The shift towards online distribution has significant implications for the film industry, with many studios and producers now opting for simultaneous theatrical and streaming releases. This trend is likely to continue, with more and more films being made available online on the same day as their theatrical release.
In the United States, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act (2020) have made illegal downloading and streaming a felony in some cases. While individual downloaders are rarely targeted, copyright holders are now aggressively pursuing ISPs to issue warnings and throttle internet speeds for repeat offenders.
: For story-focused films (which the Saw series is often categorized as), high-quality piracy can lead to as much as a 30% decline in daily box-office returns. In contrast, "spectacle" films often see a slight increase in revenue (about 13%) due to the promotional effect of word-of-mouth.
The proliferation of online piracy has had a profound impact on the film industry, with many studios and producers losing significant revenue due to illicit downloads and streaming. According to a report by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the global film industry lost an estimated $29.2 billion in revenue due to piracy in 2019 alone.