way the last print of that stupid movie will be gone for good.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  44. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 5:18pm

    Re: Re: Well...

    TV's model is toast

    The cost of content (TV shows, music) to the consumer is going to go to zero. I have been saying this for a while. Most likely it will go to a system of pay per view first broadcast, with commercials, and and embedded advertising model.

    The commercials and pay per first showing, you can figure out yourself.

    The embedded advertising model will probably be a more subtle version of what the series Eureka did with "Degree", and "Subaru". Done in a way that it can't be edited out with out destroying the plot. This helps because they can then track torrent downloads and charge for them.

    TV studios are going to need to become more efficient and frugal to survive. They will be going from cream your pants monopoly advertising rates and lucrative cable deals, to digital dimes where you know what sort of return you are getting on your advertising dollars.

    With what I have seen from this years CES, they are also going to be facing off against competition from the public at large. Tablets and cellphones with that can do virtual sets and alter video on the fly.

    I have to write this up on my blog. It would make an interesting read.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  45. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 5:27pm

    Re: Re: Re: Well...

    once I fix the grammar and spelling that is.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  46. icon
    Hephaestus (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 5:30pm

    Re:

    Weird thing, every time I read one of your poast I read it in Leonard Nimoy's voice. Anyone else?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  47. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 5:42pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    but but but then no one would attend multiple screenings of the same movie to pick up on the parts the texting, wailing babies, questions of why your feet stuck to the floor distracted you from.

    This would cause corn farmers to collapse as no one would buy their product ever again.

    The loss in sales of watered down soda would crash the HFCS market.

    They would not then be able to extract a higher fee for the PPV window, the rental window, the 8 other windows as they cut and recut the movie 8 times in the course of 2 years.

    See it would kill the market... so this is why we have to wait for the media to appears in our market while they rush it out in others.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  48. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 6:40pm

    Re: Re:

    Yup. It's called sour grapes.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  49. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 6:49pm

    Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Google - the King of Search - has [...] SEO-unfriendly URLs


    Yeah, I'm sure they find it quite painful when they try to index themselves.

    The Stupid, it burns!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  50. icon
    Violated (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 6:52pm

    NetFlix

    Well I think these days they are starting to compete with piracy when low-and-behold even the UK now has NetFlix and at Ł6.99 a month with one month free it is nice value.

    They will be competing against LoveFilm's movie streaming service and I will say I sure as Hell hope they DO NOT COMPETE.

    Real competition under the monopoly market only increases costs while making Hollywood rich. Then if competition is done too long... then a monopoly forms and one will die. So respectful cooperation works much better in this flawed market.

    Reforms obviously need to be done there as well.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  51. icon
    BearGriz72 (profile), 24 Jan 2012 @ 7:56pm

    Re: There are...

    +1 for Obscurity ...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  52. identicon
    EXnutmegger, 24 Jan 2012 @ 8:18pm

    Chris Dodd

    The man is a second generation crook, but Chis got away with it whereas Tom Dodd was censured by the Senate. Chris is no more honest than his father, just trickier.I'm proud I voted against both.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  53. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 8:46pm

    http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1989240

    BOOM.

    can't wait to see what kind of lies Masnick comes up with in trying to "debunk" this study.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  54. identicon
    threenorns, 24 Jan 2012 @ 8:51pm

    Re:

    here's an example: me. where i live, it's over an hour's drive to the nearest cinema that's open year-round. betw may 2-4 and labour day, i could go to the cinema in the next town over.

    when i lived in toronto, i didn't get pirated disks, nor did i download - with DVD prices coming down to reasonable and including all kinds of cool extras, it wasn't worth getting second-rate copies with russian subtitles or copies that featured the guy in front going out for a smoke every 5min.

    i live in a small town and there's not a lot of ppl here - but there are an *awful* lot of small towns with not a lot of ppl in them with not a lot to do of a saturday and i think if they tallied them all up, they might find that it would be worth it to make new releases more accessible to us instead of acting like jackasses.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  55. identicon
    Justin Olbrantz (Quantam), 24 Jan 2012 @ 8:55pm

    Re:

    Analysis of aforementioned data: Anti-Piracy Warnings Have No Effect on iTunes Sales, though it's from some person by the name of Ernesto.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  56. identicon
    Loki, 24 Jan 2012 @ 8:58pm

    Re: Re:

    link to this | view in thread ]

  57. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 9:10pm

    Re: Re:

    lol

    link to this | view in thread ]

  58. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 24 Jan 2012 @ 9:32pm

    Re:

    Because he clearly has NO knowledge WHATSOEVER in regards to ANYTHING other than what he may have gleaned in his short stint in a role in a sci fi show as a kid.

