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Broadcasters vs Producers on Content Integrity
mpawlo writes "I just did a quick write-up for Greplaw on an interesting pending law suit in Sweden. Two Swedish directors, Vilgot Sjoman and Anders Eriksson, are about to file a suit against Swedish broadcaster Tv 4. According to the author's rights or droit moral doctrine, the work may not be displayed or changed in a way degrading to the author or the author's work. Tv 4 has just changed its policy for commercial breaks. Breaks are now introduced during movies. The commercial breaks used to be placed between the end and start of a program.
The directors argue the breaks are degrading from an artistical point of view. They want to try the commercial breaks in court from a copyright perspective."
Anyone producing a TV show that is intended to have commercial breaks is either a) not an artist, or b) a corporate whore, degrading themselves for money.
Hmm. I think they may be onto something here.
"No problem. I have the capacity to do infinite work so long as you don't mind that my quality approaches zero."-Dilbert
The directors argue the breaks are degrading from an artistical point of view. They want to try the commercial breaks in court from a copyright perspective.
Over here they insert bits of movies between the commercials.
"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them." -- George H. W. Bush
That's funny, oh those crazy Swedes. I can't even fathom a two hour movie that hasn't been 'compressed for time, content, commercials.' I mean, after all the reductions, my god man, how would you fill the other 80 mins.
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Artists don't control the money, producers and the networks hold more sway. If you can't put a commercial break into a movie, you've got to make a shorter movie!
We are already seeing commercials at the beginning of a movie at the theater. We've paying a premium price to watch a movie, and they are forcing us to sit through three commercials as well?
Next thing we know, we'll be watching a movie that we paid $10 a peice to go see, and having to sit through advertisements for "refreshing Coca Cola and Popcorn at the snackbar"
This is absurd!
"To make a mistake is only human; to persist in a mistake is idiotic." Cicero
Not to mention 8$ per GB being outrageous. My ISP will give you 50GB for 50$. Videotron would try to charge you 400$ for that! Insane!
Also, this reminds me of a segment from Air Farce the other night... The guy talks about how he has Videotron's cable internet, but pays them 10$ a month more because he doesn't have cable. He says he'd love to cancel highspeed internet, but he doesn't think he could afford it!
No, just irredemiably bad television.