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Don't Copy That Floppy! Gets a Sequel
theodp writes "Back in 1992, the SIIA released Don't Copy That Floppy!, a goofy video in which anti-piracy rapper MC Double Def DP convinces a young lad not to copy a game by appealing to his sense of right and wrong. Now, to address what it calls 'new generations and new temptations,' the SIIA has uploaded a trailer for a new anti-piracy rap video — Don't Copy That 2 — that will be released this summer. To underscore the video's it's-not-just-a-copy-it's-a-crime message, the new film is a tad darker than the original. A smug teen who's downloading files from 'Pirates Palace' and 'Tune Weasel' finds his world turned upside down when automatic weapons-toting government agents break down the door and take his Mom away in handcuffs. The teen finds himself in a prison jumpsuit forced to tattoo shirtless adult inmates who eventually turn on him, physically attack him, and make him run for his life back to his jail cell (image summarizing his plight)."
Forgive the youtube link, but a British TV show called "The IT Crowd" did a pretty good anti-piracy warning.
A smug teen who's downloading files from 'Pirates Palace' and 'Tune Weasel' finds his world turned upside down when automatic weapons-toting government agents break down the door and take his Mom away in handcuffs. The teen finds himself in a prison jumpsuit forced to tattoo shirtless adult inmates who eventually turn on him
Huh, that's funny. Last I checked you normally don't get jail time for copyright infringement. Search warrants? For your computer maybe. Serving papers for a court date? Sure. Arrested on the spot? Don't think so. Jail time? Not to my knowledge. The only legal consequence the SIIA lists on their site are "significant fines for copyright infringement." Unless the kid was uploading unreleased Guns N' Roses tracks or orchestrating the huge operation of The Pirate Bay I don't think he'll be doing time.
... or realizes that it bothers his constituents that lives are being ruined over something that maybe isn't so serious that a person should be financially hobbled for the rest of their life or next seven years from bankruptcy or whatever results. Huge fines are enough to stop me from copyright violations but lets face it, you're not going to jail if you do it. You're not a hardened criminal with a rap sheet serving time next to murderers if you're convicted of file sharing. You're most likely going to settle out of court and be financially stunted.
Maybe they should do a little more research before they imply that you will end up in a gulag tattooing cartoon characters on convicts?
Don't get me wrong, I'd be fine with the kid (assuming he's 18+) getting a letter in the mail saying he has to appear in court and then a slow five year montage ending with him settling out of court and not being able to go to college or only attending a community college. That'd be pretty realistic. I still don't agree with it but that's how it works these days. Who knows? Maybe the over emphasized results will backfire on them and the general populace will see how unrealistic the charges are for copyright violation? I mean, that's not going to change until a politician looks bad taking a sack of money in campaign contributions
My work here is dung.
I'll see your IT Crowd vid (funny!) and raise you -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXkxSl4f6vw
- The Boondocks!
Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
Moreover, the unlawful activities fall under different Acts (or statutes? What do Americans call them?)
For example, murder is against the Criminal Code of Canada.
Speeding is in the Motor Vehicles Act. (And there's a great loophole there, should you care to read through this Act.)
Practicing Engineering without a licence is against the Engineers and Geoscientists Act.
Unauthourized duplication of copyrighted material is against the Copyright Act.
The list can go on and on but I won't bother.
Anyway, all of the aforementioned activities are unlawful, but the difference in enforcement and penalties is extreme. It varies from a $125 file to life without parole. Like you, I've always hated the "if you've ever driven even ONE MILE over the limit, that's the same as SERIAL MURDER. IT IS ILLEGAL!!1!ELEVEN!" argument.
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ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
Yeah, but honestly. Wouldn't someone at the marketing department mention the fact it looks identical to parodies of piracy PSAs, and that releasing it just might be counterproductive?
I thought I would point out the many inaccuracies in this film:
1. The mother was fighting back to the evil paramilitary force that, without warning, smashed down her door and entered her house. She would have been shot because she clearly "endangered" the armed men's life.
2. ANIME ANGEL TATOOS? In an American prison??? I doubt there are any anime nerds in lockup...
The phrase "copycrime" really reminded me of "thoughtcrime" from 1984, which isn't a good message propaganda should be sending...
I bet if I showed this new video to the average 12 year old, they'd think it was some kind of internet sketch comedy thing.
Ah, but what happens when they target it at a younger audience who doesn't know any better?
Throw it into a DARE program (anti-drug education for those outside the US; called VIP in some areas of Canada) targeting 10-year olds who don't yet understand its stupidity, let it sit for a few years. Bingo, a generation of well-trained consumers who think free information is pure evil.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
Are you kidding?
Their marketing department didn't even notice that they made an unauthorized reproduction and depiction of a well known anime character in their video...
So I would guess that they don't even understand the meaning of the word irony.
On several levels.
GrpA
Enjoy science fiction? "Turing Evolved" - AI, Mecha, Androids and rail-gun battles. What more could you want?
I remember going through DARE and how my peers became interested in cannabis and alcohol soon afterwards. DARE had little to no effect on my age group.
Thank God for that. I suspect it does have a lasting effect on more people than you suspect however. Consider that your peer group is not the same as other peer groups, who may be more susceptible to such indoctrination. Geeks tend to be more questioning than most.
Don't get me wrong, I despise the "war on drugs" just as much as the current attempts to move technology back twenty years. I'm just saying that judging by the previous DCTF ad, they're aiming this at kids, and we should have some sort of counter argument ready for those who don't see the flaws of it immediately.
It's better to vote for what you want and not get it than to vote for what you don't want and get it.
- E. Debs
I honestly think they are just wasting their cash. Kids today are a HELL of a lot more cynical than we were in the 80s. They see the corruption, the obvious payoffs, the lies and the bullshit.
Remember a few years ago when they had that little forced 'public service message" that they forced kids to watch at school? They did that at my oldest's school, and when he told me about it he was standing with a whole bunch of other kids waiting to be picked up. Nearly all the kids had iPods or Sandisks or some other MP3 player blasting in one ear while they had the other free for bullshitting. So I asked the kids "what did you think about it?" and their answer was pretty much variations on "RIAA are greedy pigs".
So I really don't think it'll work. They have watched as every politician from Obama on down have been more than happy to do a 180 for a nice fat check, they think the entire system is total bullshit (I can't even convince mine to vote when they turn 18 "what is the point? They'll just take bribes and ignore you anyway" is what I get) and therefor are gonna do whatever the hell they want and give you the finger if you say something about it. So much for that whole "youth can change the world" huh?
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.