I discovered that little people – that is 2 year olds love to stand on DVD’s on wooden polished floors and go skating.

 

This does not bode well for the DVD’s.

 

I was ripping “White Noise” to add to the growing digital media collection that we enjoy in this house and when the encoding conversion had completed, I noted that that the movie was only an hour and one minute long.

 

Sure enough….

 

 

there was no VTS_01_3.VOB.

 

I looked at the DVD, and there was the deep scratch that rendered a third of the DVD useless.

 

What are my choices for replacing the skating incurred damage to my DVD?

 

I could buy the DVD (again)

I could rent the DVD and just copy the .VOB files that were damaged or I could download the whole damned movie off the Internet.

 

It’s a shame there isn’t an industry shop that would sell me just the damaged portion of the disk as an un-DRM’ed digital file so that I can then run my encoder with a successful output.

 

I imagine I’m not alone in having grandchildren use DVD’s as skating devices, therefore this to me would appear to be a valid business opportunity for some enterprising person out there.

 

Although I’m not sure if Hollywood would give it’s blessing to selling one third of a movie.

 

I guess I’ll have to go back and buy another copy at the discount bin at Woolworths.

 

Now if only DVD’s were Durabis coated (anti-scratch protective coating), like Blu-ray discs. Then they could be skated on and still watched and we would have the best of both worlds.

 

Although, have you ever noticed that the industry is so far behind the technology sometimes that it only brings out these “wonders” when the technology is due to die a natural death anyway?

 

Within a few years, Australians will be able to download 50 GB movies in just a couple of hours.

Who needs a Blu-ray disc?

 

From the Tongue in Cheek Department.

From the too funny not to mention Department.

In Londons West End, the Prince Charles Cinema is considered fondly by it’s patrons that regularly attend screenings of such all time favourites as the sing-a-long version of the Sound of Music.

It is the only independent cinema in the West End and extremely popular.

 

The folks at the Prince Charles obviously know something about PR because they regularly manage to fill up the 472 seat single screen cinema.

 

Or maybe, they have a secret weapon to eliminate the competition.

 

Recently seen on http://thingslikethat.tumblr.com/

Source: http://thingslikethat.tumblr.com/post/216304986

Or maybe they're just trying to appeal to the religious file sharers.


Hat tip to Alpharia's Tweet.

When I was a kid, I used to go to the Corner fish and chips shop in Ngaio and buy the family Friday night Catholic staple dinner.

 

It came neatly wrapped in at least four to six sheets of the Dominion or the The Evening Post.

 

It struck me when writing the previous article that Chris gave me his newspaper. He gave me copyrighted content and I don’t live at his home.

 

Shock! Gasp! Horror! Sudden realisation of what is wrong with the Newspaper industry.

 

Anyone that is a regular reader of the Australian Copyright ACT 1969 as amended would be aware that copying copyrighted media content is only allowed to be shared with persons that constitute your family and are resident at the same address.

 

So I guess the old Greek guy that used to share his old Newspapers with us (the Koltai family) by wrapping our dinner in them was in fact breaking the law.

 

Then I thought about all the other trespass that was occurring.

 

Globally – around the world, newspapers are being recycled daily at Cafes (who don’t pay a licensing fee for the newspaper being read by more than one person), Airlines that loan you the paper to read whilst you are on their plane, Doctors surgeries (although most of their Women’s Weekly’s are extremely deep catalogue – at least five years old) and and and – the list goes on ad inifinitum.

 

So it strikes me that the AP et al immediately need to lobby Government to have all newspapers recalled after being read or destroyed immediately to prevent their unauthorised copyright infringing reuse.

 

I would assume that utilisation of newsprint in thunder boxes (Aussie dunny – ok WC) would still be ok, but there is a serious question in my mind about recycling. I mean – what about all those council workers that stand around reading yesterdays and last weeks newspapers, for free, at the recycling plant?

 

I am absolutely aghast that our media barons, our legislators and moreover the copyright organisations have not noticed this immense transgression of copyright infringement.

 

 

 

From the Tongue in Cheek Department.

The American national debt is

The Gross National Debt

Which of course is only part of the story. The American Population are growing older. Which means that Social Security, Medicare and Prescription drugs are an added liability that means that every American owes $191,820 just to pay for the retirees and an additional $38,000 in national debt funding.

