The surge in media piracy is attributed to streaming services like Max, Disney+, and Hulu removing popular titles, leading viewers to seek alternative channels. Examples include HBO's "Westworld" pulled from Max and Warner Brothers shelving "Bat Girl." Subscribers' frustration over content access and shifting titles contributes to the rise.
Despite piracy levels still below those of five years ago, a trend reversal is noted, especially after a 2021 upswing reported by the European Union Intellectual Property Office. Geographic restrictions, caused by licensing "silos," further impact content availability, emphasizing the need for a more consumer-friendly streaming industry.
“Subscribers feel exhaustion and frustration when they can’t access ‘their content,’ or when titles—even titles produced for a streaming service — are dropped from that streaming service, or when titles bounce around from one streamer to another,” director Alfred Giancarli told the outlet.
“I think there are lots of reasons why people download or use digital file sharing to access movies,” Giancarli said. “From ease-of-use, cost- and space-saving, because the film may not be available where they live or may be too expensive to obtain through traditional means.”
A new report Saturday revealed that film piracy has reached its highest point since 2019 and the cause behind it is due to streaming services.
“Current piracy levels are still nowhere near what they were five years ago,” Ernesto Van der Sar, editor of the trade publication TorrentFreak, told The Daily Beast.
However, in 2021, the European Union Intellectual Property Office revealed that piracy was once again on the upswing