Reminder: You Don't Compete With Piracy By Being Lame, The DVD Edition
from the fbi-warning dept
It's a point we've tried to make over and over again: you don't compete with "piracy" by offering a product that's a lot worse. And yet, so many people do. A bunch of you have sent over the following image that highlights this in the DVD world (tragically, no one seems to know who made this image -- but if anyone knows, please tell us in the comments and we'll add it to the post). It shows how an unauthorized downloaded copy of The Matrix lets you start watching it immediately. But if you purchase the legitimate DVD, it forces you to sit through multiple FBI warnings and multiple trailers for other movies, with no ability to skip past them. It's humorous, but the point it makes is really important. When your product is less valuable (and yes, that includes being more annoying) than the unauthorized alternatives, you're going to be hard pressed to get people to agree to pay you for your product.
Click for larger version.
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Filed Under: consumer experience, dvds, piracy
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Re:
When we buy a DVD, we are forced to go through the above gauntlet Every. F'n. Time.
And don't forget that the DVD menu screen draws itself up slowly as part of some douchbag's high-school art project. Those menu screens have all the badness of a Flash-based website: Skip intro. Skip intro. Where's the @#$@ skip intro button?
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1st two rules?
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Do NOT talk about buying DVDs!
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I'm having this exact experience with a TV series I bought on BluRay.
My HD downloads had all the useless warnings and crap stripped of, and were easy browsable. Now that I have teh blurays, I have to sit through warning carp before EVERY EPISODE!!! and its much harder to browse through and skip intros etc.
It's really quite ridiculous.
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It's already on the hard drive, you can just double click the icon, and it plays. No effort at all. It's wonderful.
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Re: MGM Home Television Distribution ?
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I had no idea that the other half lived with such trivial lollygagging frivolity
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It matters when you've paid for a DVD and the maker has decided to control and dictate how you, as the paying consumer, enjoy and use the DVD. I care more about other things, like local and state politics, but that doesn't mean I can't also get irked by these smaller things.
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Liberate your media and take control of it.
> through the theme song for every episode of a tv series
> i'm trying to get through
>
> I had no idea that the other half lived with such trivial
> lollygagging frivolity
My HTPC video player has a set of Tivo style buttons that do instant replay and 30-second skip. These are very handy for jumping through those annoying extra opening & closing credits.
Very handy for Danger Mouse and DrWho.
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While it may be technically against the DMCA, what the DMCA does not know will not hurt it.
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I'm always amazed at people who think that the law doesn't apply "insider their own home", "on private property", an so on. I suggest you go to a prison and ask the inmates there how many of them are there because of things they did in "their own homes" or "on private property". I think you'll find that the law does indeed apply to those places.
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you probably won't go to jail for it, but circumventing a copy protection mechanism is still illegal. that's the point. even if you bought the DVD legally and ripped for strictly personal use, and even tough there is most likely no way you will ever get caught, you are still breaking the law.
that's why the DMCA is such a stupid law.
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Check the post from Henry Emrich (its here on this page but I'll go ahead and repost it for you). Read carefully:
This is where the whole "mass civil disobedience" thing comes in:
In reality, it's only a "law" to the extent that it can be enforced. The multinational corporate megaliths absolutely *love* the idiotic little drones who actually take pride in being "law abiding", irrespective of the *content* of any particular law.
And, ultimately, that's the problem. Laws "criminalizing" homosexuality only "worked" to the extent that gay people failed to stand up, and fight back. (Look it up: The Stonewall riots.)
So if you're stupid enough to take pride in mindlessly complying with any and all "laws", then I'll say it again: you *deserve* to have multinational corporate megaliths/government functionaries exert draconian control over any and every aspect of your existence, because you ALLOW them to do so, without protesting, fighting back, or monkeywrenching the system itself into oblivion.
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> "insider their own home", "on private property", an so on.
Well, since there's no such thing as "the law", that might be the source of your confusion. Some laws do apply to private property and others do not.
For example, the civil rights laws forbid me from discriminating against people based on their race in places of public accommodation, but they do not apply to people's private homes. If I run a cafe, I can't ban all Hispanics from the premises, but I can certainly be as racist as I like in my own home and forbid any Latino from setting foot in my house. That may make me a repugnant person but "that law" does not apply to me in my home.