    Oh wait, Wil Wheaton is smart as hell, and actually DOES know stuff. Imagine that, he's not just a kid in a sci fi series.

    But hey, keep on making assumptions.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  59. identicon
    Loki, 24 Jan 2012 @ 9:39pm

    Re:

    ROFLROFL - yeah the man's done nothing outside of Star Trek (eyeroll).

    Let's see, he's written five books (and recorded their audiobooks) and his own weblog (and tumbls account)
    Monthly columns in Dragon Magazine (sept 04(?) to May 05)
    The Onion AV Club (January 05 to Oct 06)
    regularly contributes to Mertoblogger,
    June 2005 featured Tech writer for the SuicideGirls Newswire
    2005 article for Salon.com.

    Regular convention speaking/panel gigs (PAX, GenCon, ComicCon)

    Then there is his "screen" resume (recent highlight include 4 seasons of Eureka, recurring roles in Big Bang Theory and Felicia Dey's online series The Guild, and the voice of Robin in DC Universe Online)

    Meat Puppet (1980)
    A Long Way Home (1981)
    The Shooting (1982)
    Highway to Heaven (1985)
    St. Elsewhere (1986)
    The Defiant Ones (1986)
    Long Time Gone (1986)
    Family Ties (1987)
    Young Harry Houdini (1987) (ABC)
    The Man Who Fell to Earth (1987)
    Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)
    My Dad Can't Be Crazy... Can He? (1989)
    Family Double Dare (1990)
    Monsters (1990)
    The Arsenio Hall Show (1991)
    The Last Prostitute (1991)
    Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special (1991)
    Tales from the Crypt (1993)
    It Was Him or Us (1995)
    Mr. Stitch (1995)
    The Outer Limits: "The Light Brigade" (1996)
    The Love Boat: The Next Wave (1998)
    Diagnosis: Murder (1998)
    The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998)
    The Flintstones: On the Rocks (2001)
    The Invisible Man: Perchance to Dream (2001)
    Twice in a Lifetime Episode 22 "The Choice" (2001)
    Weakest Link (2001) (Star Trek-themed edition)
    Beat the Geeks (2002)
    A&E Biography: "Eclipsed by Death – The Life of River Phoenix" (2002 - narrator)
    Walking the Tracks: The Summer of "Stand by Me" (2002) (Stand by Me documentary)
    Arena (2002) (also as writer)
    Favorite Stars: Then & Now (2003)
    Book of Days (2003)
    The Screen Savers (2003, 2002)
    Call for Help (2004)
    Teen Titans (2004–2005) (voice of Aqualad)
    Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2005) (voice)
    CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2005)
    I Love the '80s 3-D (2005)
    I Love Toys (2006)
    Legion of Super Heroes (2006) (voice of Cosmic Boy)
    Ben 10 (2007) (voice)
    Ben 10: Alien Force (voice of Mike Morningstar/Darkstar)
    Numb3rs: "Graphic" (2007) (as Miles Sklar, 1 episode)
    What I Learned From the Movies (2007)
    Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) (as Blue Beetle/Ted Kord)
    I Love the New Millennium (2008)
    Criminal Minds (2008) (Episode "Paradise" as Floyd Hansen/Wayne Dryden)
    Kyle + Rosemary (2008) (voice)
    Family Guy (2009 & 2010) (voice) (Episodes "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven" and "Partial Terms of Endearment", as himself and a protester)
    Naruto (2009) (voice of Menma)
    Kurokami: The Animation (2009) (voice of Yakumo)
    Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy (2009) (voice)
    The Big Bang Theory (2009–2011) ("The Creepy Candy Coating Corollary", "The Wheaton Recurrence", "The 21-Second Excitation" and "The Russian Rocket Reaction" as himself)
    Leverage (2009-2012) ("The Two Live Crew Job" (2009), "The Ho Ho Ho Job" (2010), and "The Last Dam Job" (2012) as Chaos)
    Slayers Evolution-R (2010) (voice of Hans)
    Naruto Shippuden: The Movie (2010) (voice of Taruho and Shizuku)
    Eureka (2010) (Season 4) (as Dr. Parrish)
    Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn (2011) (Episode 3: "Ghost of Laplace") (voice of Aaron Terzieff, Additional Voices)

