Page 12 - 2015-12

Piracy is a “raging bushfire” that threatens to destroy the local
film industry, according to Village Roadshow's co-CEO Graham
Burke.
By Jackie Keast article from: if.com.au

“At this stage, piracy in Australia is virtually
unchecked,” Burke told delegates at the
Australian International Movie Convention
on Monday.
In addition, Burke said Australians had tak-
en to piracy at a far greater per capita rate
than "anywhere else in the world”.
He pointed to the example of Mad Max:
Fury Road. In Australia, the Academy award winning film has been downloaded or illegally
streamed 3.5 million times – compared to 516,396 unit sales through DVD, pay-per-view or
legal streaming.
And while there had been a decline in piracy among adults over the last year with the rise
of Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) platforms, among 12 – 17 year olds rates had
almost doubled – with 31 per cent pirating movies.
Burke, who is also chair of Creative Content Australia, warned that without action, piracy
could soon spell havoc for local feature film production.
“Already a number of companies and individuals have been put out of business,” he said.
“The Australian film 100 Bloody Acres was watched in cinemas by a fraction of the thousands
who illegally downloaded it. The team behind it were devastated because the drop revenue
impacted their ability to finance their next film.”
Burke called film pirates thieves, stating they “employ no one, pay no Australian tax and are
criminals”.
However, he told delegates he was confident the industry could “eliminate the multi-million
dollar income these leeches skim” and “bring this plague under control”.
He noted the example of Korea, a market where piracy was once so bad many cinema
exhibitors were in hot water and home entertainment shut down.
“The government and industry got together and… cinemas are now up 50 per cent in
attendance on where they were at the worst. The streaming and the home entertainment
sector is a powerhouse and local production is dynamic,” he said.
In the fight against piracy, Burke acknowledged that content must be provided to audiences
in a timely manner and at a fair price. He noted it was positive that Australia’s theatrical
windows had closed in on America’s, and that digital platforms were creating a more
competitive landscape.
Burke also thanked the Federal Government and the Opposition for their bipartisan support
to allow site blocking.

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