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Have you ever driven your car faster than the speed limit?
Have you ever failed to use the turn signal in your car?
You would probably agree that all of those things are easy to do, that we all do them occationally (intentionally or otherwise) and that its not a big deal. For the most part, if your act is not causing a problem for someone else, you will get away with it too. These things do not make us hard core criminals that need to go to prison.
When I pay for a DVD and I choose not to watch the movie from the disc itself but to rip it, to my Media PC for easier access, that is ok. There is no lost sale. I can't buy the movie in the format that I want it in. I purchased the DVD and I'm only going to purchase the movie in one format. I purchased one copy and I use one copy. I did nothing wrong or out of the ordinary. Space-shifting/Format-shifting for personal use is not a crime.
Get a clue.
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Except lose the original DVD and receipt, because then you'll have no solid proof that you actually purchased it, and your digital copy will be considered illegal.
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Re: (rip it yourself)
I hope that was sarcastic. I tried doing that legitimately. I went out and bought software from a retail store that would allow me to do that. Installed it, it worked great. A few months later, had to reload Windows on my box. No problem, I still have the software. Attempted to install. Uhoh. It needs to authenticate to a license server, which no longer exists, because the MPAA sued the software maker out of existance. It was DVD X Copy and 321 Studios. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVD_X_Copy
Never again. Guess I just use software from a company based outside the US, or download the pirated version. At least until the MPAA figures out that pissing off customer who want to follow the law, but still enjoy thier products in a way that works for them, is a bad idea.
Fast forward five years. I hear RealNetworks is releasing a legitimate DVD backup utility. Guess what happened? Yep, same thing. They got sued and the software isn't available.
If I am stuck breaking the law in order to enjoy a DVD, even when I purchased a legal version, what incentive is there to attempt to follow the law in the first place? http://xkcd.com/488/
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Re: Re: (rip it yourself)
You have to hit the internet to find a download to do it for free.
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Which is?
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Re: Re: (rip it yourself)
> legitimately. I went out and bought software from a
> retail store that would allow me to do that. Installed
> it, it worked great. A few months later, had to reload
> Windows on my box. No problem, I still have the software.
> Attempted to install. Uhoh. It needs to authenticate to a
> license server, which no longer
Or you could have just downloaded a copy of AnyDVD from the web.
Alternatively, you could have used any number of gratis and shareware tools without this limitation including the "dump" option of mplayer.
Sure you can intentionally make things more difficult than they really need to be. Although I find it hilarious that this "phone home" style software left you with unusuable files when the whole point of the exercise is to completely free you of that sort of nonsense.
The fact that I can play stuff on the Archos or iPhone is very handy.
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In reality, it's only a "law" to the extent that it can be enforced. The multinational corporate megaliths absolutely *love* the idiotic little drones who actually take pride in being "law abiding", irrespective of the *content* of any particular law.
And, ultimately, that's the problem. Laws "criminalizing" homosexuality only "worked" to the extent that gay people failed to stand up, and fight back. (Look it up: The Stonewall riots.)
So if you're stupid enough to take pride in mindlessly complying with any and all "laws", then I'll say it again: you *deserve* to have multinational corporate megaliths/government functionaries exert draconian control over any and every aspect of your existence, because you ALLOW them to do so, without protesting, fighting back, or monkeywrenching the system itself into oblivion.
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It's a basic fact that the *worst* aspects of every political regime can only continue because the vast majority of the populace don't stand up against such things --- EVEN IF doing so involves "breaking the law".
According to the Chinese government, the Tien-an-Men Square protesters were engaging in "illegal" activity. So was anybody involved with the abolitionist or "Underground Railroad" movements that helped runaway slaves escape. (hell, that has a lot of parallels to the copyright thing, because slave-"owners" were always bitching about how anti-slavery folks were "depriving them of their property", etc.
Anybody who thinks being "law-abiding" is, in and of itself, a mark of virtue, is nothing but an enabler of the *worst* aspects of whatever political regime he or she happens to live under.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_TIPS
Americans are stupid sheep.
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Nope, not for me. That's a US law and I'm not there.
