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Pirates happy to rip off 'big movie companies'

Updated: 2011-03-08 15:11

(Agencies)

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LOS ANGELES  - You've heard of Big Oil and Big Tobacco. Welcome to Big Movies.

In a survey released Monday, 36% of the people who engage in the piracy of films and TV shows over the Internet say one reason they do it is because they don't want to "contribute to the profits of big movie companies."

The data come from PricewaterhouseCoopers, which polled 202 people ages 18-59 who admit to online piracy.

Those who use the Internet to steal movies and TV shows are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to do the deed, and 81% who steal content say they will continue to do so in the future, the study shows.

The digital pirates say they might stop stealing such content if movies were priced at a maximum of $3 and TV shows at $1.

While some pirates say they have at least a modicum of sympathy for the studio investors and employees that they are ripping off, it's not enough to curb their illicit behavior. Only one-third say they even feel bad about driving up the cost of content for other consumers.

"Everyone does it" was one primary reason they gave for their piracy. PWC also opines that videos available free with ads have led to confusion about what's pirated and what's not.

Among the "concerns" of pirates, nothing frightens them more than the thought that they might infect their computers by engaging in piracy.

Also near the top of the list: the chance of getting into legal trouble; having to sit through a poor-quality stream or download; and the nagging feeling that they are "doing something wrong."

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