Rob Reid’s [“Copyright Math”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZadCj8O1-0&feature=player_embedded) presentation for TED is a great reminder of how misleading numbers can undermine an argument.
In this case, industry figures intended to show the impact of piracy easily tip from “exaggerated” to “comically absurd.” The viewer is left with a natural conclusion: illegal file-sharing is not that big of a deal.
But really, that conclusion needs some italics: illegal file-sharing is not *that big* of a deal.
Something can still be worth discussing even if it’s not an armageddon-level threat. Rational discussions might include the following topics:
* On an individual level, why does someone torrent a movie rather than pay for it? What would change that decision?
* To what degree do consumers have a right to watch something how and when and where they want to watch it?
* Where should the industry focus its energy: on the individual who downloads a movie, or businesses that make money selling material they don’t own?
You won’t arrive at a rational discussion by pulling numbers out of the air.