MPAA Scare Tactics
p2pnet.net News View: - The MPAA and certain anti-p2p companies have mounted a fear mongering campaign against file sharers.
Several weeks ago, an anti-p2p company called BayTSP announced that they developed software that allows them to trace the original distributor of a file, specifically on the eDonkey network and on BitTorrent trackers. This announcement was made for the sole purpose of scaring file sharers into believing that if they were the first person to share a copyrighted file on a certain network, they would be in big trouble.
The fact is, it’s been possible to track down the original distributor of a file on eDonkey and BitTorrent for a long time now.
BayTSP is well aware of this, but since their announcement was designed to strike fear into the hearts of file sharers, they conveniently left out the part that they were able to track down the original seeder long before they developed this software that apparently automates the process. Judging by the response to this announcement on several p2p news Websites, a small portion of file sharers have bought into this fear mongering campaign hook, line and sinker.
Whether or not it matters if a person was first, second, or fiftieth to share a copyrighted file on a network is another argument altogether. The original seeder on any p2p network and the individual who created the digital file are almost always not the same person and this same file has probably been available on other P2P networks prior to the time this person began sharing it.
The fear mongering campaign has now escalated, with the MPAA seizing control of lokitorrent.com and plastering the message, “You can click but you can’t hide” on the front page. This isn’t unlike the way mobsters intimidate witnesses. Enforcers and murderers tell these witnesses they can run, but they can’t hide, if they testify against them. However, the MPAA has taken it one step further by including a message that states, “The illegal downloading of motion pictures robs thousands of honest, hard-working people of their livelihood, and stifles creativity.” In addition to threatening file sharers, they’re attempting to invoke empathy by making absurd claims.
The reality is that every time someone downloads a copyrighted movie, it doesn’t equate to a loss of a potential sale. While it’s true that some people will download a DVD instead of buying it, it’s also true that some people will download a poor quality rip of a movie and then go out and purchase the DVD. Would this person have purchased the DVD if he didn’t have the ability to “illegally” download it?
2004 was a banner year for Hollywood. Their box office numbers were higher than ever and DVD sales generated hundreds of millions of dollars. Despite all of their rhetoric, they have yet to prove sharing copyrighted movies has negatively impacted their industry.
The notion that “illegal downloading” robs thousands of hard-working people of their livelihood and stifles creativity is laughable. If the movie industry went on a downward spiral, for any reason, the first thing that would happen is that actors would no longer make 15 or 20 million dollars a movie.
Do they really expect people to believe their industry is in trouble while they pay actors ridiculous sums of money to star? They obviously don’t expect us to feel sorry for wealthy actors, so they’re trying to make everyone believe the people who will be affected most are ordinary people. This isn’t logical, since every Hollywood movie must have a set decorator, wrangler, producer, production assistant, etc. These people would not lose their jobs. The worst thing that could happen to the industry is that they’d be forced to stop grossly overpaying actors, but don’t hold your breath for this to happen.
Hollywood is alive and doing extremely well.
They were wrong about the VHS and they’re wrong about p2p.
Drake Zamanov
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February 12th, 2005 at 3:41 am
This kind of smear campaign is the kind of thing which lands news reporters and tabloids in court whenever they try it against someone wealthy enough.
Now they do it against an entire class of early technology adopters.. i suggest the EFF push an antidefamation lawsuit and challenge them to either back up their claims or stop waging psychological warfare against the individual citizen.
February 12th, 2005 at 4:12 am
I think the ’seizing’ of lokitorrents logs and subsequent publicity is yet another attack vector in this fear-mongering tactic.
If the reactions on Slyck’s forums are any indicator, it’s already working. They’re spreading their own brand of FUD.
February 12th, 2005 at 5:28 am
God, the MPAA is making my insides shatter
February 12th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
Re: costing people their jobs. As a former union projectionist I can tell you that the LAST thing a movie studio, theater chain, or other entertainment company is interested in is the preservation of jobs. Union employees especially are targets for elimination at all times. Projectionists have been almost totally replaced with untrained managers or ushers and the terrible quality of film presentation today is a result. Films are produced in Romania or other former Iron Curtain countries simply because people there work cheaper, not necessarily better.
I for one, dont CARE if downloading this or that costs movie companies sales! Since when must we as individuals refrain from behavior that helps us because it MIGHT interfere with the financial plans of some company or wealthy actor or producer. Care about them??? They didnt care about ME!
February 12th, 2005 at 6:19 pm
“The illegal downloading of motion pictures robs thousands of honest, hard-working people of their livelihood, and stifles creativity.” These people make millions and we make pennies compared to them. We aren’t hurting anyone.
February 12th, 2005 at 6:21 pm
Exaclly. We don;t care because these people make millions and we make pennies when compared to them!
February 13th, 2005 at 8:36 am
http://www.2mediarelations.com/px/loki/
forum to bitch in, no reg.
February 13th, 2005 at 8:56 am
Hmmm they freely admit they’re engaged in a campaign to scare people… Isn’t that terrorism? Ok there’s no suicide bombers and car bombs, but the end result is the same, peoples lives are ruined and people live in fear… Sounds like a terrorist campaign to me.. On US soil no less. Where’s the dept of homeland security now?
February 14th, 2005 at 2:27 pm
Another way to stop MPAA extortion is to make it too expensive. Make the MPAA have to drive through local neighborhoods and college campuses to try to find file sharers. This is easier than you know. I work near a neighborhood of college students, and someone has set up a wireless network which is not connected to the Internet. This network had all kinds of music video and other stuff freely downloadable. Although you do have to be within a certain distance of the access point, there is more content for the asking than in any other 1 area I’ve been. I am thinking about setting one of these up myself. I mean the Phone cartels, MPAA, RIAA, FBI, BSA, and all the other government and corporate trash are trying to stifle the free flow of ideas. A bunch of local wans will be really hard for them to shut down, and those of us with mobile wireless laptops can carry the information between the local wan servers. The local WANS can also be set up with point to point encryption over the cartel controlled internet to pass information between LAN servers. This will be like the old bbs’es but on steroids. The time has come that the cartels should have to compete for infrastructure