COVID-19 has caused an overall economic downturn, and upheavals in various industries. From airlines to local businesses, the effects of the shutdown have been drastic, making it hard for companies to operate. However, as more and more people are under stay-at-home orders, one industry has experienced a huge boost: piracy.
“The economy is in the dumps right now,” said Michael Silva, a treasury department official, “so it’s nice to know that one area is doing well. Some people might say that the success of piracy is taking money away from other areas, like streaming platforms and local movie theaters, but I think competition is important for economic growth. The whole ‘charging people for things’ model is so outdated. I think that any company that fails to adapt kind of deserves to die.”
Critics of piracy have repeatedly cited the hard work that goes into making movies and TV shows as a reason that the actors, producers, scriptwriters, cameramen, and the myriad of other people involved in the industry deserve to be paid. However, many Hollywood professionals disagree.
“Making movies is a labor of love,” said Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios and the producer of most of their blockbusters. “I don’t do it to make a living. If I have to live in a tent and subsist off of instant ramen and half-eaten burritos I find in the trash, I will. In fact, stop giving me money. It distracts me from my life’s mission of making entertainment purely for the enjoyment of the masses.”
However, there have been increased attempts to suppress piracy. Most recently, KissAnime, a popular streaming site devoted to anime and Asian dramas, was shut down.
“KissAnime was my childhood,” said East Chapel Hill junior Wendy Ivanov. “Watching what I want to watch, when I want to watch it, is a basic human right. Hiding movies and TV shows behind paywalls is a violation of my freedoms under the American Constitution. Now what am I supposed to do? Buy my entertainment? This is an outrage.”
Despite the pushback, many industry aficionados agree that piracy is here to stay.
“It’s a great area to be in right now, and I can only see things going up from here,” said economist Rachel Cheng. “It’s a huge boost to the industry; that is, unless you’re actually involved making, selling, or promoting entertainment media in any way.”
Photo courtesy of jdnx/Flickr
