MPAA’s Aggressive Anti-Piracy Propaganda
Written by Ernesto on March 10, 2007The MPAA is very active in recruiting America’s youth for their war on piracy. The deadline for the their anti-piracy propaganda contest just passed. SIFE Students from all over America spent weeks filming mind numbing anti-piracy PSAs, resulting in some really bad, but hilarious clips.
Piracy is the greatest obstacle the film industry currently faces, according to MPAA Chairman Dan Glickman. “We remain committed to educating students, parents and all consumers to aggressively tackle the threat of piracy,” he said.
Some of the PSAs created by these students are indeed aggressive and horrific instead of educational. Below is an example of a clip that was sent in by students from Kirkwood Community College, for this years anti-propaganda contest. But I’m not sure if I’m supposed to laugh or cry.
More anti-piracy PSAs can be found over here. For people who are interested in really good and educational PSAs, take a look at the winners of the Anti-DRM contest. That’s what I call creative.
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55 Responses
Lamest Thing Ever. American Youth is stupid to go along with it. I live in Missouri and I have never head of this bullshit yet. Thank God. I would just laugh at them.
I’m laughing, be sure of that.
Complete rubbish.
While a case might be made that “stealing creativity kills creativity”, I fail to see how downloading a movie or t.v. show is “stealing creativity”. Downloading is not plagiarism. Duh!
the hypocrisy is funniest thing, they robed a scene from independence day!!!
laughing, for sure!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5HaNcKFqCc
^^^ that is lamest…. ^^^
talk about propaganda, it’s trying to say that we are taking away freedom…
but wait, is this trying to say that the police are ugly people who will stab you and hunt you down?
hm, who kills creativity? rather the riaa
I left my mark on the comments for the videos but i think they deleted them
Stealing?
Like when they make me purchase a new license to view a movie on DVD when I already own a license to view that movie (purchased on VHS).
They’ve already stolen plenty from me.
the dude who made this video used copyrighted music from the matrix, the irony is killing me, rofl.
Dude Gayest thing ever gayed
Crap. Crap, Crap, Crap.
When someone “pirates” something it doesn’t kill creativity. Mostly anything “stolen” is only available because big corporate America is screwing people up the wazoo. The only reason I would “steal” anything is to see If I like it. If anything I’d rather test and dislike something then buy and hate it so much for wasting the money that I’d just give it a bad reputation to everyone I know. RIAA is nothing more than a bunch of stuck up, sold out music whores that want to take everything they can from the middle class. Music isn’t about money, its expression and when you forget that you lose your talent.
Interesting how corporate America suddenly becomes ethic-crazy when it comes to so-called “piracy”, and this just shows how out of touch they are with reality.
It’s nice to see that they think the crap they are churning out is “art”. Maybe if it really was I would pay for it and watch it, rather than just not watching it, pirating or otherwise.
shouldn’t that “I” for the illegal downloading really stand for idiots?
I was a member of SIFE and participated in this competition last year. First of all, I buried this article because of inaccuracy. This was not an aggressive move to force anti-piracy propaganda. It wasn’t even the MPAA’s idea. The fact of the matter is that every year, for the better part of a decade, SIFE students across the nation take part in an annual competition where they show off the projects they have worked on during the year. These projects center around specific topics including ETHICS which is what this project relates to. ONE STUDENT and his class started this project last year by contacting a friend who worked at the MPAA and purposed the idea to them. The student who put this project together was highly awarded for his participation in laying the foundation for this particular individual topic. This was simply a class project and not a political or cultural scam cooked up by the lawyers who run the RIAA. My video didn’t win last year, but the videos that did where quite good and funny. Also, please keep in mind that most of these videos where put together by business students not film makers, under a strict deadline, and while taking there normal classes. That’s, why most of them suck.
I’m not sure these videos will change the minds of hard core movie pirates, hell, i didn’t even buy into my own video and I have a stack of videos that I copied sitting on the desk in one of my shots, but changing a pirates mind wasn’t the goal anyway. The goal was to show that ethics are important to maintaining civilization and that although it is easier, cheaper, and the future of mass entertainment, coping movies or any other form of entertainment and sharing them is stealing and is unethical.
Since I’ve started downloading stuff from the internet I went and buy a lot more dvd’s, cd’s… I’ve discovered a lot of new artists and supported their creativity!
LOL!
How ignorant.
@k3vin
Alberto Gonzales has a job for you ratting out your fellow citizens. Go for it, buddy.