    [edit] Movies

    The Secret of NIMH (1982) (voice)
    Hambone and Hillie (1983)
    The Last Starfighter (1984) (scenes deleted from film but included as DVD extra)
    The Buddy System (1984)
    Stand by Me (1986)
    The Curse (1987)
    She's Having a Baby (1988) (uncredited cameo)
    Toy Soldiers (1991)
    December (1991)
    The Liars' Club (1993)
    Pie in the Sky (1996)
    Boys' Night Out (1996)
    Mr Stitch (1996)
    Trekkies (1997)
    Flubber (1997)
    Tales of Glamour and Excess (1997)
    Fag Hag (1998)
    Foreign Correspondents (1999)
    The Girls' Room (2000)
    Deep Core (2000)
    Python (2000)
    Speechless... (2001)
    The Good Things (2001)
    Jane White is Sick and Twisted (2002)
    Fish Don't Blink (2002)
    Star Trek Nemesis (2002) (briefly; extended scene deleted but appears as DVD extra in some regions)
    Book of Days (2003)
    Four Fingers of the Dragon (2003)
    Neverland (2003)
    Americanizing Shelley (2007)
    Star Trek (2009) (voices various Romulans)[43]

    [edit] Internet video

    The Guild (2009–2011) (Fawkes, Axis of Anarchy leader)
    LoadingReadyRun
    InDigital
    Retarded Policeman #5[44]

    [edit] Video games

    Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge (2003) (voice)
    EverQuest II (2004) (voice)
    Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004) (voice)
    Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2 (2004) (voice)
    Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown (2005) (voice)
    Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (2005) (voice)
    Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (2006) (voice)
    Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) (voice)
    Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) (voice)
    Grand Theft Auto IV (2008) (voice)
    Fallout New Vegas (2010) (voice of Robobrain)
    DC Universe Online (voice of Robin)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  60. identicon
    Loki, 24 Jan 2012 @ 9:42pm

    Re: Re:

    Sp given all that, I'd say Wil Wheaton has a pretty damn good idea of how both the internet and the content industry work. which is more than I can say about most of the shills and politicians running at the mouth these days.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  61. identicon
    Matt, 24 Jan 2012 @ 9:46pm

    Re: Re:

    He was at the wedding of Riker and Troi in 2379.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  62. identicon
    herp, 24 Jan 2012 @ 10:33pm

    Re:

    The best part about this was that David Prowse said he didnt see any money from return of the jedi

    http://www.slashfilm.com/lucasfilm-tells-darth-vader-that-return-of-the-jedi-hasnt-made-a-pr ofit/

    link to this | view in thread ]

  63. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 12:51am

    Re:

    The one study I really want to see is the effect of new legislation strengthening copyright and their effects on democratic foundations, you know free speech, censorship, business legal environment and so forth.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  64. identicon
    juneabrown, 25 Jan 2012 @ 12:54am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Actually, you are wrong on this. Yes, it is true that SOME people are paid a fixed amount (mostly extras and the like). However, a large number of people are paid royalties, including "unseen" people such as stunt doubles.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  65. icon
    PaulT (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 2:15am

    Re: Re: Re:

    Yep, I've often said this. Imagine if when you exited the theatre, you passed by a selection of merchandise for sale, perhaps located in a place where only patrons who had been in that screening could access. We're not just talking DVD/Blu Rays of the movie itself, but soundtracks, books (novels the film was based on, novelizations of the screenplay, making of art books, etc.), comics, even the oft-stated t-shirts... the list of possibilities is endless. Add gift cards, etc. for iTunes/Amazon/whatever for those who prefer digital versions.

