Why pay money to watch a movie when you can watch it free online? Is it smarter to be safe, or smarter to save money?

To some, paying for Net Flicks or Blockbuster is easier than searching the internet and trying site after site to find a movie. Renting really isn't that expensive in the first place, and pirating isn't worth the trouble. To others, particularly college students, spending money is limited. Any chance of saving money will be taken advantage of.

"There are two kinds of people in life... People that pay money to watch movies, and people that don't..."
- Anonymous

To understand both sides of it, an understanding of why streaming is illegal must first be explained.

Pirating is a violation of copyright. It is unauthorized use of material that has been protected by copyright law, in a way that violates the owners rights. Downloading movies without paying is piracy. Some believe that streaming technically isn’t downloading, therefore it is legal. This statement if false. The movie is being downloaded, not saved, but downloaded never-the-less, while it is being watched. Arggh! That’s piracy. Still, it is not to be confused with theft. One streaming videos does not physically control what is under copyright, and does not disable the owner from using it.

So what exactly are the consequences of pirating? It’s illegal, but it doesn’t mean anyone is going to go to jail for watching a free movie. The result of pirating is this: The suspect will be prohibited from the use of the illegal copies, the illegal copies will be destroyed, and the amount of any damages and profits will be paid to the holder of the copyright. This essentially is directed toward those who download, copy, and distribute and/or sell an item that is under copyright.

To stream or not to stream? There are pros and cons to each side, and I will list at least 3 for each.

Not to stream:
The pros: better quality film, it’s legal, no searching of the internet
The cons: it costs money, it can involve the need to leave the house, it can involve waiting

To stream:
The pros: it’s free, it’s convenient, no need to wait, no need to leave the house
The cons: it’s illegal, it requires internet and a slight knowledge of it, the quality is not as good

Is it a lack of moral responsibility to watch videos online free or simply a smarter way to be entertained? The answer to this question is essentially up to the individual.