@k3vin
You have a LOT to learn about ethics. Go study.
How dare they use the music from the Super Burly Brawl from The Matrix Revolutions to push their propaganda…
The funny thing is they didn’t give credit to any of the “actors” or to the composer of the music…lol
I wonder if they licensed the background music ……..
I hope to dear god that they only did that for the money.
Can we get the RIAA to sue the MPAA for using illegal music to advertise their cause?
You do realize that the music used in that video was from the matrix.
So unless he got a permission to use that music he’s stealing too.
@Jonesy,
I never said this project had anything to do about my personal ethics nor my support for or against the MPAA. I am simply clarifying the real situation of the competition. Try reading before commenting.
@Bob
You are an idiot. How did I rat out “my fellow citizens.” No names where listed and no specific videos outlined. And they are not doing anything wrong so it wouldn’t matter.
@ Bryce & Ocho
It’s not the MPAA who are developing these movies it is students. Most of whom, I guess, really don’t get what the point of the competition is. And those students are not selling the videos for profit. So no.
HAHA, I bet the students who made this had “pirated” music on there computers.
Complaining about pirating while pirating. That’s special. Of course the MPAA won’t say anything about it because it supports their cause.
I wish there were some way to hold the MPAA accountable. God I hate the MPAA.
Talk about police abuse, being molested by a witch trying to get your confession is kind of rude even from the RIAA and MPAA, I’m glad I’m not living in the USA but in France where all you get for anti-piracy ad is “please don’t steal me”
Man… hypocrites. i refuse to back that up, just read the other posts. i have no talent at writing.
THIS IS THE MOST CHEESIEST SHIT IVE EVER FUCKIN SEEN LMAO
FUCKIN MORONS ON WHO EVER CREATED THIS STUPID FUCKIN VIDEO
PIRACY IS FOREVER BITCHES!
ONCE ITS STARTED!
ITLL NEVER END!
FUCK MPAA FUCK RIAA AND ALL THESE OTHER FUCKS OUT THERE
I go to Kirkwood Community College and apologize on behalf of those few students that still have thoughts there besides beer, beer, weed, weed, cows and sheep.
Kirkwood may have “college” in the name, but the institution and its students tend to function more like high school. And after witnessing this little video, my observations have been confirmed.
It is frustrating being amongst a student body that is ignorant of even basic concepts of ethics, civics and spotting a con job.
@K3vin
If ur so concerned about ethics, why did you make a video for a cause that you don’t support, That doesn’t seem very ethical
@Cub
Because I was asked to participate. Again my comment nor the competition express my personal ethics. You didn’t see my video so you don’t know what I said in the video. For all you know I didn’t win because my video was filled with anti-MPAA criticism. Who the hell said that I was concerned with ethics?
I was simply clarifying the true nature of the MPAA involvement with SIFE so that you could be a little less ignorant about something you have had little if any participation with.
@Vadimka
You are a true scholar of words, retard.
@K3vin
“And those students are not selling the videos for profit. So no.”
Wait, wait, wait so if I don’t sell the stolen copyrighted material it’s cool?
Alright, thanks for the info.
K3vin, don’t waste your time on the trolls here. ;)
The irony is that 90% of student PSAs of this nature use unlicensed music and film footage. In other words – these anti-piracy PSAs are pirating movies and music themselves.
Even if it’s not for profit, such use nevertheless illegal according to US law. Now pirating that music… that’s what… $750 per song? And pirating that movie… $5,000?
that video was so lame! my god. lol
If it was not for piracy Wanke# Bill Gates would never of seen the success he did.
The same goes for many bands as well.
This movie is total GAY CRAP
Pot, Kettle.. yeah, k3vin, you’ve got morals.. double ones.
I may be giving them more credit than they deserve, but it seemed to me like they were making fun of the mpaa with this video–not “going along” with them.
@Kevin
Your video probably lost because it sucked, which probably didn’t differentiate it from most of the other entries, and besides in your first comment you said you didn’t even by into your own video, which means you did exactly what I said. So don’t make me seem to be ignorant, when you don’t even know what you said. Besides, I think you missed the point of the original story and went on to try and defend the little bastards who want the approval of the MPAA and want to be able to put something on their resume.
