As an observer of the "Copyright Wars" and the "download generation", I find it amazing that the studios have not bent to the inevitable and looked at ways to profit from the many methods that people like to consume their content. Many consumers pirate the content because it is easier and faster than trying to get it through legal means.
Too many of the studios are invested in maintaining the complex web of agreements that tie content in specific geographic zones to specific distributors. This may have been valid in the days when content was distributed on physical media (Movies on film, DVDs, VCR, etc) but the Internet has now made this method of distribution irrelevant.
This applies to the whole range of content from books, movies, games, TV and music. iTunes (and its competitors) showed that it is possible for music and media to be distributed easily and at a profit from a web site. Distributors should be looking at ways of acting as a web interface for content makers. For many bands, getting their content out there is more important in getting themselves recognised than making a profit in their early days, so having a distributor handle the marketing and distribution side of things makes it easier for them to concentrate on the hard part of making their content desirable.
Unfortunately too many of our media companies are run by old men who think an ipod is one of those funny illegal music machines and that video streaming is what happens when you play a movie at the cinema. Once these dinosaurs get out of the way we may see some changes.
Update****
Since this article was published, Netflix, Stan and various other streaming services have taken off.
These are great for those of us who prefer to binge watch episodes rather than allocating a specific time each week for the next episode. It also makes it easier for those of us that prefer our home theatre when viewing movies.
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