<p>To save money that I will desperately need in college, I am considering cancelling my Netflix account, to which I lose $9 per month. Is there a wide selection of DVDs at Widener or other Harvard libraries? Do a lot of students check out films from the libraries instead of spending money on rentals? Thanks in advance for any help!</p>
<p>I can’t answer your question, but I can add on to it with another question. Out of general curiosity, ethically, if you were capable of checking out a film or book for free at a library, would you feel morally wrong downloading that movie illegally online?</p>
<p>Interesting question. I honestly don’t know how to answer that. People generally don’t consider borrowing movies and CDs from the library immoral, yet it’s essentially the same thing as downloading them illegally, isn’t it? Not paying the artists for their work.</p>
<p>I can’t answer anything about Harvard’s libraries, but I think I can answer intenex’s question.</p>
<p>Libraries pay for the DVDs through our taxes, so in effect we are paying for them. But I’m not sure if the libraries and other rental stores (Netflix, Blockbuster, etc) have to pay extra to be able to rent them… Maybe there’s some small royalty fee. Either way, the movie producers do receive some compensation from the libraries.</p>
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<p>Not at all. The library has the rights to the film, and is thus granted the ability to rent out the film at a price which is determined by its own discretion. You don’t keep the movie when you borrow it from the library, and there was at one point some transaction which occurred in order for the library to get the rights to the film. When you download a movie illegally, you do it completely unbeknownst to the copyright owner and without their permission. It’s totally different on a lot of levels.</p>
<p>there is quite a large collection of movies - you can search them up at HOLLIS ([HOLLIS](<a href=“http://discovery.lib.harvard.edu/]HOLLIS[/url]”>http://discovery.lib.harvard.edu/)</a>). the fdo also has a collection, as well as most houses. how quickly they are updated with new movies i’m not so sure. though honestly, you likely wont have time to watch a movie everyday or something like that.</p>
<p>the only movie rental store in the square just closed, so we don’t exactly rent movies here (and i havent heard of anyone who uses netflix)</p>
<p>I’ve never really seen new movies in Harvard’s collection. But if you’re looking for classics you can probably find them.</p>
<p>How strict are Harvard on allowing students to download/stream stuff online; or rather, is it easy to work around whatever procedures they have up?</p>
<p>I stream movies online all the time but I’m a bit nervous about downloading. I’m sure there are ways to work around it if you’re that desperate.</p>
<p>Streamings perfect; but I wasn’t sure if one is allowed to do it.</p>
<p>What speeds can you get by the way at Harvard (on average)?</p>
<p>Widener has a pretty random but interesting set of recent/popular movies + TV (full seasons of Seinfeld + Family Guy, for example).</p>
<p>As for downloading - Harvard’s network is speedy, especially if you plug in. It wasn’t unusual for me to get 2 megabytes/second download on a popular torrent. The wireless networks in dorms can get somewhat overloaded + limit your speeds.</p>
<p>Harvard has a relatively relaxed policy re: illegal downloading. They’ll only get mad at you if they receive a cease + desist from a copyright owner for something you downloaded. The first time this happens, they send you a nasty email warning. The second time (supposedly!) you lose internet access - which just means you have to register your computer through a friends name. I knew a lot of obsessive torrenters, but I don’t think any of them actually lost their accounts.</p>
<p>And (i guess this is less of an issue these days, as lawsuits are far more rare), no Harvard student has ever been sued for copyright infringement. There was a theory floating around that the MPAA/RIAA wanted to avoid going against the lawyers at the [Berkman</a> Center](<a href=“http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/]Berkman”>http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/) - like Charlie Nesson + co. Now that Nesson is blowing his copyright trial, this might hold less weight.</p>
<p>Thanks! That was very helpful :)</p>