I work for an unnamed company that is merging with GameStop very soon. I also am a manager that has to sell these games on a daily basis. Here Is scenarios of what I go through all day long. (Note our company has had a policy of no M rated games sold to under 17 on penalty of termination for quite some time).
10 Year-old child brings up a copy of Grand theft Auto (any version). I Want to buy this, the child states. I reply, Do you have a parent with you? One second s/he is out in the car. Adult (not nessesarrily parent) walks in annoyed that they have to enter our store. What game did you want? they ask the child. This one! This one! Sir/Ma'am just so you know this game is rated M for Graphic violence, offensive language, Sexual situations, blood & gore, and is not appropriete for most minors. Responses: 90% s/he has played games like these before, or has seen worse on T.V. 8% Thanks, I'll make decisions about what my child should be seeing. 2% Really... No you aren't getting this game.
Over any given day I could expect to have at least 10 -30 of conversations like this in an 8 hour shift. Note we are open 10 - 9pm and I'm in an hour early to open.
Another scenario: The 16 year old goes out gets one of his 18 year old buddies who comes in gets id'd and buy the game. No sooner than the sale is done he give the game and the change to his younger counterpart. Since the person we sold the game to was of age there isn't a damn thing I can do about it except ask them to leave.
It gets worse when I have parents of one of the kid's friends vouching for one that isnt their child and then getting the game. We then see the parent come back in 22% of the time screaming about how we could sell crud like this to their impressionable youth.
A law like this... All its going to do is make it a gamble for retailers to sell games to anyone.
Mass Spoofing (think fake japenese airfields WW2)
on
RIAA Sues a Child
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· Score: 4, Interesting
Has anyone considered the legal ramifications of civil liability if the RIAA can be proved to have sued over nothing?
Maybe someone can tell me better, but in my limited knowledge dont they just check filenames and number of offending files? I would think this sets up a huge opportunity for a person to set-up this trade group.
None of the filenames are trademarked so no one needs worry about being sued for trademark infringement. The Idea: Ever gone duck hunting, or seen cartoons with it? One of the common ideas is to lure the ducks in by making them think things are as they appear. Perhaps with fake ducks. Well I'm suggesting making fake ducks. Seeding a college network, or company network with spoof files. Now correct me if I'm wrong but my limited understanding of these share search engines they (RIAA) use is they look for filenames and filesize. Once they determain there are enough infinging (or so called) files they then notify a pencil pusher who starts the legal suing process. No real investigation, as has been proved by some of the people that they have sued. (Not cost effective to them) I'm sure that with all the coders and other people out there somthing like this could be done easily. Make a text document with the filename.mp3 of a new release and tracked theft title. Fill it with a message that states "If you checked this file you would see that it isnt real. Sue me, and expect a countersuit to cover harrassment, and my legal fees" Fill the rest with enough random hash to make up the appropriate filesize. The first couple of times they start suing people with files like these, they are not only going to get laughed out of court. They may end up being forced by a judge to start utilizing proper evidenciary proceedings. That will just start to kill their search & sue efforts. My idea, my two bits. Tell me what you think.
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I work for an unnamed company that is merging with GameStop very soon. I also am a manager that has to sell these games on a daily basis. Here Is scenarios of what I go through all day long. (Note our company has had a policy of no M rated games sold to under 17 on penalty of termination for quite some time).
10 Year-old child brings up a copy of Grand theft Auto (any version). I Want to buy this, the child states. I reply, Do you have a parent with you? One second s/he is out in the car.
Adult (not nessesarrily parent) walks in annoyed that they have to enter our store. What game did you want? they ask the child. This one! This one!
Sir/Ma'am just so you know this game is rated M for Graphic violence, offensive language, Sexual situations, blood & gore, and is not appropriete for most minors.
Responses: 90% s/he has played games like these before, or has seen worse on T.V.
8% Thanks, I'll make decisions about what my child should be seeing.
2% Really... No you aren't getting this game.
Over any given day I could expect to have at least 10 -30 of conversations like this in an 8 hour shift. Note we are open 10 - 9pm and I'm in an hour early to open.
Another scenario:
The 16 year old goes out gets one of his 18 year old buddies who comes in gets id'd and buy the game. No sooner than the sale is done he give the game and the change to his younger counterpart. Since the person we sold the game to was of age there isn't a damn thing I can do about it except ask them to leave.
It gets worse when I have parents of one of the kid's friends vouching for one that isnt their child and then getting the game. We then see the parent come back in 22% of the time screaming about how we could sell crud like this to their impressionable youth.
A law like this...
All its going to do is make it a gamble for retailers to sell games to anyone.
Has anyone considered the legal ramifications of civil liability if the RIAA can be proved to have sued over nothing?
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Maybe someone can tell me better, but in my limited knowledge dont they just check filenames and number of offending files? I would think this sets up a huge opportunity for a person to set-up this trade group.
First off I checked http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=search&stat
None of the filenames are trademarked so no one needs worry about being sued for trademark infringement.
The Idea:
Ever gone duck hunting, or seen cartoons with it? One of the common ideas is to lure the ducks in by making them think things are as they appear. Perhaps with fake ducks.
Well I'm suggesting making fake ducks. Seeding a college network, or company network with spoof files. Now correct me if I'm wrong but my limited understanding of these share search engines they (RIAA) use is they look for filenames and filesize. Once they determain there are enough infinging (or so called) files they then notify a pencil pusher who starts the legal suing process.
No real investigation, as has been proved by some of the people that they have sued. (Not cost effective to them)
I'm sure that with all the coders and other people out there somthing like this could be done easily. Make a text document with the filename.mp3 of a new release and tracked theft title. Fill it with a message that states "If you checked this file you would see that it isnt real. Sue me, and expect a countersuit to cover harrassment, and my legal fees" Fill the rest with enough random hash to make up the appropriate filesize.
The first couple of times they start suing people with files like these, they are not only going to get laughed out of court. They may end up being forced by a judge to start utilizing proper evidenciary proceedings. That will just start to kill their search & sue efforts.
My idea, my two bits. Tell me what you think.