    Assuming the film (or a specific aspect of it, such as the soundtrack) is good enough, and the price is right, the sales could be a nice little earner, and definitely of higher perceived value than drinks and popcorn. But, of course this would involve hiring enough staff to man the booths, making an effort to think about the customer experience so they are as willing as possible to pay extra, and pricing the goods so that they're not off-putting (i.e. not trying to scalp $40 for a soundtrack CD). So, it probably won't happen.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  66. icon
    PaulT (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 2:21am

    Re:

    OK, so you're more of an expert than him, I take it? What are your credentials?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  67. identicon
    Whil Wheaton, 25 Jan 2012 @ 2:28am

    I'll just leave this here...

    http://youtu.be/CxQ2wq_kir0

    link to this | view in thread ]

  68. icon
    Niall (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 2:29am

    Re: Re: Re: Re:

    Stupid? That was a great movie for the era! It had some great special effects, it managed to avoid being totally derivative of Star Wars, and it had some suitably realistic but nasty villains. In a way it was more reminiscent of 70s disaster or war movies, including the sleazebags getting their come-uppance (I could never take Ernest Borgnine seriously thereafter in Airwolf ;) Plus, the music was really good too. Sure it's a bit cheesy - but that was only 1980!

    Compare to the original Battlestar Galactica for instance: V.I.N.CENT vs Muffet = no contest!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  69. icon
    PaulT (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 2:33am

    Re:

    No time to read the whole thing, but: from the abstract, it seems to be a simulation of how the market would supposedly have changed among the four major labels' iTunes sales in France if HADOPI had not passed.

    In other words, it's an "educated" guess using no independent labels or outlets and only a single retailer in a single market and not taking into account other causes of sales changes other than the introduction of HADOPI.

    Does that really need more debunking than that? Keep clinging on to your weak "evidence". We'll be over here, looking at how markets elsewhere have changed without morons trying to kick people off the internet.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  70. identicon
    Inuki, 25 Jan 2012 @ 3:15am

    I did an investigation into the claims of lost jobs.

    The MPAA claims that in America alone $500m has been lost due to piracy last year. They then go on to say "141,000 jobs were lost due to piracy".

    Simple maths. $500m divided by 141 thousand comes out at around $3100 for the year.

    But there is a lot more going on to suggest piracy no where near threatening any entertainment industry. If it was. They wouldn't exist. The gaming industry has no excuse. It's almost twice the size of the film industry yet it still thinks it's suffering the effects of piracy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aln81Km1VH4&feature=channel_video_title

    link to this | view in thread ]

  71. identicon
    Boycott Hollywood, 25 Jan 2012 @ 3:39am

    Boycott Hollywood

    Hollywood is using our money to curtail our freedoms. Don't watch anything from the big studios until they acknowledge the need for a free and fair internet. join us on reddit at r/boycotthollywood.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  72. identicon
    Athox, 25 Jan 2012 @ 3:55am

    Re: Re:

    Not the wrong reference if you don't give a shit. :D

    link to this | view in thread ]

  73. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:10am

    Re:

    A subject on the law that, after millions of dollars in taxpayer money, only managed to send 165 people their 3rd strike? That's your "BOOM"?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  74. identicon
    Keef, 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:13am

    Re:

    It certainly is a business model issue.

    Myself for example. I used to pirate games quite a fair bit, but since the introduction of the Steam platform - where content is delivered digitally, at a fair price with good customer service - I haven't pirate a game for years.

    STEAM has even been released in Russia (a famous haven for piracy) and has taken off spectacularly, earning Valve (the owners) millions.

    Movies. Before companies like Netflix if you wanted to rent a movie you had to go to your local store like Blockbuster and rent some scratched disk that may/may not work and pay exorbitant prices or download a pirate Dvd Rip version for guaranteed quality - now I can have a wider selection of that content delivered for a set monthly fee.

    Now of course the movie companies have tried to screw Netflix over.

    In 1982 the then head of the MPAA Jack Valenti, testifying before a house judiciary committee said "I say to you that the VCR is to the American film producer and the American public as the Boston strangler is to the woman home alone…"

    Since then the movie industry has gone from strength to strength despite the 'threat' from VCRs and piracy.

    Give customers what they want - affordable content in convenient delivery options, and they will come to you. The STEAM platform & Netflix have already shown this.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  75. identicon
    Nick, 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:18am

    Piracy Is Not Stealing

    The music and Movie industries need to change with the times, they need to introduce a newer, sleeker system to sell their products. Netflix is a great start, but I think the first step is to reduce the price of all media. To still pay $24.99 for a digital download is ridiculous. The MPAA is no longer needed as well, the internet has taken over the middleman, and they know it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  76. identicon
    Noman, 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:54am

    great

    he is doing great job...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  77. identicon
    counsel dew, 25 Jan 2012 @ 5:11am

    really?

    Piracy hasn't cost any lost jobs? Not one? I'd like to see that data... i am for all about better distribution, but i don't take gum from a store - even if it doesn't cost someone their job... Is it wrong to steal something ( assuming this isn't like you aren't making a copy of a movie you bought for viewing on a mobile device, etc...), or is it wrong to steal something only if someone loses a job? A moral compass is spinning somewhere...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  78. icon
    PaulT (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 5:21am

    Re: really?

    Hmmm... logical fallacies abound, attacking points nobody in the article made... but no swearing or personal attacks on Mike.

    6/10

    Maybe you could rewrite the post in the form of a response to the points made in the article.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  79. icon
    That Anonymous Coward (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 7:13am

    Re: really?

    except they made format shifting things you "own" illegal under the DMCA.

    Piracy did cost a job, Dodd's predecessor who could not wave a magic wand and make it all better.

    Making a copy is not theft, at least until they can open reeducation camps to force all of us into.

    While its nice your asking for data, why don't you provide actual data to back up your position? Your quoting the talking points of the Content Cartel, and a majority of their statements have been disproven as outright BS.

    0/10 - WTF is it wrong I miss OOTB and Daryl?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  80. icon
    Greevar (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 7:24am

    Re: Re: Re:

    "Present your ticket stub to the concession stand after the movie to get a deeply discounted DVD of the movie you just watched!"

    Sounds like a good deal to me (no, seriously).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  81. icon
    elementalv (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:09pm

    Re:

    Probably not until after February 20, the close date of the petition drive.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  82. identicon
    ftps, 25 Jan 2012 @ 4:55pm

    Let me define theft/piracy: Taking something against the wishes of owner is theft.

    Why is it coming to a point where everyone feels a sense of entitlement to steal content they didn't create or own and forcing the content creators to "change business model".

    The rules are pretty simple, if you want the content you buy it, if you don't want the content you don't buy NOR Steal it. If you steal content, it obviously shows that there is demand for the content just that people are not willing to pay.

    We dont go stealing cars and TV's just cause we can't afford it now do we? Why is digital content any different?

    If you think business model needs to change, then create some content and deliver it with a new business model you propose. Don't dictate others to "change" their business model, why don't you be/start the change you want to see

    link to this | view in thread ]

  83. identicon
    Bob Jones, 25 Jan 2012 @ 5:17pm

    Re: really?

    Really?

    Stealing is depriving someone of something so that they can no longer use/make use of it.

    Piracy is NOT THE SAME THING. With piracy, you are making a copy, the original is still with the owner(and they can still sell it), you haven't deprived them of anything. You've made a copy, that's all.

    The MPAA/RIAA conveniently cherry-pick their lies. The internet isn't a zero sum game. (There's only so much of any one thing, so you can "run out" of something.)
    When you make a copy of something, you're actually INCREASING the amount of that item available on the internet.

    Also, people who call piracy stealing assume that you would have purchased a copy of what you pirated. This is a dangerous assumption as it's not always true.

    If I pirate a song, that doesn't mean I would have bought it.

