MPAA Uses Secret Investors, Homebuyers to Catch Pirates

[HEXiT]

the mpaa should be hauled over the coals for this. entrapment, illegal search, invasion of privacy 2 wrongs dont make a rite and this aint rite... if the police went about there business like this the case would have been thrown out of court... why hasn't this... oh yeah its a corporation thats doing it and they can do what they like regardless of the law...

 

[Guest]

Are you kidding me? This must be stopped! Creating a false business entity for corporate spying; sending "employee" spies to photograph private home; strong arming contractor to pay them protection money. This is illegal and amoral. This is the path to organized crime. This is what the drug lords in Mexico do with their private army.

The legal system needs to tell MPAA they are not their pets. Prosecute MPAA!

 

[NuclearShadow]

Normally I would be against this because simply linking to where to find pirated materials should never be treated as a crime. But on the other hand my ex-wife uses that website all the time to watch her terrible shows like Vampire Diaries. I am conflicted.... do I go with what is morally right or do I indulge in the inconvenience this brings my ex-wife?

Also I am starting to believe we Americans are indeed imperialist SOB's even corporate lawyers seem to think we have the right to dictate what others nations should do. Motion Picture Association of America operating in the UK... Next thing you know our DCS workers will be going to France and taking French children away because they have a little wine at dinner.

 

[may1]

[citation][nom]greghome[/nom]Maybe if they spent less cash on this and more on making quality films.......[/citation]

Maybe if people stopped pirating and get a real job, they'll spend less money on doing craps like these and more on making quality films...

 

[face-plants]

I don't know about how it works in the UK but here in the US it seems that the MPAA and RIAA and all their cronies are allowed to do nearly whatever they want when tracking down supposed pirates. Hiring people to pose as potential home buyers and a bit of social engineering is nowhere near as bad as some of their tricks.

The way I read this article, it seems that the MPAA collected evidence with a fake home buyer and bogus investor. Neither of these things are illegal... in the US at least. The phony home buyer could have said "can I take some pictures to show my wife/husband later?" And the venture capitalist is just someone pretending to be interested in investing money in the website and got them to disclose info about it's operation. This information was enough to get the police to raid the house. At that point, the MPAA's involvement in the matter should have stopped...end of story. But it didn't:

"The careful preparation eventually resulted in a raid. The British government decided not to engage in a criminal prosecution, but the MPAA followed through and threatened a contractor for the site in the U.S."

So the Brits raided the home and either found that there was no criminal acts transpiring or not enough evidence to prove so. The MPAA being vindictive pricks that they are then turned their frustration to some programmer in the US who may or may NOT have even had a clear picture of what the website owners were up to. The MPAA managed to pressure him enough to hand over the money he had made for his programming and to get him to come testify in the UK about the website owners.
This was all done without using the US legal system or making any formal charges against the programmer. It's so frustrating to hear another story where the MPAA scares someone into a settlement or to testify against another party when they likely would have won the case if it wasn't for the huge pile of money needed to defend oneself against the hordes of industry lawyers.
I really hope the mafia style tactics being used by the MPAA and RIAA lead to a huge public backlash moving the focus from the industry posing as helpless victims to the mob like bullies they have turned into.

 

[Zingam_Duo]

The two parties struck a deal in which the MPAA decided it would be OK with receiving the payment the contractor got from SurfTheChannel.com

This is what worries me. It is not about stopping piracy, it is all about blackmailing and extortion.

 

[frozenlead]

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]If it's crap, why pirate it? If it's good, why not buy it?[/citation]

Because you can't always buy it. I couldn't watch Game of Thrones legally even if I wanted to. There just aren't enough options for everyone. If only they had an on-demand streaming service with no cable requirement - but they won't do that since its out of their best interests and would make them less money.

 

[bigdragon]

This sounds like vigilantism. I'm shocked the UK is endorsing and supporting it. I thought they were against that sort of thing? Oh, that's right, I forgot the MPAA owns the UK government just like it owns the USA government. The actions of the MPAA make me sick.

 

[JOSHSKORN]

[citation][nom]velocityg4[/nom]They should also decrease the special effects budgets and boost the budget for good scripts. Perhaps spend a bit less on big names as well and more on a balanced cast of good actors. In the 30's and 40's they put their money into a good cast and script and churned out excellent films.[/citation]
I've got a better idea. Re-shoot Star Wars Episode I without JarJar.

 

[livebriand]

And that's the last time I ever consider buying a movie...

 

[captaincharisma]

[citation][nom]may1[/nom]Maybe if people stopped pirating and get a real job, they'll spend less money on doing craps like these and more on making quality films...[/citation]

even a person with a real job as you put it would not go waste money on a crappy to mediocre movie

 

[spectrewind]

Last time I checked, MPAA != law enforcement...

 

[NewJohnny]

[citation][nom]jaquith[/nom]While I like Pirates I also don't like Vigilantes. Instead have the FBI or the 'authorities' handle this problem. As far as films not making money -- then the Producers need to quite making crappy movies. Good movies make a plenty of money.[/citation]
If the movies are so crappy then why do 400,000 people watch them at this site everyday? That's not the problem at all. If shoplifting was this easy, people would do that too.

 

[izajasz]

[citation][nom]killerclick[/nom]Why not just:- not watch movies that are not worth your money?- not download music that is not worth your money?- not play games that are not worth your money?If it's crap, why pirate it? If it's good, why not buy it?[/citation]
Because if they dotn release a demon You would want to check the games quality before You buy it so You can avoid buying crap for Your hardly earned money.

 

[killerclick]

[citation][nom]izajasz[/nom]Because if they dotn release a demon You would want to check the games quality before You buy it so You can avoid buying crap for Your hardly earned money.[/citation]

When you buy a movie ticket or a game, you're not entitled to a good movie or a fun game. If you're not sure that it's going to be good and don't want to risk your money, then simply don't buy it. Get some other game that has a demo.


[citation][nom]frozenlead[/nom]Because you can't always buy it. I couldn't watch Game of Thrones legally even if I wanted to.[/citation]

HBO is perfectly entitled to not want to sell you something and it's still illegal to steal it.

 

[wild9]

[citation][nom]ptmmac[/nom]Don't start a business that is based on stealing or trading in other people's property and you won't have any problem.[/citation]

Our governments would never do that. Corporations would never do that. The industrial-military complex would never do that. The Federal Reserve System would ne...

 

[Guest]

i think the mpaa are just pissed that people dont care about drm/dmca laws & do what they like?
so they decide to not care themselves & launch vicious tactics against the people who choose to act of there own discretion.

freedom is so underated, your all slaves! so do as your told?

who's the real pirates here?

shiver me timbers!

 

[K2N hater]

The best way to win the war against these abusers is to refuse being their audience.

 

[IQ11110002]

Maybe they have not clued to the fact that many people just don't bother going to movies anymore. They can have their own private cinema like experience in living room on big screen HDTV with Dolby surround, Comfy recliner couch,No assholes with mobile phones,No annoyingly loud chips/lollies wrappers being opened,No looking for a park and praying your car doesn't get keyed or broken into cause you chose the late night session with less people, No rip off ticket prices and food prices. I can go on but pretty sure by now you get my point, Rather just watch it with good company in privacy of own home,Pay a small fee for cable movie usually around $5.50-6.50 full hd/dolby as well.
One other thing,DO IT RIGHT. Sound proof the room and turn the friggin' bass down if you live in a suburb with houses less than 10 metres apart or you will end up with tyres slashed or bricks through windows. I have heard some peoples systems in street so rediculously loud(Bass) they would have permanent Tinnitus,Idiots.

 

[rantoc]

Simply boycott the MPAA signed labels / actors, let them know that either you work with the audience with good movies and get the rewards from it or choose the MPAA path meaning bad movies and then try to earn the money in court!