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Re: DRM circumvention for personal use
On the one hand, the makes copying for personal use an automatic exemption from copyright law.
On the other hand, the DMCA makes circumventing copy protection a criminal act. But according to section 1201(c), "Nothing in this section shall affect rights, remedies, limitations, or defenses to copyright infringement, including fair use, under this title."
According to these laws, circumventing a DVD's encoding should be legal, as long as it's for personal use only. Too bad the courts don't seem to think so.
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Flickr is a photo sharing site
I've seen accounts get deleted over issues like this, in which case all these embedded images would disappear and you'd have to edit the original blog posts to fix them. Best way to prevent that from happening is to include back to the Flickr photopage, link when embedding images from the site.
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I don't really care. But Techdirt should, since Flickr might delete the account for:
1) Uploading images that they didn't create;
2) Posting images on a commercial site without linking back;
3) The general commercial nature/ purpose of the account.
Better that they host the graphics themselves than to use Flickr. With the amount of traffic that Techdirt gets, there's a fair chance that Flickr will notice.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Flickr is a photo sharing site
There, problem solved. :)
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Flickr is a photo sharing site
I've seen accounts get deleted over issues like this, in which case all these embedded images would disappear and you'd have to edit the original blog posts to fix them. Best way to prevent that from happening is to include back to the Flickr photopage, link when embedding images from the site.
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Forgot some
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I do so enjoy...
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Re: I do so enjoy...
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Now shoot your other foot.
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The reasoning behind: if you cannot skip trailers in the movie theater why would you be able to do so in your home theater, eh? See, both are theaters.
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Re: Trailers
> be able to do so in your home theater
It's gotten so bad that I just put the DVD in the player, hit mute, then go into the kitchen and start preparing my snacks. By the time I'm done 10-15 minutes later, the disc has run through all its unskippable trailers and warnings and threats and disclaimers and is waiting patiently for me on the Menu screen. I press "play" and settle in.
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One criticism
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Re: One criticism
I have also started them, gotten tired, and failed to complete the watching within 24 hours. I paid my money, but the artificial limitations of the product screwed me.
No problem. I simply stopped buying that kind of content.
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The DVD Magically Appears
If it were honest, it should also outline all the steps you need to go through to download it and put it on the DVD or rip it from a legit disk. Such as install a torrent client, configure it, find your movie, decide where to download it from, downloading it, make sure it's not infected with spyware or viruses, putting it on DVD and starting to watch it.
Seem like watching a trailer or two would actually take less time.
The graphic makes a point and does so cleverly, but it's not particularly honest about it.
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
What you are saying, is that you are not honest about the way you are criticizing it.
install a torrent client
uTorrent installed in under 2 minutes, done only once.
configure it
Done only once in under one minute
find your movie
Knowing one torrent site you can find any movie in under 30 seconds. You also have to find a place to get your DVD from, so this is a moot point.
downloading it
Most movies take less time to download than ordering online and any blockbuster is just as fast as going to local Best Buy.
make sure it's not infected with spyware or viruses
You mean, that it's not from Sony and doesn't have a rootkit?
putting it on DVD and starting to watch it
Another person got it covered already, most people won't need to put it on DVD, just double click.
Keep trying, pal.
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Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
DVD:
Get in your car > drive to store > find parking > get into fight with person who stole your spot > find new parking spot > park > walk into store > skip the over priced new releases and head over to the $5.00 bin > fight the fat lady and her 3 kids for access to said $5.00 bin > find a movie worth purchasing > get in line > wait > wait > wait > pay > return to cashier who rang it up at the original price of $15.99 > get into fight with manager > finally get everything situated and go home > unwrap DVD > curse when I hurt my finger nail trying to remove the security tape > put in DVD > DVD is defective > return back to store > discover store wont take returns on opened DVDs > cries > goes home > becomes pirate
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- Shiny outer wrap.
- Slipcover sealed in 4 separate places.
- Remove slipcover.
- DVD box sealed in 3 places.
- Open DVD box.
- Try to remove DVD without breaking it from one of those horribly grabby little stubs that have no depression button to release the DVD and seem designed to never let anything escape their grasp.
