SOPA/PIPA shouldn't be the only reason, as noted in a throwaway line by the OP.<p>Here's why I haven't been to a movie in well over a year:<p>...Four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children's book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title.<p><a href="http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/the-day-the-movies-died-mark-harris#ixzz1kFPpQmsF" rel="nofollow">http://www.gq.com/entertainment/movies-and-tv/201102/the-day...</a><p>SOPA/PIPA just sent me from being indifferent about moviemakers to actively opposing them. And it goes deeper than just boycotting. I intend to donate money to campaigns of politicians who were always against these bills and to the EFF, the ACLU and other watchdogs that did a good job bringing it to our attention.
This will be an unpopular opinion, but in addition to boycotting Hollywood, why not also make it your mission to talk to each of your friends who illegally watch copyrighted films (according to US laws) about the cost of their actions? If the goal is to get hollywood to stop pushing completely absurd and not well thought-out laws through our system of government, then it seems to me that reducing piracy (through education) makes sense as part of a larger strategy.<p>Of course it is my experience that people who pirate content won't listen, but at least I try. To people who pirate, it's sort of like a single vote in an election... what does it matter if one person does or doesn't do it?<p>And FYI, I don't work for Hollywood, but my wife is an independent filmmaker (award winning in several major film festivals) and she invested her hard-earned money to complete her film -- as did her producers and their parents, etc.<p>When people steal her movie instead of watching it on iTunes or Netflix for a minuscule charge (and many people do indeed watch it illegally), then it's not any different than taking money (even if it's pennies per person) out of our pockets. Plus, her value as a director cannot be accurately measured because industry analytics don't include pirated content, and that makes it harder to prove her worth when she tries to line-up investors for her next film.
This article (and most of these Kill Hollywood ones) is just ridiculous. "Hollywood" (what does that even mean?) does not <i>want</i> to break the internet. They do not <i>want</i> to stifle free speech. They are not "mean".<p><i>They want to stop people from taking things that cost them a lot of money to make without paying for them.</i><p>It's that simple. They want people to either abstain from using their product (not ideal) or pay them for the use of it. This is what every business on the planet wants.<p>Instead, they invest billions of dollars making things that are in massive demand. They employ millions of people whose livelihoods depend on these products getting a return. They have a moral and legal obligation to protect the interests of their investors and their employees. Although 10 million illegal downloads is not 10 million legal sales lost, it is, without a doubt, <i>some</i> sales lost, and there are many billions of illegal downloads annually. These companies have moral and legal obligations to push for better enforcement against this illegal activity. And they do not have the answer to how to go about that effectively without causing problems in the process. It does not make them malicious people by default. Everyone on this forum knows that there is no perfect solution, and maybe it is a pointless pursuit, but it is just silly to act as if this massive industry, lead by people who feel every bit as responsible for their employees' families having food on their table as any other company's leaders, is supposed to just sit there and watch people illegally take their product without paying for it and do nothing.<p>Yes, we all want to make sure legislation like SOPA does not pass. But declaring a war on them is not going to help find amicable solutions. Saying you do not like their proposed solutions and then going back to business as usual, not proactively joining the conversation for how to reduce piracy, is not doing anything at all to keep the internet safe from the flawed solutions that they will continue to propose out of obligation to their shareholders and employees.<p>If you really want to protect the internet, the two best things you can do are stop pirating things you didn't pay for, and start contributing ideas and solutions to the issue of piracy that have as few unintended consequences as possible.
When capitalism is dominant and the bottom-line is money, this is the logical first line of reponse. If you don't agree with a company's actions, withdraw financial support. If enough people do it, it can make a difference. In this world, there are many means of entertainment, especially with the internet. Movies can be replaced; it may be a sacrifice, it may be something else, but it won't be supporting groups whose actions endanger the great endeavor that is the internet.
This service could be very helpful then: <a href="http://www.fandor.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.fandor.com/</a><p>They let you subscribe to vouched-for indie films.
I've also boycotted hollywood but SOPA / PIPA wasn't the reason why. I refuse to patronize hollywood because the DOJ is reaching across international borders to prosecute a young man who had the audacity to run a website containing links that the MPAA didn't like. I cannot in good conscience support an industry that is so hell bent on restricting the progress of technology simply because their outdated business model no longer works. And I used to see 8-10 movies a month so I hope the studios are happy with their decisions. Because I'm happy with mine.
My response to the "Kill Hollywood" and "Boycott Hollywood" rants: Kill Y Combinator. <a href="http://blog.moviegoer.com/post/16333492475/kill-y-combinator" rel="nofollow">http://blog.moviegoer.com/post/16333492475/kill-y-combinator</a>
I wonder if buying used movies (used DVDs / Bluray) would let us have our cake and eat it too? From the little I know, only the retailer or the individual re-selling them makes a profit, and not the studios.
What about consuming Hollywood movies through legal, online means such as Amazon.com video? You'd still get to watch the movies while giving a vote to legal online streaming.
My daughter just pointed me at Black March[1]. I'm ready to give my attention and dollars to people who aren't trying to take away my liberties.<p>[1] <a href="http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3499120" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3499120</a>
I am surprised that this was not put forth by more people as a way to protest actions of the MPAA. This is not only reasonable but something more people should be doing as well. Personally I have been boycotting movies since November.