Video Stores and Piracy: A thought

[Mikaze]

So, this morning as I ate my breakfast I was thinking (as you do) and something occurred to me, the business model of every video store ever is based on something that could be defined to be piracy.

Think about it, with pirating, one person originally buys the product (game, movie, cd, whatever) and then decides to share it with everyone, the publisher gets no additional payments. With a video store, the store buys a copy and then rents it out (at a fee no less, the nerve!) to whomever wants it, now correct me if I'm wrong, but the publisher still isn't getting any additional income after that sale.

So, what do you think?

 

[Something Amyss]

So, this morning as I ate my breakfast I was thinking (as you do) and something occurred to me, the business model of every video store ever is based on something that could be defined to be piracy.

Think about it, with pirating, one person originally buys the product (game, movie, cd, whatever) and then decides to share it with everyone, the publisher gets no additional payments. With a video store, the store buys a copy and then rents it out (at a fee no less, the nerve!) to whomever wants it, now correct me if I'm wrong, but the publisher still isn't getting any additional income after that sale.

So, what do you think?

I hope to god you're joking. In case you're not, I'll explain.

Video rental stores pay heavy licensing fees. That's enough to kill the comparison.

 

[Absolutionis]

Agreed. Aside from the licensing fees, notice that most of the video stores nowadays are closing down. They're being replaced by Redbox, Digital Distribution, and especially Digital Streaming. Even Netflix struggled heavily under the licensing fees that Starz imposed upon them.

This basically shows that even the movie industry abuses legitimate sources of their own media and hasn't got the grasp on dealing with piracy. What chance to video games have?

 

[NEREVAR117]

So, this morning as I ate my breakfast I was thinking (as you do) and something occurred to me, the business model of every video store ever is based on something that could be defined to be piracy.

Think about it, with pirating, one person originally buys the product (game, movie, cd, whatever) and then decides to share it with everyone, the publisher gets no additional payments. With a video store, the store buys a copy and then rents it out (at a fee no less, the nerve!) to whomever wants it, now correct me if I'm wrong, but the publisher still isn't getting any additional income after that sale.

So, what do you think?

Shhh, don't point that out. It makes people very, very angry for some reason. It's OK for a business to do things like this because they have the money to sway opinions.

 

[Mittenz]

So, this morning as I ate my breakfast I was thinking (as you do) and something occurred to me, the business model of every video store ever is based on something that could be defined to be piracy.

Think about it, with pirating, one person originally buys the product (game, movie, cd, whatever) and then decides to share it with everyone, the publisher gets no additional payments. With a video store, the store buys a copy and then rents it out (at a fee no less, the nerve!) to whomever wants it, now correct me if I'm wrong, but the publisher still isn't getting any additional income after that sale.

So, what do you think?

I hope to god you're joking. In case you're not, I'll explain.

Video rental stores pay heavy licensing fees. That's enough to kill the comparison.

Pretty much this. They have to pay them for the right to rent out the movies

 

[antidonkey]

Ravensheart pretty much has the correct answer on this one. If you still rent from a video store, next time you rent a DVD, call them up a few days later and say you lost it. Then ask how much it will cost to replace it. You'll be a bit shocked at the figure they give you.