    So much mis-information.. and so many mis-informed people out there.

    Piracy DOES NOT equal stealing. Period.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  84. icon
    ltlw0lf (profile), 25 Jan 2012 @ 6:00pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    Yup. It's called sour grapes.

    How so? Just because Hollywood abandoned him so long ago doesn't necessarily mean that he has an ax to grind (read his books, he talks all about it.) I think he chose the better route -- Hollywood isn't kind to child actors, and very few make it to be adult actors. I really recommend his books, I have both hard copy and e-book versions of his books, partly because he is an excellent writer and partly because I like supporting everything he does.

    Unless this is Will Fucking Shatner, then yes, it is just called sour grapes.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  85. identicon
    somonesomeday, 25 Jan 2012 @ 6:31pm

    Will, thanks for your work and thank you very much for not being too possessive about it. Your industry view has some depth that others might consider.

    In short... piracy (as popularly defined these days) makes jobs. And basically limiting prohibiting or otherwise making unobtainable (by whatever method) anything (particularly information) that can help another has moral and class implications... arrrrghg. must not go there... but these are the silly laws being discussed around town.

    The numbers offered by any promoter is always suspect to inflation and its a bad laugh that its not more obvious. There is no way one would expect that any such proposition would unfold in that way, it was profitable to you, without you actually forcing the matter in specific contractual writing. It is sad that many congressional leaders do not have some ability or incentive to recognize sham promoters of bad industry generated legislation.

    everyone's time is worth something period (ask an advertising exec how hard they work to get it) even if someone has downloaded something does not mean it was ultimately worth using. in the same way that we only have spendable income we only have so much spendable time.

    anytime you or one of your fans do whatever you want money is spent/made no matter what.
    anytime even a small step taken towards a goal/dream/desire money is invested/transacted. What was that goal and whether you have anything to interest that fan is the interrelationship between you. Since some of your work is considered enlightening (stng) this is important.

    anytime knowledge/entertainment is dispersed more can be done than before. u can either build more or do something better or at least have a more entertaining party (likely spending more money both ways)

    piracy is nice and that (just hearing that phrase sounds cool) but for a true entertainer/educator the corollary is that nothing happened and no money was spent because nobody knew you/that existed or anything important to learn was going on (tree in forest that nobody heard)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  86. identicon
    hexalm, 25 Jan 2012 @ 10:52pm

    video sales at theater

    I like this idea, but if you consider that film distributors of have rendered all but high volume theaters not very profitable, it'd probably seem like a big risk even to the point of sale, the movie theater.

    So not only would the film production industry have countless reasons to dig their heels in and preserve the status quo (the way they sell DVDs hinges on box office success), but theater operators would probably be skeptical.

    Off course, since half of what makes them their money is concessions, they might be eager to have more retail items to sell, and that might even be more profitable than selling movie tickets..

    link to this | view in thread ]

  87. icon
    PaulT (profile), 26 Jan 2012 @ 3:19am

    Re:

    "Let me define theft/piracy: Taking something against the wishes of owner is theft."

    You might wish to use a different dictionary. There are many definitions, most of which do not match yours. This makes you entire premise and all your conclusions false.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  88. identicon
    somonesomeday, 26 Jan 2012 @ 12:37pm

    PaulT

    Lets work on that controversial definition of piracy.

    Already its obvious that whatever laws passed have a different definition of what is publicly known as piracy which is bad because who knows whats considered copyright violations or not. Making normal everyday activities life-damaging-finable or worse illegal is only to benefit an already politically poisoned industry(s?)

    Lets face it. The average person dose not even know or want to believe that their daily life activities are threatened at all let alone whatever the stupid details of some 50.000 page document that defined part of their lives as piracy.

    An average family these days needs all the advantages it can get not some industry telling them how to behave by paying them amounts that rival national debt (their own numbers) and prostrate our private lives to do it.

