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0 pointssteveklabnik15y ago0 comments

He did. It was also available to download for free on the Internet.

"No IP" does not mean "You can't charge for things." Enough people would rather go to a movie theater than get on Bittorrent that he made his money back.

Side note: I was one of those people. I wear Pirate Bay tshirts around, I'd throw out all IP law if I was in charge... but I did pay money to go to the theater to see Avatar. Going to the theater and getting that crazy huge screen, great sound system, and (maybe) the 3D was totally worth it.

0 comments

teamonkey15y ago

The fact that it worked for one movie does not mean that it would work any other movie.

The hook with Avatar was that it was a spectacle deliberately designed to be seen in 3D on the biggest screen possible, to the extent that there's very little point not seeing it in a movie theatre.

It's a unique example and its impact (and profitability) would be lessened by a) competition by similar movies and b) greater adoption of home 3D hardware.

steveklabnikOP15y ago

Absolutely. There's no question that without IP, things would be different. The real question is if it would be a better or worse world.

alanh15y ago

In my mind, the answer is “better” if we also no longer need to worry about money (that is, a post-capitalist system). I’m not sure about the meantime.

1 more reply

Yzupnick15y ago

>Enough people would rather go to a movie theater then get on Bittorrent

True, but i guarantee that Movie theaters would rather get on Bittorrent rather than pay millions of dollars in fees to James Cameron. The only thing stopping them is IP laws.

alanh15y ago

Fascinating his wife’s movie, released the same year, actively litigated those who shared the movie online.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 pointssteveklabnik15y ago0 comments

He did. It was also available to download for free on the Internet.

"No IP" does not mean "You can't charge for things." Enough people would rather go to a movie theater than get on Bittorrent that he made his money back.

0 comments

teamonkey15y ago

The fact that it worked for one movie does not mean that it would work any other movie.

It's a unique example and its impact (and profitability) would be lessened by a) competition by similar movies and b) greater adoption of home 3D hardware.

steveklabnikOP15y ago

Absolutely. There's no question that without IP, things would be different. The real question is if it would be a better or worse world.

alanh15y ago

In my mind, the answer is “better” if we also no longer need to worry about money (that is, a post-capitalist system). I’m not sure about the meantime.

1 more reply

Yzupnick15y ago

>Enough people would rather go to a movie theater then get on Bittorrent

True, but i guarantee that Movie theaters would rather get on Bittorrent rather than pay millions of dollars in fees to James Cameron. The only thing stopping them is IP laws.

alanh15y ago

Fascinating his wife’s movie, released the same year, actively litigated those who shared the movie online.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse