Update: All of the below is still true, but Rob Thomas and company have mooted my petty theft in this Kickstarter project update. In the event that it is only available to backers, the relevant portion is this:
“We understand that some of you prefer other platforms or services for watching digital content. If you contact our Customer Support team, they can help.”
I’ve tweeted a sort-of apology to Rob Thomas already, but to make it plain for anybody looking over the distribution and piracy records of the recent Veronica Mars film, I pirated your movie.
To Rob Thomas, Kristen Bell, Jason Dohring, the entire cast, and even to the distribution guys at Warner Brothers, I sincerely apologize for what will probably show up in your records as theft. For the record, I helped Kickstart the movie, and pledged at the $35 level, which entitled me to a digital download of the film.
I received that digital download, just as advertised, though the process itself was quite convoluted. I waited all day for an email, which contained a digital key. After receiving the key, then I had to sign up for two (seemingly) separate websites, only to find out that I need to download a player, or have an UltraViolet compatible device. My Apple TV is not a compatible device, and, well, I don’t think me and the wife would enjoy watching it huddled around my MacBook.
It’s worth noting, of course, that I *could* watch it on my Apple TV, if I bought *another* copy from iTunes, but while I certainly don’t mind giving Rob Thomas and company more of my money, I noticed at the same time a discussion on Hacker News, indicating that it was available, pirated, for free. As I’ve already bought a copy, and would very much like to watch it, that seemed like the way to go, at least for the short term. I’ll probably by the copy on iTunes at some point, if only so I can keep it stored in the cloud.
(Edit: I have now purchased a copy on iTunes)
I understand that there are likely forces outside of the control of the creators of this strip, and I certainly understand that even though the series was itself Kickstarted, it’s a certainty that Warner Brothers still owns the rights, and still probably fronted a non-negligible amount of coin in either its manufacture or distribution. I don’t generally pirate things, whether movies, songs, or software. I live a comfortable enough life that I can either pay for the things I want or go without them. It’s also worth noting that I very sincerely respect your property rights. As a software developer who makes things himself, and likes to be paid for that work, I would certainly not desire to steal from someone whose work gives me such joy.
I suspect that a generous court, if I were sued, would chalk this up to an exercise of the Fair Use Doctrine. I Kickstarted the project, was told I’d be provided a digital copy, and just need it in a different format. Of course, our legal system is riddled with insanity, so it’s just as (or more) likely that I could be forced to pay damages to Warner Brothers of amounts I could not possibly be able to afford. Hopefully, this doesn’t happen. All I want to do is watch the movie I was promised on my television.
Either way, I want to extend a hearty “Thanks” to bringing back the show, in whatever format. It was truly one of my favorites, and went vastly underrated in its time. I was thrilled to see and be a part of its resurgence online, and almost salivated over the prospect of the movie while re-watching all the old Veronica Mars episodes I have on DVD (that should probably be on Netflix guys, DVD isn’t holding up so well).
If I have anyone’s ear, I would encourage you guys to do less DRM. If you absolutely *have* to use it (you don’t, see Louis CK’s recent efforts in this space), then at least make it something I can watch anywhere. Apple’s iTunes has DRM, and while I have to respect that, it has literally never once prevented me from consuming iTunes purchased goods however I wanted to… even on Windows.
While I would never have stolen your product without paying, in this case, I was driven to piracy for something I already paid for (again, sort of — I understand the nuance in ‘paying for’ a Kickstarted project). The DRM you impose, in my case, doesn’t get you another $35, but it does put another tick on the ‘number of illegal downloads’ box that I wish wasn’t there.
