Hollywood Illegally Demanded Payments From Irish Kindergarteners
from the and-this,-kids,-is-what-we-call-a-shakedown dept
It's no secret that the entertainment industry believes that it deserves to be paid (often multiple times) every time anyone accesses, views or listens to any of its content. That's resulted in some really bad policies that limit the potential for future growth, but also some ridiculous scenarios like the one described over at TorrentFreak, concerning the Motion Picture Licensing Company, who illegally demanded 10 euros per child (later reduced to 3 euros) from Irish kindergartens, for the right to watch DVDs in class. It turns out that the whole thing was illegal, as it violated a copyright act in Ireland by not filing for a license to collect royalty revenue (it has since filed for the license). In the meantime, the folks who run these schools are a bit annoyed by the whole thing, noting that they rarely, if ever, show DVDs anyway and don't see why they should have to pay a fee per student. In fact, one educator noted that the only time they showed DVDs was when they would "pretend" to go to the cinema -- and even that would likely lead kids to eventually want to go see more movies.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: ireland, kindergarten, movies, royalties
Companies: mplc
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Pay Fees and Innudate Them With Ads
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I certainly don't agree with or want to defend the entertainment industry for such excuses to squeeze an extra dollar out of the consumer, but I don't think it's necessarily fair to post such a title, knowing full well that it's tugging on heartstrings. Those are the kind of tactics we want to avoid, no?
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- Schools have a set budget, paid for mainly (but not totally) by taxes and donations from parents (e.g. PTA). This pays for everything the kids do during the year, from having a warm classroom to study in to the materials they use.
- Any additional licencing and/or fines from the movie industry would have to come out of this budget, leaving less money for other supplies and activities. Therefore, some other aspect of the kids' schooling (however minor) would have to give way to pay for this. Alternatively, the taxes would need to be raised and/or higher direct contributions demanded (leaving parents with less money to provide for the childrens' home lives).
- Therefore, something is taken from the kids. It may not be in the form of money taken directly from them, but one way or the other they would be penalised.
It's quite simple really. Money forcibly taken from the school (or paid to lawyers to contest the charge) needs to come from somewhere. Since the sole direct beneficiaries of the school system are children, that money is taken form them in one form or another.
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When are people going to realize movies and music are not necessities? You don't "need" them, you "want" them so don't watch or listen to them if you can't afford to play by the rules. Were these movies even educational or were they just mindless entertainment to babysit the kids for 2 hours?
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Who's stealing? I have seen no evidence of stealing. A movie was purchased or rented. No stealing whatsoever.
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You're mistaken. The advertising is the result of many years of intense research by psychologists in subtly influencing people's behaviour. Indeed, the advertising is so effective that some people do *need* the reward promised by the advertising.
When one has been so conditioned, it doesn't seem moral to tax them as they satisfy their need. If you want it, download it for free; better still, realise that it's all bullshit and leave it alone :D
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Is that so hard to understand?
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Wow this is easy
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When you "buy" a plastic disc, you are only getting the plastic and a license to view whatever data is on the disc for your own PERSONAL consumption. If you invite over a bunch of people to watch, you have violated the terms of that license.
At least, that's the way Hollywood typically sees it these days.
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Fucking greedy bastards...! Seriously, they make it sooo easy on my conscience to pirate their stuff with this crap.
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Don't do it! Don't spread their shitty films all over the 'net - that's what they want you to do! - Demand payment before becoming part of their distribution mechanism :D
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IP?
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Why is this even an issue?
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If you don't want to pay don't show DVDs
Showing films is a luxury not a neccessity, whoever you are, so the simple answer is, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR A LICENCE - DON'T SHOW FILMS!
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Re: If you don't want to pay don't show DVDs
The problem here is the schools are being forced to pay the fee just in case they want to show a DVD. Not that they actually showed one, but just in case. Now, ask yourself (and be honest, if you possibly can), should I pay you a license fee because I might, at some time, watch or listen to something for which you hold the rights?
So fold your indignation five times and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.
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Re: If you don't want to pay don't show DVDs
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I don't want to pay for a license and I host neighborhood movie shows where I charge $6 per person to see the movie I downloaded. It's a cam - so I can't charge $8 like the movie theater, but hey, I have popcorn too. Gotta love Orville Redenbacher.
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You are right - the children would corroborate and each chip in $.30 to buy a movie rather than get it in their home. Honestly? Really? You think? If a teacher shows a movie, and a little kid (5 yrs is kindergarten age) likes it, they'll make their parents buy it and watch it OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. I myself have seen Swan Lake 72 times, Home Alone at least 40, Beauty and the Beast over 100 times and every Mary Kate and Ashley Olson movie ever made.
So Hollywood is really shooting itself in the foot - these teachers are exposing these children to Hollywood's product. If they show my kid something, I'm forced (well, coerced is a little bit better term) to go out and buy the movie (has to be the collector's edition for $29.95 - the front cover is prettier and it has never before seen footage), the doll, the lunchbox, the cereal; we have to go to McDonalds to get the Happy Meal box with the toy, see every sequel ever made (Land Before Time anyone?), listen to the soundtrack and participate in all the radio giveaways.
But you're right, this market doesn't generate enough revenue. We should really be charging the school too.
In addition, this quote: "...only make a profit on around half of the films they make each year, the rest makes a loss!" really misconstrues what happens. The films that make a profit make hundreds of millions of dollars, while the loss is at best the total amount of money that they spent to make the movie (assuming not one person goes to the movie, and when have you ever heard of that?).
Basically, I'm just trying to say that you are fucking retarded Anon.
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How does it feel as you're handing over the money, realizing that some guy, sat in his office, has effectively reached into your pocket and lifted the money out but worse, he's done it with your child's hand. Yet worse, your child has had their brain reorganised to satisfy someone's marketing plan.
Please - show some parental wisdom.
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Candy for Babies
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Tomorrow's lesson...
"If your parents suggest going to the cinema, make sure you ask to do something else instead or the bad people win...."
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Re: Balthazar
The issue IS that it is ILLEGAL becuase if YOU spent more time reading the article as this is what I am commenting on, then you would see that it states 'the whole thing was illegal'.
Also, schools (or in fact anywhere else for that matter) do not have to have a licence 'in case' they show films and they are by no means being forced. The options in terms of the LAW are:
a) Show films and pay for a licence
b) Don't show films and don't pay for a licence
c) Show films and pay fine in court
People know if they are playing films or not. It's not like a film could be sneaked on without them being aware. For a start they would have to have the films to hand and the equiptment to play them on and if they are really that unsure about what happens in their own organisation I suggest it is not being run properly.
So you can shove that where the sun doesn't shine!
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I will never EVER buy ANYTHING that gives a dime to RIAA or MPAA on principal, in fact I'll download and seed new releases even if I don't want to watch them, just so others can get them free, because they deserve it. So go ahead and buy their crap, you and the four other people that still believe their lies.
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Are these people not the good guys?
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Re: Are these people not the good guys?
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this is sickning
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