MPAA Releases Software For Parents

SnowWolf2003 writes "The MPAA have released their Parent File Scan tool, which 'helps consumers check whether their computers have peer-to-peer software and potentially infringing copies of motion pictures and other copyrighted material'. According to the MPAA, the software does not report any data back to the MPAA. However, users have noted that the software is not accurate; 'tagging' virtually every audio or video file it finds based on file extensions."

Comments

Slashdot Relases Story Again.

[314m678]

Slashdot Relases Story Again.

It's like tending bar with 5000 unlabeled liquors.

[Sheetrock]

The efforts to put piracy back in the bag, while they have to be made to appease stockholders, are largely worthless until DRM comes along and the original content manufacturer can specify machine-enforceable terms for redistribution. The whole problem is akin to the software piracy situation, which a friend aptly analogizes as thus:

It seems that back in the late 1800's in America (mentioning this for non-U.S. /.ers) there was this saloon in the West that was kind of a run-down, ramshackle joint that was frequented by a few loyal patrons and not too many others. I think it was California, but it could have been Oregon or someplace similar -- well, the location isn't really relevant to the story but if you're interested you may be able to dig a bit on Google to find out. Basically, while the saloon didn't go out of its way to publicize itself to out-of-towners (not much point given that it was in a remote area) it managed to do a fairly steady trade despite the occasional brawl that caused property damage and the persistent requests from a particular fellow for free drinks.

More nights than not, the proprietor of the saloon would watch this drunk come wandering in through the doors, sit down, and lay a line on him about how he's trying to pull things together and how he'd just make enough to keep himself in beans and couldn't the bartender just pour him a shot or two to fuzz the edges and whatnot. And again, more nights than not, the bartender would take pity on the poor guy and pull out the whiskey.

Now, mind you, this went on for some time, and while the bartender was an easy mark even he had his limit. So one night, after the bartender already gave the fellow three shots on the house, he decides to cut the guy off.

"Look," he says, "while I'm really sorry to hear that things still aren't working out for you I don't think that I can keep giving you free drinks. I've got to make ends meet too, you know."

So the drunk says, "I don't suppose you've got anything I can do to get another drink tonight?"

The proprietor, not particularly wanting this fellow to hang around all night and certainly not expecting him to take him up on his proposition, says "Well, you see that spittoon over there? If you take a swig out of that I suppose I could give you a drink to wash it down."

No sooner did he finish his last sentence than the drunk walked over to the spittoon and hefted it off of the floor. Before the bartender could stop him, the fellow put the rim to his lips, tipped the bottom of the metal container up into the air, and began to swallow. To the bartender's dismay, the guy continued to slowly chug the thick contents of the spittoon. When he had finally gulped the final remnants of the container, he threw it to the ground, wiped off his lips with his shirt cuff, and gagged, "So, do I get the drink?"

"You can have the bottle!" exclaimed the bartender, immediately pouring the first shot. "But tell me, why did you swallow the whole damn thing? You only needed to swig it to earn the drink."

And the drunk replies: "It was all one long string."

Re:It's like tending bar with 5000 unlabeled liquo

[slartibart]

Um, I don't get it. Who's the MPAA in this story? The drunk?

How does a bunch of spit end up as one long string?