Obnoxiously sealed packaging that is difficult to open has been a long-standing and high-profile complaint for years. Anyone who has had to open a dvd in the last 10 years will laughingly acknowledge how aggravating the experience was. Don't try to pretend the whole thing doesn't exist with a snotty little "well then you have bigger problems" fallacy. It just makes you look like a jerk who is incapable of rational discourse.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Yes, I have. I usually have 'em out of the package in under a minute. Mildly annoying, but not as difficult to open as a lot of other packaging.
My mom would have more trouble than I would, but then, she'd have even more trouble using torrents.
As for rational discourse, I'm all for it. Just don't see much of it in comments here.
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Including your post which claims it's oh so difficult and time consuming ripping a DVD with An*DVD.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Damn, an actual, self-identified "impulse buyer". I suppose you also buy DVD's of films you've never seen before (either at the theater, on TV, or rented from a video store)?
Your attempt to refute the blindingly-obvious facts pointed out by the article was pretty shaky. Your understanding of how to use BitTorrent was even worse. But the fact that you seem to actually take pride in being the sort of totally thoughtless "consumer" who doesn't even *think* about what he/she buys, and just gets stuff on impulse....wow.
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It would be true if you didn't follow with...
Most people don't have a problem with shopping for a DVD or opening their mail box to get a Netflix mailer.
You are being dense on purpose, as you know that it takes longer than just opening the mail box to get a movie. Unless you have a magical one that you walk up to, wish for a movie and all of a sudden it's there! Every one of your "counterpoints" was countered and the best defense you've got so far is that your way of being anonymous is somehow more honest. Way to go.
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Except you don't have to do all that. There's a guy who comes around to my office about once a week offering bootleg DVDs out of the trunk of his car. That's even easier and fewer steps than going to the store to buy a DVD. (last time I checked, Best Buy and Walmart didn't offer free delivery)
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Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
But it explains why you'd want to be anonymous...
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
I didn't say I bought the DVDs, yet you accuse me of "actual criminal activity". Now that's *really* interesting. Just what crime are you accusing me of?
But it explains why you'd want to be anonymous...
Is that why *you're* anonymous and so you assume it applies to everyone?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
But you seem to be approving of criminal activity.
And I'm pseudonymous, not anonymous, if you can understand the difference. I'm also registered here. Are you?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Not at all, but that doesn't keep you from making false accusations, does it?
But you seem to be approving of criminal activity.
Yet another false accusation. I was merely presenting an observation. You're on a roll now.
And I'm pseudonymous, not anonymous, if you can understand the difference.
I understand that I really, really doubt that your mama named you "LostSailor" and that's your real name. You're just as anonymous as I am.
I'm also registered here. Are you?
Why bother to register a false identity under a fake name? That doesn't seem very honest to me. To do so and then try to criticize others for posting anonymously takes a real hypocrite.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
No accusation at all. Merely a speculation based on what you wrote. Unless you have a guilty conscience...
I understand that I really, really doubt that your mama named you "LostSailor" and that's your real name. You're just as anonymous as I am.
I don't expect anyone here to get the inside joke in that name, and as I suspected you don't understand the difference between pseudonymous and anonymous.
Why bother to register a false identity under a fake name? That doesn't seem very honest to me. To do so and then try to criticize others for posting anonymously takes a real hypocrite.
Now who's making accusations without foundation! Mike knows who I am.
But nice attempt to sidestep the issues with irrelevancies. Let me ask you directly: do you buy pirated DVDs? Do you support selling pirated DVDs from the trunk of a car?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Not me. Why, did you think that something that I said accurately described you? If so, then it wasn't without foundation, was it?
Mike knows who I am.
How? I've seen the process for registering here and it certainly doesn't include identity verification. You could register as the Queen of England if you wanted to. And I certainly don't know who you are, so as far as I'm concerned, you're anonymous.
On the other hand, Mike can see my IP address, so does that make me non-anonymous in your book? What a joke.
Let me ask you directly: do you buy pirated DVDs? Do you support selling pirated DVDs from the trunk of a car?
Direct answer: No, and no. Apologize now?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
You quite perceptively observed that "LostSailor" isn't my real name, but you also accused me of registering with a false identity, without foundation. Unless you've hacked into my registration files...
How? I've seen the process for registering here and it certainly doesn't include identity verification.
