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Copyright Lobby Hires Pro-ACTA Demonstators

What if you organize a pro-copyright demonstration, but nobody wants to attend?

Well, then you can always hire some students.

This is exactly what the German copyright lobby must have thought.

They are reportedly recruiting students who are asked to attend a 2-hour demonstration for a lucrative 100 euro ($130).

The demonstration is held on World Intellectual Property Day where the students will probably have to hold up pro-ACTA signs and other propaganda.

And yes, these students are paid with money from the copyright industry, money that could have been paid to artists as well.

It doesn’t look like the demonstration is going to be a huge success though, as even one of the major industry associations backed out already because they fear bad press.

Update: The recruitment agency says that they have nothing to do with it.


Recruiting students at a German university

recruiting

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  • Anonymous

    That is hilarious. I would take the money and bring an even bigger anti-ACTA sign to hold in front of the pro sign, so that I would technically fulfil my end of the bargain. They are as stupid as Apple, whose contractors hired actors to stand in line for the new Iphone (who knows, this only came out once: perhaps it is done every time?).
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/22/actors_paid_for_poland_iphone_launch/

    • guest

      Wrong fruit orange not apple at least get your facts straight.

      • Bloaxor

         I am legitimately confused about this line.

        • Danny

           Me three!

        • Whatthe

           me 2

        • Anyone

          the mobile provider Orange hired actors to stand in line for the new Apple iPhone launch

      • Unwelcome Guest

         Still wrong fruit banana not apple not orange at least get you fact straight.

      • Anonymous

         Haha okay, fair enough. But Orange probably talked about this with Apple before deciding to hire these people. In any case it’s all a load of crap. Advertising and propaganda suck.

  • http://www.cheapassfiction.com/ Aelius Blythe

    HAH.  I’m torn between laughing at how pathetic that is and not laughing at how not really funny it is.  

    If you need to HIRE people to “support” your cause, doesn’t that mean you’re doing something wrong?

    And… I feel dumb, but “World Intellectual Property Day”?  Can I take off from work for that? lol.

    • CLL

       You can’t take off from work for that, but you can definitely set some movies to download before you leave for work for it. ;)

    • Guest

      You are intelligent (I know this from other posts) and beautiful (if it’s your picture). Aelius is your roll model, girls. :)

      • what the???

         dude this is not a dating site!!!

    • :D
  • Anonymous

    The public hates them. No one will support their cause.
    They don’t ask, “Why isn’t anyone supporting us? Are we doing the right thing?” Instead they ask, “How much should we pay people to pretend to support us so we’ll look like we have supporters?”

    That’s the behavior of someone who already knows that what they’re doing is wrong.

  • Anonymous

     I hope to see a bunch of students there with signs that read, “I’m only here because they paid me to be!”. But I probably won’t. Ah well, I can dream.

  • MindFuck
    • Anyone

      great movie
      that would not be made today

  • townie2

    their getting pathetic now. who invented this  World Intellectual Property Day? not the people, why isn’t there an Free the Internet Day, wouldn’t have to pay people to come to that rally.

    • Lulz

      We can always make it.  They make days, why don’t we? :)  I’d have a party for an Internet Freedom day.

  • Pingback: Copyright Lobby Hires Pro-ACTA Demonstators » Alchemy of the Modern Renaissance || Good Vibes Promotions

  • nohbdy

    Great, now they resorted to bribing students.

  • NewClear

    To be an ACTA supporter, you have to be either blind or stupid.

    • DannyUfonek

      Stop insulting blind people!!!

    • DocGerbil100

      There are blind commenters on TF.
      They don’t like ACTA any more than you do.

      • ANoi

         what a dick thing for him to say…. hope for one … Alyssa B… isn’t offended.

    • ANoi

       dick… insulting blind people… stfu

  • http://4videoyoutube.blogspot.com/ Drunk3n Conqu3ror

    LoL At Them 

  • Noneone

    Now they have to pay people not just politians to support their bad laws and trade agreements. Take their money but show up in A shirt that has “I am being paid to demonstrate this bad “trade agreement”".

    • http://univacc.net/ apotheon

      I love how you refer to “people not just politicians”, implying that politicians aren’t people.  That’s an insightful comment, there.

      • Anonymous

         Politicians in this context are the elected leaders of the people.  And yes, politicians (no not all) are paid by corporations because corporations are people too…

  • Anon

    Desperate measures at their “desperate times”? If they have money to pay for demonstrators, how come they keep bitching and crying about loss of profit? It cannot be the case that they’re losing a trillion dollars every month, when they have money to pay each student 100 EUR. Quick maths shows that they can afford 1000 students without an issue, which the fee would come to 100,000 EUR. Money well-spent on the artists in which they should have paid in the beginning…rightfully. 

  • http://subtruth.com/ klav

    Fake

    • Guest

      Very well could be. There’s no way of knowing if this is true or not. I shall maintain my scepticism. 

      • Caladol1

        stupidity has no limit!!!!!
        the MAFIAA has done much worst. 

  • townie2

    this kind of reminds me of North Korea, where people are forced to attend these public parades, rallies, etc. for their great leader, except in this case, the force is money for people they know need it.

  • Pingback: Copyright Lobby Hires Pro-ACTA Demonstators | TorrentFreak « SunnyRomy

  • Pingback: Un lobby achète des manifestants pour défendre ACTA ! «

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  • Pingback: Copyright Lobby Tries To ‘Hire’ Demonstrators, Since The Public Refuses To Rally In Support Of ACTA | Share Blog

  • Pingback: Copyright Lobby Tries To ‘Hire’ Demonstrators, Since The Public Refuses To Rally In Support Of ACTA | latest techn

  • Andycapp

    just another sign of there incompatibility with us mere mortals. We all know they are a dying industry , they just don’t want to accept there failure and change for the good of their business. more and more people are seeking alternative entertainment sources where all they want is a reasonably prices service that works without drm and does not charge a fortune to watch what is in effect an hour and a half’s  entertainment. At the end of all of this they will have destroyed themselves and given the market to innovators.

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