Much is being made of Michael Moore’s newest documentary “Sicko” which is due out in theaters June 29th - to the point that apparently Michael was worried about a distribution smack-down and had a copy of the movie safely tucked away in Canada. Well he need not have worried because as many bloggers are reporting a very fine copy of the movie; apparently of DVD screener quality (hmmm….), has made it’s way onto the BitTorrent networks, Google Video, YouTube and other shady places.

Even though the movie has by now been removed from YouTube and Google video the point is that it is out there and being watched. While some are writing about their opinion of the movie itself - others are writing about the act of it being available this way rather than the actual movie subject matter. This is the part that I find interesting and could additionally prove that like the medical care business the movie distribution system is failed as well.

Even though Michael wants his movie in the hands and eyes of as many Americans as is possible the distributors and backers of the movie want it being done via the theaters not the web. As such they have hired several anti-piracy companies to crack down - or at least slow down the flood but the so-called damage is already done.

So what happens now?

Well even though past box-office hits have been leaked to the web and still made fortunes - big ‘B’ fortunes at that - this fact has usually been lost in a flood of RIAA FUD that usually follows any profit reporting. With Sicko however because of the notoriety of Michael Moore there might be too much of a spotlight on the movie and its potential money making more than just the distributors are going to be watching.

If Sicko shows everyone; not just the tech and web savvy, that even with on-line popularity that a movie can still makes large at the theaters then the argument about the so-called economic dangers of piracy are weakened. So while Sicko maybe about the failings of the American health care system it may also inadvertently drive another hole in the wall that the movie industry erected around a dead model.

(Graphic snagged from CrunchGear)

Conversation Tags: Michael Moore, Sicko