I think there is a little confusion on everyone’s part. The PSA is meant to be “out there” in a sense that unless it’s outside the box, no one cares. You all hate this PSA (Which I understand) but yet you are all advertising for my very cause with your anger. You’re having the exact opposite effect you’re trying to portray. Furthermore, you all fail to use your own judgment and perceptions and fade to the norm or generalized opinion. She/He said this, so I should agree; seriously. Try looking into what your seeing, what the purpose of the spot is. It’s for entertainment.. I wanted exactly this controversy. The mask character with the knife suggests a life at risk of loss. The running is the pirate, message simple. I know this will not have a positive effect on those of you who fail to grasp the concept of what’s yours by ownership, and what stealing really is. Creativity drives our world, brings forth new products and entertainment that we value in every aspect of our lives. Think about that. And, the music is used for educational purposes; strictly non-profit and no laws have been broke. Maybe we should utilize all the hostility into positive energy, I bet we would all accomplish a lot more.
http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html
Most schools have a “blanket” clause that allows them to use almost all copyrighted music and as long as that is the case with Kirkwood, they are in the clear legally
Gee, if this video succeeds at something, it’s at making me enraged and determined to further “steal creativity”. YOU “creators” are out there for US, not the other way around, damn you!
haha that was ridiculous. most people will never be caught. and i would doubt if would call much of anything that comes out of hollywood art. and they are the ones suppressing creativity limiting to reruns of the same basic movie plots over and over again.
The funny thing about trying to convey a message to someone through any medium is the very fact that it’s open for interpretation.
@Kirkwood
I don’t know what a PSA is nor do I care. However, after watching the video I certainly did not get the impression that it was trying to deliver a message that stealing creativity kills creativity. I only got that because I read the crappy sub-titles.
It was an extremly tacky, poorly made video that doesn’t seem to be able to distinguish between copyright infringement and theft. Which are two entirely different concepts.
It also does not really explain HOW copyright theft has any impact on creativty. Indeed no one has been able to truly show any evidence that backs this claim up.
“Everybody does it that makes it right”. Well to be honest, yes it does make it right. The only reason it is “wrong” is because those in power who stand to gain from it being wrong say it is.
The video was a preachy piece of shit that really didn’t deserve an award other than mayebe “biggest piece of arse kissing shit award”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8VSZimRRPY
We all need to stop pirating right away, these students have had their creativity completly swiped…
I’ll Never Ger Caught! Muahaha
i would bet that the music, from the matrix soundtrack, which I dl’ed (for one track) was pirated too. no one would pay for that soundtrack.. oh my!
What really gets me about the MPAA’s stance on “piracy” is how contrary it is to itself.
For example, on their website the MPAA suggest in one paragraph that by violating a movie’s copyright people are stealing and that it’s no different to taking a movie from a shop.
Then a few paragraphs later they say that your “parents won’t be happy” if you’re fined $3000 for pirating movies.
When was the last time a thief was fined $3000 for taking a video from a store. Apparently it’s MUCH WORSE than stealing from a shop. Even though in the instance of stealing from a shop, the shop owner has actually lost something. i.e: He no longer has the ability to sell that DVD because it’s GONE.
In the case of piracy, the original owner loses nothing, the video that was purchased by the person it was “stolen” from has lost nothing, There is no scarcity of “intellectual property” as with real property, so it should not get as much protection under the law.
Despite the demonstrably lower level of harm caused to everyone involved when it comes to piracy, the penalties involved are much harsher.
The message the MPAA is trying to send is clear to me; if you want the latest DVD, go steal it from a store, the penalties are far less severe and apparently it’s “exactly the same thing”.
The great part about stealing directly from the store is that you get the artwork and an original DVD that the police can’t identify as stolen,
Back in the real world, it’s pretty clear that you’re causing actual harm to the poor victim of theft, who is now out of pocket for the price of a DVD.
Sadly, he’s not able to pass the cost along to the artists and other people who the MPAA punish for a lack of a theoretical “profit” that they would have made if every download of a movie translated to a lost sale (remember there’s no proof that people who pirate DVDs would ever have paid for the original – in fact it logically indicates the opposite).
The really painfully stupid thing about the whole situation is that for me, if I download or am given a pirated movie that I really like, I’ll generally go and buy the DVD so that I can show/lend it to my friends without having to fuck around with computers and players and codecs and TV out and cables when I’m at their house, because most people don’t have a computer strapped to their TV ready-to-go.
I have nearly 1000 DVDs and BluRay discs in my collection, whereas I have about 30 pirated movies on my HTPC (mostly because I can’t get them on disc). The fact that they’ve made a lot more out of me legitimately than they’ve ever lost through piracy doesn’t make a blind bit of difference to them.
Way to go MPAAssholes!
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