NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Show the MPAA Your Cell Phone Cameras!
Show the MPAA Your Cell Phone Cameras!
http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000648.html
Greetings. Recently, in "Use a Camcorder, Go to Jail! -- The Saga
Continues" ( http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000632.html ), I noted
my sympathy for the film industry's piracy problems, but condemned the
continued escalation of increasingly draconian anti-taping and related
laws -- pushed through largely by the MPAA -- that don't even address
the major cause of film piracy these days -- "leakage" from the film
production and distribution chain itself.
As much as we adore the commercial entertainment industries, they
are -- perhaps surprisingly -- not essential for human life or most
aspects of national defense. So when the film industry's MPAA and the
recording industry's RIAA seem to be the primary forces skewing key
aspects of national and international law enforcement, something is
definitely way out of balance. It's especially ironic that massive
civil liberties intrusions such as the new UK Internet Wiretapping
Plan ( http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000646.html ) -- that are
setting the stage for all manner of later spying on citizens by ISPs
and governments alike -- are being instigated by the same industries
that brought us "Howard the Duck" ( http://bit.ly/4EbFlN [YouTube] )
and "Mrs. Miller" ( http://bit.ly/75hdnG [YouTube] ).
So it shouldn't come as a big surprise to hear that a 22-year-old
Chicago woman was recently arrested, spent two nights in jail, and was
charged with a felony, for videotaping family members singing "Happy
Birthday" in an area movie theater ( http://bit.ly/7nin6f [Chicago
Sun-Times] ). Luckily for Samantha Tumpach's relatives, they weren't
indicted for singing the ubiquitous (and still copyrighted!) birthday
song. Unfortunately for her, the small digital camcorder she was
using picked up a few minutes of material from the theater's movie
screen in the process. The theater manager -- apparently in line with
the MPAA's "zero tolerance" policies -- insisted on pressing charges.
So off to the lockup for Samantha!
This kind of bull was completely predictable. Put wacky, out of
proportion laws in the hands of petty, greedy, power-hungry fools and
these sorts of events are inevitable.
One way or another, the MPAA needs to learn that its agenda isn't the
only one of importance to society. Everyone carrying a cell phone
camera into a theater isn't a likely felon.
Or are they? The MPAA seems to think so.
Can we prove the MPAA wrong?
Just how many video cameras are there in the pockets of typical
moviegoers these days?
A picture is indeed worth a thousand words, so how about a little
experiment?
The next time you and your friends go to a movie, before any films or
trailers begin, I'd appreciate it greatly if you'd get some still
photos of everyone holding up their cell phone video cameras toward
the projection screen. Don't actually record any audio or video of
course! You don't want to risk spending a month dangling by shackles
in a secret MPAA prison cell somewhere in Lithuania.
And if the theater management admonishes you not to take any photos
even while the main lights are lit and nothing is being projected, of
course abide by their demands.
Photos of such demonstrations could taken from the rear of theaters
shooting forward toward the screen, or from the front looking toward
the rear (if everyone is brave enough to show their faces, that is).
The more people engaging in this mildly "subversive" activity in any
given photo, the better. I'd love to see a shot of an entire theater
filled with people all holding up their cell phones pointed directly
at the screen.
What's the point of all this? Simply to demonstrate visually that
video recording technology is now universal and ever-present in common
devices that law-abiding citizens carry all day long as a matter of
course, and that to treat brief, incidental capturing of copyrighted
material as an act subject to either civil or criminal penalties is
absolutely ludicrous and unacceptable.
If you're game to give this a try, please e-mail me your photos, and
I'll publicly post the best.
But if you end up in chains deep in Lithuania ... I don't know you.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein
lauren@vortex.com
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800
http://www.pfir.org/lauren
Co-Founder, PFIR
- People For Internet Responsibility - http://www.pfir.org
Co-Founder, NNSquad
- Network Neutrality Squad - http://www.nnsquad.org
Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition
for Transparent Internet Performance - http://www.gctip.org
Founder, PRIVACY Forum - http://www.vortex.com
Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein