Who is Hurt by Bootleg DVDs and Illegal Downloads?

Me! Yeppers me, me, me. I do not feel bad for Jammie Thomas, Fox News , not one little bit. Our heath insurance is going up again and the benefits are headed south. Why? Why else? Money.

Now before you say "it only hurts the big, mean, nasty record companies and movie studios" ... STOP, you're just wrong. You're wrong because of residuals and media unions. My husband is in one of the media unions and our insurance is through it.

Performers don't get paid just the day they show up, they also get income when something is aired, put on DVD or CD, or downloaded. It may seem small, and really the performers cut is small, but it adds up. This is how people can afford to live and maintain insurance between jobs, most media jobs are not 9-5.

I'm not talking about big stars. I'm talking about the work-a-day actors, voice actors and a lot of behind the scenes people. When someone gets income from a performance or residual they pay into a Health and Retirement program, Pension Fund, etc., just like most everyone else. So when you buy a bootleg DVD, illegally download something or otherwise steal media you aren't screwing the "big bad corporations", they already have plenty of money. You're screwing me and my family.

The less money everyone pays into the collective funds, the more expensive heath insurance gets for us all. It also gets harder to negotiate contracts for fair wages. These companies can cry poverty because of all the lost revenue and use that as an excuse to pay people less. Not everyone who works is radio, TV, films, etc. makes the big bucks, the vast majority barely make a living. They work for a union negotiated MINIMUM.

So the next time you see a folding table of cheap bootleg DVDs and CDs on the sidewalk do me a favor, don't buy one and call the cops. Next time you think it's not worth $1.99 to download a song you can steal for free, think about someone waiting too long to see a doctor because the co-pays went up again. Don't even get me started on the Chinese imports on eBay.