 

Gee it must be nice to be born in America. First you are given a set of swaddling garments and then handed a Bill.

Invoice
Arrival Tax	$                            229,820.00
You have 75 years to pay this off
Thank-you for choosing USA.
Warning, this is a nett invoice and attracts interest at the rate of 3.15%
Options to Pay. You may defer part of this by having lots of children
And sharing the burden.

 

 

The American Government have managed to convince everyone that file-sharing is destroying the economy.

It would appear from recent comments from the Whitehouse that Obama is in favour of the ridiculously large settlements recently made in the Tenebaum and Thomas cases.

 

Obama’s secret economic recovery plan is to sue every file sharer.

 

We have through our research identified that file sharing is carried out by approximately 57% of the population.

 

If they can make 700k to 1900K from every file sharer then the budget next year will look quite healthy with a surplus.  

 

 

US Budget - 2009-2010
Jamie Thomas	$                 1,900,000.00
Joel Tenenbaum	$                    700,000.00
Average Damages Suite	$                 1,300,000.00
US Population	307,206,371.00
US File Sharers	175107631.5
Revenue from File Sharing Lawsuits	227,639,920,911,000
Surplus	$     215,939,920,911,000

 

 

So now every American knows it is their duty to download as much as possible and get caught doing so.

 

Obamas New Slogan……

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

 

http://www.usdebtclock.org/ (You can just sit there and watch it forever – Couch Potatoes Only.)

 

Team Obama looks a lot like the Bush Administration, at least in its position on fines imposed under the federal Copyright Act. David Kravets reports for Wired that the Justice Department has weighed in on the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) file sharing lawsuits, and the news isn’t good for music-downloading college students and other defendants. The government supports damages of up to $150,000 per music track, echoing the former administration’s views. 

 

Is P2P Obama’s new Secret Weapon to fix the Crunch?

http://www.perceptric.com/blog/_archives/2009/4/27/4165635.html

 

Is Obama Creating a new Dark Age.

America’s Justice Department now looks like the phone list for the RIAA with five of the appointments coming from the RIAA henchmen listing.

http://www.perceptric.com/blog/_archives/2009/4/24/4162399.html

 

Free National Debt Clock for Your Web Site

http://zfacts.com/p/789.html

 

 

 

 

From the Tongue in Cheek Department.

I had an epiphany the other day….

 

For years we have been told that file sharing is illegal. That music piracy is the tool of the Terrorist gangs and is their major source of financing.

 

The content industry has always calculated 15% as the value attributed to physical piracy.

This allowance is entered at the commencement of every year as a “cost” of doing business.

 

Recently the Government have got in on the act and attempted to use “Terrorist Financing Copyright infringement” as the justification to introduce ACTA and other legislation designed to enforce economic dependence on America.

 

 

If illegal file sharing is damaging the Content industry to the extent that they claim – then surely it must also be damaging those same terrorists that depend on physical piracy to raise money to buy guns (from America arms dealers of course).

 

In other words – if file sharing can be done for free – how are those poor terrorists ever going to be able to afford to buy SAM’s or C4 or other “neat stuff” so necessary for blowing up large buildings?

 

They can’t. Their funding from file sharing is drying up. To the point where there are noticeably less and less acts of Terrorism.

 

That’s a good thing.

 

So do your patriotic duty – download a file – don’t buy the copied DVD at the markets……. We may save the world yet.

 

From the Tongue in cheek department.

#11 posted by webmonkees, July 22, 2009 5:22 AM

Dear Sirs at Speed Camera Cash Cow Inc:

On May 20th, 2009, I produced a exclusive series of artistically inspired portraits of my vehicle. I have initiated a copyright on said photography, and any derivative works, such as your photo taken 6/15/08, are in violation of my copyright.

I have a agreement with other owners of the same make and

model vehicle for sharing of this copyright. As a designated representative of this group, I must insist that you cease and desist in continuing to photograph our unique and protected design.

We expect compliance with this notice, in that all photographs of Honda A300 MiniMax are in violation of a protected creative work and no further publication be permitted in any form.

Any future violation of these terms will be considered infringement and will be met with legal action.

Yours sincerely etc., William Knickers.