    It seems that all definitions and words spoken by many parties are just wrong. Flat out wong in such a way that undermines the reason the people who pretend or at least say they know whats good or not

    It also seems that most people who learn of the ACTA, SOPA PIPA entertainment industry legislation scandal are so shocked into a coma they cant change their habits fast enough. Change to what political atmosphere who knows what and how to behave these days of economic-intolerance can make people unnerved

    It does not matter that the knights wear shinning armor they will still gut anyone not following the corporate fiefdom carved out by the various industries

    link to this | view in thread ]

  89. icon
    PaulT (profile), 27 Jan 2012 @ 2:08am

    Re:

    The reply function is your friend. I have no idea which of my comments you're replying to, and see none that fit this response.

    What are you talking about, exactly?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  90. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jan 2012 @ 10:01pm

    Re: Re: Re:

    "...he joined twitter.

    and shared his love of freedom, homebrew, and geek culture with the world."

    Then Hweaton's not really an "actor" but an idiot has-been child star sharing his stupid likeness with the lot of '80s holdovers who capitalize on 1) their former fame and 2) the reluctance of narcissistic gen-X'ers who refuse to grow up, through these new but pointless distribution models. Scott Baio, Flavor Flav... uh, Charlie Sheen... Used to be game shows or soap operas would be the has-beens' realm of bill-paying. Now it's, what, CreateSpace and AdSense?

    Let's see, where is everyone else from Stand By Me besides Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack? River Phoenix is dead; even Richard Dreyfuss must be, what, "down and out in Beverly Hills" these days along with Corey Feldman and the fat kid from Crossing Jordan?

    (Atomic wedgies are ready on queue to everyone who referenced Star Trek, by the way....)

    Don't get me wrong; I spit on the effigy of Chris Dodo like the rest of the 99%. I agree with Hweaton's testament to the idiocy of corporate propaganda. But really, is an out-of-work child star the best individual to be offering any insight on the "real reasons" for lost jobs within the entertainment industry?

    At least Jerry Mathers went out and sold real estate. Maybe Beaver Cleaver could offer something to chew on about the housing bubble putting him out of work.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  91. identicon
    A female humanoid..., 30 Jan 2012 @ 10:09pm

    ...you'll never get a million light-years close to

    YOU NERDS ARE SO LAME.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  92. identicon
    ...you'll never get a million light-years close to, 30 Jan 2012 @ 10:11pm

    A female humanoid...

    I'm such a blonde. I put in the blanks backwards. It was supposed to read as above.

    NERRRRRRDS!!!!11eleven1!!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  93. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Jan 2012 @ 10:23pm

    Re:

    "...Will has some special insight into economics, having a role in a sci fi show when he was a kid. His opinion carries a lot of weight."

    Um...yeah. OK.

    http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120124/04344817524/wil-wheaton-says-chris-dodd-is-lying-ab out-lost-jobs-says-mpaa-accounting-creates-more-losses-than-piracy.shtml#c1532

    That's like saying Maury Povich has some special insight into the field of genetics, having played a major role in authorizing all those paternity tests on his talk show.

    "Remember, back in the 80's Wil was a rising star. He was the star of Stand by Me which did very well both financially and critically. Then on Star Trek:TNG he was a title character for the first 3.5 seasons. I would be surprised if he didn't have at least a few contracts that included royalties."

    Child stardom has probably lost more jobs than piracy... or bad accounting practices. Meanwhile, the Trekkies who built the Internet have turned the whole economy into space junk.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  94. identicon
    CPA Brisbane, 1 May 2012 @ 10:12pm

    CPA Brisbane

    This time you have discussed very important issue in this blog. I completely agree with you. They are paying Dodd to keep the status quo.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  95. identicon
    Accounting Brisbane, 18 May 2012 @ 2:41am

    Accounting Brisbane

    I have read the account subject but I do not read about the word piracy. What is the meaning of it? Accounting Brisbane

    link to this | view in thread ]

  96. identicon
    Accountant Brisbane, 27 Jun 2012 @ 3:27am

    Accountant Brisbane

    What is Hollywood accounting? I have never heard about it.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  97. identicon
    Best Home Buying Tips, 8 Jan 2014 @ 5:52am

    Who is Chris Dodd? Why he is lying?

    link to this | view in thread ]


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