I never said it did, but you're making assumptions. I simply said Mike knows who I am.
Direct answer: No, and no. Apologize now?
Well, I'm heartily glad to hear it. I'll even be charitable and believe it. And, yes, you can apologize any time you like.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
No, I said that that would not be an honest thing to do in explaining why I didn't do it. I didn't actually say that you *did*, and now you've been caught lying about what I said again. I don't know what makes you think you can get away with it when anyone can look up above to see what was actually said. I sure am glad Techdirt doesn't let people to go back and edit their posts.
Unless you've hacked into my registration files...
I don't know what would make you think something like that. You really have a "vivid" imagination.
I never said it did, but you're making assumptions. I simply said Mike knows who I am.
What assumptions would that be? I'm quite aware that I don't know how Mike knows your identity, which is why I asked "how?" (which I note, you still haven't answered). Can you not read?
And, yes, you can apologize any time you like.
Sorry, I don't apologize to liars for calling them out.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
(Or -- and this is actually quite plausible, given recent events here on Techdirt -- are "you" merely another of "The sockpuppeting troll formerly known as TAM"'s sock-puppet ID's? There's something about the mix of inane quibbling, deliberate "misunderstanding" of the article to which you're replying, and self-congratulation about the fact that you're a "law-abiding" type of person who impulse-buys DVD's at Costco, and would *never* complain about stuff like being forced to sit through trailers and previews and crap -- EVEN AFTER HAVING "bought" the DVD itself!
I mean seriously....is that you, TAM? Haven't seen much of you lately. Did you have an accident with that "morning cofee", or just get frustrated at your own inability to spel "Metallica", and smash your keyboard?
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lol
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You guys don't get out much, do you?
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
And then there are the people here who don't have much of an argument and so start up with ad hominem attacks.
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
So, I'll explain it;
The downloading of the pirated version of the movie is much more trivial in both actual time spent and actual effort expended than going to the store & getting a legit copy.
PLUS everything that the graphic points out.
You can deny that all you'd like but it wont make it true.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
You also miss the point that you could just as easily go to your mailbox to get your latest Netflix delivery. You also miss the point that you could get the same movie legitimately streamed to your computer or TV. You also miss the point that for most people, getting movies by torrents is not as easy as it is for you.
You can argue from you one-sided perspective, but that doesn't make it true. Okay, maybe it's true you're annoyed by trailers, but not everyone is.
I'm just looking for a little balance in this discussion; it seems in short supply.
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all to be told you are a criminal if you chose to watch this movie in any way other that the way the creator intended, which I might add is completely against the original point of copyright.
Actually, that's not entirely true. Part of the purpose and mechanism of copyright is intended to do just that. Whether that's good or bad is another discussion. You seem to feel you're entitled to content in any way you want to feel entitled.
Also, a pseudonym is only used to remain anonymous you asshat./i>
Whatever you say "AW".
Though it always amazes me that folks in comments here are just so damn angry when confronted with even a hint of a differing opinion. Almost petulant.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
I knew that copyright law gave copyright holders certain rights concerning copying, distribution, and the creation of derivative works, but I didn't know that choosing the way someone looks at the work was one of them. Could you please quote the part of the US Constitution that says so?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Copyright law isn't in the Constitution, that document merely provides the fundamental basis for copyright legislation to be enacted by Congress. And Congress has allowed copyright holders to restrict your use of copyrighted content, including, in some instances, viewing options on movies.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Well, I never said that.
Copyright law isn't in the Constitution, that document merely provides the fundamental basis for copyright legislation to be enacted by Congress.
No, but the *purpose* of copyright is given in the Constitution. And you did say that controlling how people look at a work was part of the purpose of copyright, didn't you? Well, where is it?
And Congress has allowed copyright holders to restrict your use of copyrighted content, including, in some instances, viewing options on movies.
