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Anti-copying lobby's antics - hard to tell fact from fiction!

by Bob Crabtree on 29 November 2006, 12:53

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Even though it's the excessively high cost of movie discs and audio CDs that breeds piracy, we do fully understand why the film and music industries wish to protect their assets from copying and unfair use. Even so, the trade bodies that represent these industries never cease to amaze us with their brazen cheek and insatiable greed.

The MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) seem always to be trying to outdo one another to show a face of capitalism even less acceptable than the last one seen - leaving themselves wide open to potshots from the likes of tech-humor site BBspot.

BBspot has a wonderful spoof story that purports to show that MPAA has moved ahead in that race. According to the scammed-up report, the MPAA is lobbying the US Congress to make "unauthorized" home cinemas illegal.

Dan Glickman, top man at the MPAA - and a favourite BBs target - is quoted as saying that home theatres need to be regulated before things start getting too far out of control and pointing out that,

We didn't act early enough with the online sharing of our copyrighted content. This time we're not making the same mistake. We have a right to know what's showing in a theater.

A bill that the MPAA wants to get enacted, BBs says, would force makers of home-cinema kit to factory-fit hardware that reports directly to the association on what's being shown and who is watching it!

And the MPAA is described as defining a home theater as any home with a television larger than 29in with stereo sound and at least two comfortable chairs, couch, or futon!

Worse, the MPAA wants everyone with a home theater to pay it a $50 registration fee or face fines of up to $500,000 per movie shown!


Jester's hat


Totally unbelievable? Well, yes, but so, too, is the story being told on Recording Industry vs The People.

This concerns a woman who has never used a computer having been subpoenaed by the RIAA about a PC belonging to her adult son who lives four miles away from her.

And that one, seemingly, is true, as is the follow-up report that the RIAA's lawyer phoned the son's employer - itself a law firm!

Thoughts on the fight against piracy? Be keen for you to share them with us in this thread in the HEXUS.lifestyle.news forum.

HEXUS.links

HEXUS.community :: discussion thread about this article

External.links

BBspot - MPAA Lobbying for Home Theater Regulations
BBspot - about
Recording Industry vs The People - RIAA Subpoenas Ms. Lindor's Son's Computer
Recording Industry vs The People - RIAA Lawyer Admits He Called Ms. Lindor's Son's Employer



HEXUS Forums :: 13 Comments

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LMAO - Thanks Bob for that I've not laughed so much for ages.

Although, you've forgot to point out that one of the lawyers from the RIAA wants the internet closing down according to the link Here

Crazy Nutters the lot of them :)
I just wish the BBspot story had arrived closer to April 1 - cos I would have published it as though it were true - the stuff BBspot produces is VERY convincing and if you don't know it's a spoof it's all too easy to be taken in.

And, yes, you can take that as an early April Fool's warning!

:crazy:
I was nearly taken in :(

Shame though, it might give them ideas….
The sad part is it's not far off from what the MPAA/RIAA really would do. They should be able to keep the moral high ground while fighting piracy, but they seem able to go from right to wrong with amazing ease.
Allow me to repost something I put on Slashdot in response to the BBSpot article:
The problem with satirical articles about the MPAA is that they have to get well beyond the realms of reality before they stop being believable.

Don't forget that here in the UK we have TV licensing. Home Theatre licensing isn't so far fetched from that.

Satire? Looks like they're just giving the MPAA more great ideas… We're doomed!
Modded +5 Insightful, wooo!