Just as the DVD revolutionized the movie industry, peer-to-peer (P2P) filesharing revolutionized the way that files are exchanged. It's no wonder, then, that the two have long gone hand in hand, with many people turning to P2P for free, easy access to movies. However, just as with the music industry, the movie industry has started taking the legal issues of unauthorized copying and distribution of their movies very seriously. This has led to an increased interest, both by businesses and consumers, in legal movie downloads.

It's the same battle still being fought by the music industry. Consumers want to be able to access their favorite entertainment titles quickly and conveniently, while distributors and film labels want to protect their products and their profits. In order to strike a balance between the two, new technology has been developed to make legal movie downloads possible without sacrificing the rights of the film industry.

The process isn't without sacrifices though. Many legal movie downloads are limited to the movie itself, lacking the special features that have made DVDs such a success. Additionally, limitations on what the consumer can do with the movie once it's downloaded are viewed as excessive by many consumers, who feel that they should have the right to do what they wish with their purchased files.

Many download services prevent consumers from burning their files to DVD discs, limiting their viewability to the machine to which they were originally downloaded. Some will allow DVDs to be created a limited number of times (often only once), or impose limitations on whether the files can be copied. Where DVDs can be transported just about anywhere, and viewed on any compatible machine, downloaded files aren't as easily portable, even if stored on a laptop. Another problem exists if a situation arises where the user has to reformat his machine; if they're unable to save the file in some way, they may have to repurchase the title or forfeit it altogether.

With these limitations, why are consumers still interested in legal movie downloads instead of pirated copies available via P2P? By downloading through approved, legal avenues, they're relatively assured that the file they get will be of high quality, and safe for use. P2P files are sometimes infected with viruses, or turn out not to be what they claim to be. Considering the lengthy time investment often associated with these downloads, this can be frustrating and disappointing. Legitimate downloads eliminate these concerns, and give customers the peace of mind in knowing that they have legally obtained their merchandise.

Because of this, the interest in legal movie downloads is on the rise. The film industry is still working on new ways to make movies available for download without compromising their sales, while customers are keen to find legal ways to obtain their movies without crippling limitations. As the trend towards downloadable entertainment continues, new technologies are developed to make it a winning proposition for all involved.

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