Why is online piracy so easily accessible?

[Stevie Wonder]

Many moons ago, when I was a teenager, I had a family holiday in Malta. While the rest of my family sunned themselves and toured the island, I, a movie-mad teenager, clocked on that most stores on the island had bootleg VHS copies of films that hadn't even hit general release in the UK.
I bought several films. In fact I think I went back with about four cassettes. The big blockbuster of the year then was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but I'd also taken a shedload of other titles home with me that year too.
On a return visit to Malta, a few years later, I gleaned the country's customs and revenue had tightened their grip. Sales of these pirate copies were reduced to flimsy sea-front stalls and Luqa Airport had strict signs warning of the consequences of taking home hookie tapes.
Nowadays, this seems so pase! It couldn't be easier to watch a new release illegally. Two days ago, I went to see Avatar at the cinema. In 3D. Although, if you wanted to see it in 2D, like the multitude of other films on release, you need only visit certain websites. Some of which even allow you to download these impressively High Definition bootlegs and burn them to DVD. There is no wonder copies are flogged at Sunday markets and car boot sales! It is, to put it quite frankly, disgusting. There was a time when this would have excited me, but no more!
And also, what's with the adverts for legit sites like 888Poker etc that link to these illegally online shared films?
Why is it these sites are still operational? Why are they not stamped out?

 

[~Carrie~ has 5]

Because The Internet can't be Policed that easily. (It's rather large)

 

[Wtekal Aooriq]

So you used to view illegal films , now you've seen the light , and you are damning anyone who still views these films.

You also still look at illegal download sites , so you can moan about their advertising.

To quote my gran ' no one moans about smoking more than an ex smoker'.

 

[hooka]

Ha-ha, you got me there. !!
I'm not trying to preach. (and also, incidentally, I'd just sparked up a fag tonight after three weeks of being cig-free!)

Yes, I do still look at these sites (occasionally). I even watched '2012' on one the other day. Glad I didn't pay for it, as it is an insult to the brain! But that wasn't my point. Maybe I wasn't clear. I rarely am.
What surprises (and I suppose the 'disgust' element) me is that these sites are so nonchelant and blase. They act like there has never been a problem with internet piracy and that it's all fine.
Some of these films have clickable links next to them that say 'download this movie'. Then, when you come off the site, there are five-or-so pop-up windows on your monitor, for very reputable blue-chip companies.
I guess I'm just surprised at the ease, that's all.

 

[Salamander Way]

I understand your point. There was a time when buying pirate VHSs abroad was the ultimate in naughtiness and brought on heart palpitations when coming back through customs but today downloading in minutes a perfect DVD-quality awarRAB screener of a movie that's not even released in the cinema yet is a trivial activity.

I'm more interested in what happened to Video Nasties.

Once was the time that importing VHSs from the US of, say, Driller Killer would render you liable to a customs seizure at the very least. A desire to watch certain films put you in the same league as pedophiles and rapists. Today even if the movie doesn't have a certificate (Grotesque, anyone?) you can order a perfect DVD online from the US or Asia and it will arrive quite happily in all its uncut glory. Or you can download it in minutes. And nobody bats an eyelid. In fact, more people in the UK probably got to see Grotesque because it was refused a certificate than if they'd just passed the thing.

What has happened?