Let's see, 17 U.S.C. § 106 as passed *by Congress* gives the exclusive rights of copyright as:
(1) to reproduce the copyrighted work in copies or phonorecords;
(2) to prepare derivative works based upon the copyrighted work;
(3) to distribute copies or phonorecords of the copyrighted work to the public by sale or other transfer of ownership, or by rental, lease, or lending;
(4) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and motion pictures and other audiovisual works, to perform the copyrighted work publicly;
(5) in the case of literary, musical, dramatic, and choreographic works, pantomimes, and pictorial, graphic, or sculptural works, including the individual images of a motion picture or other audiovisual work, to display the copyrighted work publicly; and
(6) in the case of sound recordings, to perform the copyrighted work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission.
Now, I don't see the right to control how people look at a work anywhere in there, but perhaps I'm over looking it. Could you please point it out for us?
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
You either don't know what you're talking about, are being dishonest, or both. I vote for both.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
2. As to 'consequences", where the fuck are the "consequences" for the multinational corporate megaliths buying 11 copy"right" term extensions over the last thirty years (much less, their cronies in government?)
I don't see *any* evidence of you "obey the law *because* it's the law" types *EVER* actually addressing the fact that the "consequences" go BOTH ways.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Ghetto_Uprising
Should those *forced* into the Warsaw Ghetto (and the death-camps that followed) simply, placidly fallen into line and been "law-abiding" *because* it was "the law?"
Sometimes the worst "consequences" arise, simply from OBEDIENCE TO "THE LAW" ITSELF. That's how oppressive regimes continue to function -- not merely by terrorizing the recalcitrant among their subjects, but *more* by training those subjects in the belief that uncomplaining subjugation is a virtue.
Of course, it's not surprising that a rabid "law = virtue" type such as yourself would ALSO be an apologist for copyright "law".
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Of course! Criminals are criminals.
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
I'm pretty sure this is just who/whatever was behind "TAM", folks -- nothing (new or interesting) to see here. :)
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Video files aren't executables. They don't contain spyware or viruses.
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Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
The infectious "executables" (root kits, etc.) are one of the little "extras" you get with store bought DVDs.
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Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
As long as it's extension is AVI, DIVX or MKV the answer is yes.
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Re: Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
(Checks Linux box, happily running XBMC)
Yes, even if video files were executable and contained viruses. Which they don't, unlike some legally bought media.
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Re: Re: The DVD Magically Appears
I don't know offhand of any such exploits in the wild for movie files though, probably because of the complexity and diversity of the available codecs, containers, and players.
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
Example:
searched "the matrix torrent" in google
downloaded torrent (actually a collection of all three movies) from first two results, the seeds combined from both
time remaining: 2 hours
Compare to driving to store, finding the matrix trilogy (its an older movie set now), paying likely $49.95 for the box set, getting home, finding out it was a junky store that sold region 2 dvds, blah blah blah
the list goes on. The point is, all of this crap is useless.
If I bought a DVD (which I never would), its already known that I didnt/wouldnt pirate it. Therefore, why put 10 minutes of warnings, why make region DRM, why make ANY DRM at all.
If I was going to pirate it, I never would have seen the warnings. Makes no sense
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Re: The DVD Magically Appears
It's asinine any way you cut it!
And imagine kids DVDs that you watch 12 times. You have to sit through the same crap each time. With a pirate disk or digital copy, you'd never have to suffer ads placed before the content you bought.
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Re:
Given your county's history, I assume their from the SS?
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SS, RIAA, MPAA, what's the difference?
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Well, one of them is a horrific example of power gone horribly, horribly wrong, in which terrible crimes are committed against humanity and a total lack of tolerance is on display for all to see.
The other was some military wing in Nazi Germany or something....
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The SS was up front about it's campaign to ruin people's lives.
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Re:
Here in the Philippines, you are forced to see FBI notices, as if the FBI had any authority here. How stupid is that?
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And tihis, readers, is why I don't buy DVDs anymore!
So, Hollywood, want my money? Stop this asinine crap and give me back control of what *** I *** want to do, not what you want me to do, jerks.
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Magic is perception...
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put it where it belongs
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Re: put it where it belongs
This is nothing short of an enormous scam. Publishers make money from enforcing draconian IP laws, creating a scarcity (where is there is none) and then limit manufacturer’s ability to create hardware consumers want to buy. It seems to me that publishers go to enormous lengths to avoid giving consumers what they want. I’ve simply stopped consuming. No HDTV for me, no Blu-ray, I’ve stopped buying DVDs because like most everyone here has already said, we’re not getting what we want. The verdict? And we won’t anytime soon.
