“Black Widow” star Scarlett Johansson’s lawsuit against Disney listed “piracy” as one of the reasons she was against the makers releasing the Marvel film simultaneously in theatres and on Disney+. Pristine digital copies of the film were available within minutes of its release on the streaming platform.

SHABABA IQBAL

“Black Widow” was one of the most pirated movies of 2021.

Let’s be honest for a second: Most of us have downloaded pirated versions of various pieces of entertainment: classic movies, vast discographies, video games and popular TV shows, at one point or another.

As more and more streaming operators come to the market, often hiding their own content behind exclusive paywalls, the confusion and high cost of subscription risks driving users to piracy.

The theft of intellectual property does not necessarily mean that the owners have lost something physically, but that someone else is making money from their work. Pirate groups take someone else’s work, share it, and earn money by placing ads.

Most consumers would agree that stealing is illegal and that going into a store to take whatever you want is not something they would support. Why, then, is piracy so alarmingly common in today’s society?

If consumers lean towards pirated content, creators are not paid enough, which makes it difficult for new talented musicians to enter the industry. Many of us don’t sit through the credits at the end of any Marvel movie or our favourite TV shows. But, while we may not be hurting the actors’, producers’ or company CEOs’ pockets through piracy, we must not ignore the fact that a lot of other people’s labour goes into developing any source of entertainment that we enjoy.

When we pay for a movie ticket, or watch a film on our favourite streaming service, that is how the shift workers and technicians, the “little people” behind the film, get paid.

Global streaming giants like Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime too are now players in the Bangladeshi market. Local platforms like Chorki, Bioscope, Shadhin Music and Bongo BD, among others, are also making their mark. As we head into a new year, let’s make a conscious choice to consume content legally.