A public open-source NGO owned media online service, that distributes movies on the web for a small fee legitimately, giving the producer or copywrite owner their fair share.

This is for people who don't like the semi criminal feeling of torrent sites. Amazon.com doesn't have all the movies you see in Bittorrent or MegaVideo. And with those two your always on the verge of viruses / trojan horses / software cracks / viagra sales.

For free viewers, use programs like the "time limit " in MegaVideo or "considerate" advertising - like in Facebook.

This NGO would be similar to wikipedia, a public service that millions of people would need, and even pay for.

OK, I know: The problem is content being stolen. Well the Torrent and MegaVideo guys (I'm sure they're guys) don't seem to be scared. Why should the legit be?

Besides, with online viewings, there are 1001 ways to mark the movie and prove that it was stolen if it was ripped off the site, maybe even who ripped it, as well as making a new player and a new stream every month, so that at least the "legit" viewers don't steal the "legit" content directly. The "garbling" part of the viewer would be really tiny, so no lengthy downloads needed.

And then again, there are millions of people who just want to watch the movie without being or even feeling like a criminal.
-- pashute, May 31 2010

Streaming_20Commercials_20Website [FlyingToaster, May 31 2010]

For TV reruns and movies that have already raked it in at the box office, a 3rd-party internet distribution point sounds viable, likewise even a new episode of a popular TV series could be distributed for fee and/or bundled commercials. <half-link>

But I don't think a blockbuster that just hit the theatres could even start to be considered. I'm pretty sure that MGM's take on each theatre ticket is measured in dollars, not cents: letting an unknown amount of people watch their bread'n'butter and letting them keep a copy in case they want to watch/show it again... colour me skeptical.

//open source// what do you mean by that in this context ?

//people who don't like the semi criminal feeling// so we'll remove the word "semi" shall we ?

//free viewers// well that certainly streamlines the accounting process.
-- FlyingToaster, May 31 2010


OK so not MGM, all the old movies. How many "legitimate" people use torrent. They don't break into other people's homes. They don't speed where there are pedestrians. They don't even evade taxes. (Well, maybe that IS criminal). Simply put, they are not criminals. But sneaking a peek at movies with torrent or MegaVideo (especially if they pay for it, and many do!) - I find it hard to get people I talk to, to realize there is something wrong with it.

Most "legit" users, would agree to wait for the real movies to come out. And btw the new movies could be distributed with a special security system and higher pay, and some kind of lower resolution. That could stop the hackers. You can't "break in" to lower resolution, and will have to wait for the release version.
-- pashute, Jun 01 2010


Thanks for the link to the "Streaming Commercials Website" I seem to be banging into your ideas every time. And that was posted about a month ago?!

Open source software, particularly with safety, gives the public the knowledge that there are no sneaky viruses/trojans/whatnot in the software, and on the other hand allows for security procedures that cannot be broken and can constantly change. That is for the "anti piracy usage".

And BTW, I'm an "anti advertisement" activist.

For the "theft catching" - where someone shows what you broadcast, on some other channel, and you want to prove it, I would brand the CONTENT ("watermark it"), so that the software (server and client) would never notice.

The site itself would have no personal made content, only requests from users to check out commercial or non commercial material. The site admins would be contacting the material owners to put material up.
-- pashute, Jun 01 2010


Am I the only Brit who keeps reading this as "Leg it download"? Which would be the opposite of the intention.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 01 2010


I'm not anti-ads per se, just anti-ad where no ads should be. Since the two biggest broadband ISP's 'round here are also the two biggest cable/sat providers I'm a bit puzzled as to why this sort of thing (either yours or mine or some combination thereof) isn't in place already. Maybe they think they'd lose the cable/sat customers who only watch a couple shows per week.

[MB] legislate gondwanaland ?
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 02 2010


nerfix and hulu are for private movies. Legitamate is 4 commercial movies.

So whats an alternative name suitable 4 brits?
-- pashute, Jun 02 2010


//So whats an alternative name suitable 4 brits?// probably something like "frightfullyusefulandcom pletelylegaldownloads.com"
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Jun 02 2010


Leg It Download? So you have to walk to the server hosting the files and get them on a USB drive to take back home?

EDIT: Oops. What Max said. Except for the Brit thing.
-- swimswim, Jun 03 2010


Wow, 4 bones. I'll soon have a full fish. Is there nobody on HB who likes it?! FToast could you give me a token bun?

OK, renamed "LegalDownoads.com"
-- pashute, Jun 07 2010


Well... you did cover the bases (page advertising for revenue generation along with low-res and time-limited viewing for goodwill generation) that I didn't use, but it still reads as "let's do this then the rights-owners can't (or can't be bothered to) complain" rather than "let's work a deal with amenable rights owners (and get the original content from them in the first place)".

//MegaVideo guys... don't seem to be scared//
MV is a user-upload site and like YouTube they will take down illegal copies of content when somebody complains... of course for the amount of money they must spend on lawyers to keep pretending that that method is legal ("gee Mr. Customs Officer, nobody told me there was half a ton of cocaine in my car"), they could easily hire people to vet incoming posts and have it actually *be* legal (vis-a-vis commercial media production companies) *and* have money left over.

Of course that's no protection for somebody whose home-video is now all over the 'net unbeknownst to them.
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 07 2010



random, halfbakery