Ruth Vitale, Executive Director of Creative Future, the grass-roots coalition which unites those who value American creativity and innovation in the fight against content theft, has welcomed publication of a study from KPMG – Film and TV Title Availability in the Digital Age – which reveals that the vast majority of the most popular films and television shows are actually legally available online for US audiences.

“One of the most frequent rationalisations for online piracy made by some consumers of pirated material – and advanced by opponents of copyright – is lack of availability,” she noted, suggesting the results were “exciting and welcome news” for audiences and artists alike. .

According to Creative Future, everyone in the creative community benefits from a vibrant legal online marketplace where audiences pay for creative works. “Not only does it allow us to be compensated for our efforts, it also leads to investment in new projects, and ultimately, more choices for consumers,” it says.

Creative Future notes that the study did not include other legal options for consuming online content, such as subscription-based TV Everywhere services or free online catch-up TV provided by networks, which means even more online choices are currently available than what was reviewed by KPMG.

By detailing the tremendous progress toward making content available when, where, and how audiences want them, the study demonstrates exactly why the lack of availability argument has become increasingly hollow, suggests the trade body.

“An important part of CreativeFuture’s mission is to promote expanded access to content in ways that reward creativity and hard work. And that’s a big part of reducing piracy,” it declares.

“However, there is ample proof that making a film or show available legally does not mean people will pay for it. No one in the creative community is immune to piracy. Even Netflix, with extensive digital offerings for only $8-12 a month, has been hit by record levels of piracy (see numbers for Orange is the New Black and Breaking Bad),” it advises.

“That is why it is imperative for creatives to speak up about the value of creativity to our culture and economy – and to raise awareness about legal online alternatives. And why, as a community, we need to make it harder for pirate site operators to stay in business – by encouraging legitimate companies, such as advertisers and credit card companies, to do their part in stopping the flow of revenue to pirate sites,” it concludes.

Categories: Articles, Consumer Behaviour, Content, Markets, Piracy, Research, Rights