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seems like a fair trade off to me.
Or do you just sit on your couch, wave money and the dvd of your choosing magically appears in your hand?
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So true!
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yup
It's not that I'd rather watch them on hulu, it's that I don't care to make a 42 minute show into an hour because of commercials, especially on TV. Even on Hulu they are atrocious.
Really, it's 42 minutes. Make it 60 minutes of content and then people would watch it, like me. Meanwhile, 42 minutes and 18 of commercials? pass.
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I have one DVD..
Someone may have mentioned it, but "Disney Fast Play" is the biggest crock there is. All it does is automatically play the movie.. AFTER it plays all of the above mentioned stuff. That means it eliminates one click on your remote. Ridiculous.
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Re: I have one DVD..
Nowadays I just rip my Blurays using makemkv and just include the main title. I put it on my NAS server and can play them back without having to search for the disc and sit through all that crap.
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Legal copying.
I store copies of the legal movies I've bought, onto the drive and can select what I want.
Running 2 x 1TB drives in the entertainment system lets me store a few hundred movies, music and games and other info with immediate access from any computer.
Illegal? probably but I have the originals. (Grey area!)
Cutting out the adverts, and extra crap means full movies take less than 4 gig a piece. (I've got approximately 40 movies at the moment and barely touched the space avaialble.)
I can watch movies when I want, without the propoganda and adverts.! AND I can stream to any devive in the house.
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hes sees it as safer
ALSO it costs less in time and people will pay 5$ a dvdr with just the movie on it
funny cause they only cost 1$ each
i have huge selection of dvdrips but do not sell but people have asked the worst ill do is have them pay for the disk or give me one
one could argue that if you think of a job being paid 4$ for the technical know how, the cost of dling and storage and then the blank disc and the risk of getting caught is why you see 5 or so bucks.
BRING acta in and get rid of file sharing and your going to have people like this a lot more and tell me how they gonna know everyone doing it?
they wont
they ant afford the coppers
so they will target those they know of who are vocal or against there polices like abuse of power its going ot be a law of convenience
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Found the Author
I've found the author of this picture to be Kevin Marks, as reported on his TwitterFeed and reported by Lifehacker.
http://twitter.com/kevinmarks/status/9346783422
http://twitter.com/kevinmarks
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Re: Found the Author
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The image in question came from reddit:
http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/b3opv/legal_dvd_vs_pirated_copy/
http://www.redd it.com/r/pics/comments/b3opv/legal_dvd_vs_pirated_copy/c0ksd1t
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Yes, as a matter of fact
You know, I'm getting pretty sick of your smug attitude and dismissal of all other dissent. YES, as a matter of GOD DAMN fact, exact fucking words DO fucking matter in fucking law. They are called "legalities" and in some cases, "technicalities" but they DO FUCKING MATTER. See also the 1st, 4th, and 5th amendments, where wording and specificity DO MATTER VERY MUCH.
And before you dismiss YET ANOTHER VALID POINT, yes, the cursing is necessary, because sometimes you have to hit people in the FACE to get them to see a god damn point.
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Re: Yes, as a matter of fact
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Re: Re: Yes, as a matter of fact
It's probably just "TAMhole" fucking with us again. He's already admitted to creating numerous sock-puppet accounts for just that reason, and, if you read his drivel, it bears a strong resemblance to his idiocy.
TAM's "responses" usually consisted of:
1. Dismissing whatever he was replying to on the grounds that it "isn't really that bad" (whatever "it" happens to be -- from runaway copyright term extension, to re-monopolizing formerly "Public Domain" content, etc.)
2. Dissmissing it on the grounds that "it's not really that bad".
3. Dismissing it on the basis of his copy of "Heechee Rendezvous".
4. Weird non-sequiturs about hamburgers, imaginary dogs, etc.
5. "Watch your language!" --- (Last resort of a whiny little pussy, BTW!) :)
Don't waste the time.
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Pain in the Ass DVD's
Over the last several years I've built up collection of about 1,000 DVD's, mostly re-releases of old 1950's and 1960's movies (every John Wayne movie for example), but also a whole lot of new movies. After a while I got extremely pissed off at DVD's I bought that matched the profile shown by that picture.
