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Woman Filming Sister's Birthday Party Gets Charged With Felony Movie Piracy
A 22-year-old woman from Chicago recently spent two nights in jail and could face up to three years in prison for taping four minutes of the new movie Twilight: New Moon. Samantha Tumpach and family threw her sister a surprise birthday party at the theater and captured much of it on video. Unfortunately, two "very short segments" were enough to make theater managers want to press charges. "Tumpach insisted she recorded no more than three minutes while in the theater — and said not all of the video she shot was of the movie. There's footage of [Tumpach] and her relatives singing to her sister, she said. 'We sang "Happy Birthday" to her in the theater,' Tumpach said. She also took pictures of family members in the theater before the film began, but an usher who saw the photo session never issued them a warning, Tumpach said."
No, it was from Pystar!
-1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
Piracy involves the stealing of property, but the copy PRIVILEGE is not property. As Thomas Jefferson wisely explained: "If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself. But the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it.
"Its peculiar character, too, is that no one possesses the less, because every other possesses the whole of it. He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine...
"That ideas should freely spread from one to another over the globe, for the moral and mutual instruction of man, and improvement of his condition, seems to have been peculiarly and benevolently designed by nature. Inventions then cannot, in nature, be a subject of property."
Therefore:
While I can claim ownership of this computer, and label you a "thief" if you steal it (because I have been deprived of use of the computer), I have NO natural right to claim ownership of an idea. Your copying of my idea deprives me of nothing. I still possess the idea.
She was not taping an idea, she was taping part of a performance that had acknowledged value in that they all went to a particular place and paid a some of money to witness the performance.
A lot of effort, money and time goes into producing these works, and if you don't believe they are of worth then opt out. If no one pays them, they will stop producing and we can all just talk about ideas... freeing billions of dollars for other uses. Of course, quoting any long section of a published work may come to be considered piracy, or at the very least unauthorized performance, but that's another day's problem.
But in any case don't say that another person's work is of no value. They are entitled to all the rewards their effort can bring them, just as you are. I don't spend money on this sort of thing, and I don't bootleg it either. Again, if you don't agree with the system of middlemen and sharks that has evolved, put action to your beliefs by not partaking in the fruits of the process.
Personally, I have not watched a non-televised movie in years. I also own no sound system other than the stock one (FM radio) in my vehicle. I buy or rent no CD's or DVD's, I just declined a gift of a DVD this week (my buddy was literally rendered speechless for a few moments). I do listen to music on the web ($20 computer speakers) or on cable TV, and it would seem to be paying off for someone as it has been ongoing for a very long time now. I do appreciate the effort and skill some artists bring to their work, and when it is in a public venue such as television, radio, or art exhibits, I will enjoy a bit of diversion for a short time. I don't stand in line for it and I have yet to see or hear anything that would cause me to change my current consumption pattern. I support local musicians at the coffee house downtown buy tipping them and of course I buy coffee or something... and that's about it as far as my contributions to the star machine.
Back on topic, I doubt the bust is valid, as it sounds like she was not going to the trouble to bootleg the whole movie... The theater owners are either being dicks or have put themselves into a position where they will press charges just to save face. TFA hints that the cops and judge are sympathetic to the young woman's case, so I hope this will just die off or get tossed out.
You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
Hyperbole called, and wants this entire thread back. Irony could not be reached for comment.
High School nerds called and are guffawing loudly even though this joking has been taken way too far.