Should DVD Counterfeiters Fear Police Or The Internet More?

from the just-saying... dept

Thu, Dec 4th 2008 11:38am — Mike Masnick

A bunch of people have sent in this story about UK Intellectual Property Minister, David Lammy claiming that by the 2012 Olympics, London will be a "fake-free zone" as he begins to crackdown on counterfeit DVD sellers. Not surprisingly, this move involved a variety of public and private parties, including the Motion Picture Association, UK Film Council, UK Intellectual Property Office, Federation Against Copyright Theft, London Councils, Trading Standards and the London police. Of course, the whole thing seems sort of yawn inducing. For a few years now, there have been stories noting that internet file sharing has been putting the counterfeit street sellers out of business. And, over the course of the next four years, you have to imagine that pace is only going to accelerate. So, congrats, David Lammy, for spending taxpayer money on stomping out something that was naturally dying out anyway.

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Filed Under: counterfeiting, dvds, london, olympics, piracy

11 Comments

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knome, 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:11pm

Good Idea
By targeting something he knows has already become ineffective and that is already on its way down, he can easily claim defeat over it. That he doesn't have anything to do with it will be irrelevant. By claiming his strong arm tactics worked on these little peddlers, he will make an argument that they will work in other arenas. Not that they will. But the claim will garner additional power and resources to him under the assumption he has founding a working methodology.
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:16pm

Wtf?
Since fake DVDs have all but destroyed the olympics everywhere else?
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Killer_Tofu (profile), 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:19pm

Ok, nvm
Nevermind, I realize that he couldn't possibly have meant because of the olympics. He must have just been setting a normal time frame goal.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:30pm

...what do fake DVDs have to do with the god damn olympics?

Most, if not all, footage is live around the world, and since they're in the UK, all footage will be live in the UK. What the hell will counterfeit DVDs do against that? Let people watch the highlights and results without having to wait for 4am on BBC 19 (or whatever channel they use this year), or without having to navigate that god damn horrible "red button" menu?

Also, F.A.C.T piss me right the fuck off. So much.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:39pm

that: David Lammy claiming that by the 2012 Olympics.

reminds me of: Bill gates saying there will be no more spam by 2006.
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chris (profile), 4 Dec 2008 @ 12:50pm

Re:
...what do fake DVDs have to do with the god damn olympics?

the in-laws of one of the american coaches were murdered by a counterfeit DVD in beijing. there was a special on dateline NBC about it called "piracy kills your parents".

counterfeit DVD's contain lead, asian bird flu, and copyright infringement. they support terrorism, bad language, and scientology. in short, they are a plague on humanity.
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twink, 4 Dec 2008 @ 1:42pm

Re: Re: by chris
....the in-laws of one of the american coaches were murdered by a counterfeit DVD in beijing. there was a special on dateline NBC about it called "piracy kills your parents".

counterfeit DVD's contain lead, asian bird flu, and copyright infringement. they support terrorism, bad language, and scientology. in short, they are a plague on humanity.

Please tell me you are joking!!
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grmrnzi, 4 Dec 2008 @ 1:50pm

"the in-laws of one of the american coaches were murdered by a counterfeit DVD in beijing"

The counterfeit DVD is still on the loose. It is considered armed and dangerous.

Sad story but I couldn't resist.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2008 @ 2:19pm

Re: Re:
Also, the information on counterfeit DVDs has a life expectancy of a little less than 5 years. Highway robbery, I tell ya.
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Big Mook (profile), 4 Dec 2008 @ 3:20pm

Re: Re:
Isn't mentioning Scientology and terrorism in the same sentence a little redundant?

Hail Xenu!
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Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2008 @ 8:30pm

yay for the internet!
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