When I buy a DVD that's pretty much like the one described in that picture, I create/burn 10 edited copies, CD/DVD labels, and package them. Just so know, copying/editing a DVD is ridiculously simple. Then I give them away to whoever wants the movie. I've been doing that for about 3 years now.
Does it cost the movie companies money, you bet, that's the whole purpose of the exercise even if it is penny ante. My business partner and I, before we retired, used to call this type of thing an asshole tax, applied when we had to put up with jerks.
Is giving the copies away illegal, oh hell yes (making copies of your legally purchased DVD's is NOT illegal, the DCMA does NOT trump that right, I do carry it to an extreme though). Do I give a good damn if it's illegal, not one little bit.
I'm sure this will seriously offend some of the apologists here but, again, I don't give a good damn if it does. It'll probably help keep their noses bent out of shape.
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I believe you're right. The IMDb has a different shot of a girl who looks the same, holding a big gun. Thanks! :)
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British spoofs
http://www.filmdetail.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/amusing-piracy-spoof1.jpg
http:/ /www.filmdetail.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/piracys-spoof-21.jpg
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Why...
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Re: Why...
He/she has admitted to using sock-puppet accounts previously (most recently "The Anti-Mike"). Masnick is pretty sure it's the same person as "Weird Harold".
Do a search, the results will probably interest you.
The primary reason there's only *one* big-media apologist troll who has to create the illusion of massive support by way of sock-puppet accounts, is because nobody in their right mind could actually take the position of "bend over and take it from your corporate overlords/their cronies in government", so consistently, and retain any self-respect whatsoever.
Really obvious tip-off: his asinine little tantrum over the purportedly *vast* difference between posting ANonymously, vs. posting PSEUDonymously. (Hint: *BOTH* are primarily motivated by a desire to obscure your "real" identity.
Sometimes, there are very valid reasons for doing so. Other times, the motivation is cowardice, or the desire to play mind-games.
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But, it's wrong.
The beef I have with the picture is that I have NEVER had to deal with the picture it paints for legitimate DVDs. YES, I have seen the FBI warnings on DVDs... but I have ALWAYS been able to skip past the previews. So, why does this picture claim otherwise?
Anyone who has ever properly used a normal DVD player would see this picture and say, "well, that's not the way it really is" then would completely dismiss it as the rant from an obvious 12-year-old.
So, again. I don't have a problem with this picture because I am against piracy... I have a problem with this picture because it only HELPS the big shots make their case AGAINST piracy, by showing that those in favor have no clue how to operate a DVD player properly, or clearly don't care to know.
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Re: But, it's wrong.
The picture is comedy, a bit overdrawn just to make the point. Can't you see that even though you can fast forward or skip some (or all) of the warnings/trailers, it is still more annoying than the "press play - watch movie" of an illicit copy? (which also happens to be free)
The point is that the paid version should be better, not slightly worse or even the same.
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No, it's not
Because normal players can't skip P-UOPs. And/or you don't (have to) watch Disney movies. Good for you.
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Re: But, it's wrong.
Why, what's your stake in it? You sell DVDs or something?
The beef I have with the picture is that I have NEVER had to deal with the picture it paints for legitimate DVDs.
Well, plenty of people have. Your lack of experience isn't our problem.
Anyone who has ever properly used a normal DVD player would see this picture and say, "well, that's not the way it really is" then would completely dismiss it as the rant from an obvious 12-year-old.
Now you're resorting to lies. I'm really convinced you're some kind of shill now.
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Re: But, it's wrong.
Hmm. There are definitely DVDs that I have where I have not been able to skip past the previews, and it is a real pain.
I don't know if it's DVD specific, or DVD player specific, but I have come across that problem.
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Re: Re: But, it's wrong.
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FBI for the win
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Re: FBI for the win
The FBI has offices in many countries outside of the US. Ever heard of "extradition"? No? Maybe you will someday.
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I can at least skip previews on my DVD/DVR.
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MPAA gets its way?
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Frustrated.
Offer me something I want, and ill pay for it. The strings attached to many media sources today make the product much less desirable. Great article.
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True dat
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Menu button
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