Media and Piracy

On the last day of March, someone leaked out the unedited version of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which is due to come out on May 1, 2009. Immediately fans denounced the leaked movie and so did Fox, who are producing the movie. But one question bothers me. Being a high budgeted movie it is no doubt that security for the film must have been tight. With that said,  how was someone able to leak it with security that high?

Just last month, a bit torrent tracking  site called the Pirate Bay was sued by a media group in Switzerland.  Initially this media group charged them with piracy and some other innumerable account that did not stand in court for less than a week. Among the charges that were dropped was Piracy. A big win for any bit torrent tracking site.  With that charge dropped, they lost the main purpose they sued The Pirate Bay.

With this battle lost, major media corporations see only the negatives in bit torrent.  The leaking of the Wolverine movie  demonstrates how bit torrent facilitates file sharing, but does not prove that its sole existence is for piracy.  Whether or not Fox intentionally leaked the movie  is much speculation because the whole issue of piracy in the U.S. is once again starting to surge again. Fox and other media groups are claiming that this leak will cost them billions, and that they feel sorry for the people who worked on the movie because of the money they will lose out on a lot of money.  Sure this thing could back fire on them if the movie ticket sales are record breaking.  But to be honest, those who have downloaded the movie say that it is completely unedited which makes them want to just go see the movie even more. The leak has also created the most hype on the web greater than that of the Iron Man, which itself broke ticket records.

I will happily wait for the outcome when the movie comes out in the U.S.  If it breaks box office records I will be part of that statistic and will point and laugh at Hollywood Media companies for acting like