Pirated Movie Crackdown

Pirated. Bootlegs. Unauthorized versions. There are more than a few names for illegal copies of movies these days. And with the insane price of new DVDs in the Kingdom, it’s no wonder the pirated movie industry is thriving.

I found it slightly ironic when the king’s bright yellow anti-piracy posters began cropping up all over Amman last fall. After all, you could still walk down to Shmesani and purchase any number of pirated movies directly off the street. At the time, it looked like the government was putting up an honorable public front and yet turning a blind eye to the real problem. Lately, however, it seems that the authorities are cracking down on illegal movie sales.

A friend of mine visited her local “movie dealer” the other day only to find that their stock of bootleg movies had been confiscated by the authorities. Many “movie dealers” have been relegated to under-the-table sales. But considering the average cost of a new DVD is around 20JD (over $28), it’s no wonder that most people are willing to purchase a lower quality version for 1JD.

Compare the cost of a DVD in Jordan to the average cost of a new DVD in the United States: about $15. Even specialized titles such as director’s cuts or extended versions rarely cost more than $20. And if you don’t mind waiting for a couple months after the DVD is released, you might be able to get the movie for around $10 or find it in Wal-Mart’s “bargain bin” for as low as $5.

I believe that the high cost is only part—although a large part—of the problem. Movie availability and late release dates are other contributors. When a movie doesn’t show up in theaters for months after it debuts in other countries—if at all—people will find alternative ways of viewing the film.

I personally don’t care for the low quality screeners and camera versions of pirated movies. I hate watching a movie where the sound is extremely poor, where people stand up in front of the camera in the middle of a movie to use the bathroom, or where the studio screener disclaimer is scrolling across the bottom. I go to great lengths to purchase legitimate versions of movies. Most of the time, that requires that I purchase cheaper versions from the United States and have them mailed over. Most people don’t have this capability, however, and so are left with the option of low cost, low quality, pirated versions as opposed to over-inflated official movies.

If the government wants to cut down on movie piracy, they’re going to have to pressure movie theaters into releasing a wider variety of films on time, as well as convince retailers to reduce the pricing of legitimate DVDs. That’s easier said than done, of course, as there are many middle factors that need to be considered. My point is, the government is going to have to do more than randomly confiscate some movies from local vendors in order to take care of the problem of movie piracy.