Pro-RIAA comic hopes to scare file sharers with bizarre legal fantasy
Threat Level reports on an "educational" comic strip distributed to students across the country by a non-profit called the National Center for State Courts. It tells the story of a student arrested on criminal charges for file sharing. As that premise somewhat suggests, it's packed with misinformation. But hey, she gets a public defender!
In the story, Megan Robbins is criminally charged as an industrial-scale commercial pirate. In consensus reality, the recording industry sues file sharers in civil courts after making settlement offers. The strip also confuses federal with magistrate courts and presents a courtroom scenario that would never occur in real life.
It's the Pascal's Wager of antipiracy arguments: who cares about the truth when you might burn in hell? I submit that the war is lost when you're reduced to publishing Chick Tracts.
Also: check out that lawyer's arm. It's really freaking me out.
Nonprofit distributes File Sharing Propaganda to 50,000 U.S. Students [Threat Level]
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Holy crap! I told y'all about this over a year ago and offered to send you copies.
Pay attention!
I've only been here a few months!
I'd love a copy of the physical original! We'll make it a prize for a competition. rob at boing boing net
Er, it's nifty news, but how is this a gadget?
Er, it has to do with what files you can put on your gadgets. (Without getting sued or into some other kind of legal trouble).
It's disgusting how the RIAA and MPAA treat file sharers like evil villains. Meanwhile, there's a warehouse in Anywhere, USA with CD/DVD duplicators churning out copies of the latest and greatest movies and music. These are the real pirates.
Also, another party to blame are the industry insiders that steal and leak advanced copies for their friends/family. Because those copies eventually wind up on the internet. Go figure.
Hmph. So.....anyone got a torrent of this?
:)
The lawyer's hand was mangled by a truck of pirated music that ran him and his family down as a child.
The truck was driven by none other than "Fair Use Charlie": a notorious figure of dark import.
He's made it his life's work to crush piracy in all it's forms, and to bring all pirates to justice.
By night he stalks his enemies as the masked "Dr. M"!
You'll know when he leaves his calling card...because it's only for YOU!!!
(and now a word from our sponsors)
Well, Rob. It could be worse. Wired actually did a puff piece on it when it came out last year.
I'll ship you out a couple copies. I think I have about 4 extras laying around.
The Pascal's Wager reference was golden, but this actually got a chuckle out of me:
"I submit that the war is lost when you're reduced to publishing Chick Tracts."
Right on, brother.
I don't want to be Elfstar any more!
@#6: No need for a torrent, Wired has the whole thing up for direct download.
What amuses me is that nearly all the torrenting I do is comics.
That's not the lawyer's hand, it's his evil twin's, who is trying to steal his speech bubble.
Dude, that's NOT his arm. Judging by his stance, he appears to have his hips canted forward. I shall leave you to extrapolate from there...
more scary than this is some of the publisher's other clients. take a look at:
"Layne Morgan Media, Inc. is proud to present T.R.T. Terrorist Response Team, a book designed to educate youth on important issues concerning national security and the new vocabulary associated with terrorism. Throughout the book, terms and issues are discussed in a non-threatening way to educate children on the sensitive topic of homeland security. Its message reiterates the importance of American freedom and our role in fighting terrorism."
new words of course means put a positive spin on the euphemisms we now use instead of straight forward truth.