How Oscar Buzz Fuels Online Movie Piracy

Studios appear no closer to stopping illegal downloads
Photographer: SUSAN GOLDMAN
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After Oscar nominations were announced on Jan. 15, worldwide downloads of pirated Academy Award-nominated films skyrocketed 385 percent in the 30 days following.

That's according to new data from Irdeto, a Netherlands company that tracks digital piracy. The spike led to nearly $41 million in lost revenue for motion picture companies in the month following the nominations, according to Irdeto, which tracked downloads of films nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Actor.