6 Types of Pirates Hollywood Combats

Verance, a technology company that works with studios to prevent content theft, has identified six types of pirates, and suggested ways Hollywood can thwart their illicit activity.

Verance determined the types based on a consumer survey intended to figure out why so many people watch pirated copies of movies and TV shows. The types range from No Big Deals to Library Builders, with the former the biggest category.

So what is Hollywood to do? Verance recommends that it make legitimate copies of movies easier to find and cheaper. People do not want to pay $10-15 to buy a movie using iTunes or Hollywood's own clunky service when they can find it online for nothing (or close to it).

Convenience trumps cost, according to Verance, and that is one area in which the company argues its “curtailment and conversion technologies” can help.

The report's central argument, that Hollywood can deter people from pirating movies and TV shows, is important to an industry that acknowledges it has lost the public relations battle. Most people believe piracy is acceptable, and stream or download copies of movies they want to see.