 

Which was a comment on an article on the boingboing website:

One of the presenters on today’s Public Sphere #1 talked about the Governments Toilet Database – which had no API for open access by other information developers – in fact the Copyrtight page deliberately prevents any reuse of the work except by pointing to it with a url.

 

F***** Me. What is so special about a database of Toilets…..

 

“Pssst Meester, I have a DVD of all the toilet locations in Australia – how much will you give me for it.”

 

NOTHING! But the Government obviously thinks its worthwhile.

 

A few years ago there were the risqué faxes that used to do the rounds – About the Peter Tax….. Well obviously the Toilet Database will be monetized in the future by the “Urgency stress factor” of the inquirer – if he punches his phone keys really hard – then he’s desperate to go…. Lets charge him five bucks to let him know where the closest toilet is.

 

When Copyright is invoked on a database of the Nations Toilets – we know we need new copyright law and we know that the Government has no bloody idea about what is valuable and what is not.

 

BTW – these are the same guys that are deciding how to spend your tax dollars……..

 

Its well known that in times of economic crisis, the best thing an administration can do is take the nation to war.

 

War boosts manufacturing, jobs, and manages to get rid of a few thousand future social welfare entitlement recipients.

 

But what happens when the population is sick of war.

What happens when the Government can’t justify another overseas invasion.

 

Everyone is being good.  Except maybe the citizens. They’re stealing a few movies.

 

Eureka! Declare war on the citizens.

 

But they vote.

 

OK declare war on the citizens of a different country – I know – how about Sweden.

Those Pirate Bay chappies will be good for a few headlines. We can get some mileage out of that and of course, we cant loose – we own the Judge.

 

Which brings me to some quotes that I like.

 

"It's ironic to me that we can commit a nation to war, even world war, on less evidence than it takes to convict someone for smoking a joint in downtown Manhattan." -Ron Kuby, Criminal Defense Lawyer, FOX NEWS, October 30, 2001, 11:54:21

 

"The legal hallmark of dictatorship has always been Preventative Law -- the concept that a man is guilty until he is proven innocent..." -Ayn Rand

 

U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft: Bear with us here. We we are used to reacting to crime after it happens. Preventing crime before it happens is new to us and we must adapt. Prevention is now our top priority. We're learning with each new incident. -CNBC, October 16, 2001, 12:45:10

I honestly did not think about downloading movies until I saw an ad against it on a DVD I rented.

"If the MPAA says its bad, it has to be good”!       Someone make t-shirts, I'll buy one!

Don't let regulations bought by campaign contributions by gangster corporations rule your life.

The more complex societies get and the more complex the networks of interdependence within and beyond community and national borders get, the more people are forced in their own interests to find non-zero-sum solutions. That is, win–win solutions instead of win–lose solutions.... Because we find as our interdependence increases that, on the whole, we do better when other people do better as well — so we have to find ways that we can all win, we have to accommodate each other.... Bill Clinton, Wired interview, December 2000 .

 

"There ain't no rules around here. We're trying to accomplish something." -- Thomas Edison.

 

A good compromise, a good piece of legislation, is like a good sentence; or a good piece of music. Everybody can recognize it. They say, 'Huh. It works. It makes sense.'
Barack Obama

 

 

It is no coincidence that the 19th Century, a time of Gold coin standards for the most part, was an era of peace. Nor is it a coincidence that the 20th century combines war with paper money. -Ron Paul (R-TX), The Ron Paul Money Book, 1991, pg. 32

 

"One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract. I said, 'Wait - you sell it for $18.98 and I make 80 cents? And I have to pay you back the money you lent me to make it and then you own it? Who the f**k made that rule? Oh! The record labels made it because artists are dumb and they'll sign anything' (TRENT REZNOR 9” Nails)

 

 

“If someone ever organizers those bastards ([sic] the p2p community)  we’re f*&^%d”. Music industry executive.

 

 

Special Thanks to L. Reichard White

http://www.thespiritof76.com/NEX_NEWS/NF_BIGGE.HTM

Yesterday whilst blogging – out slipped one of those little gems that I just couldn’t resist revisiting.

 

We all know that an army marches on its stomach and that a nation’s GDP is dependent on the output of its citizens.

 

So what happens when young people don’t get in the family way anymore?

 

Financial meltdown. That’s what.

 

As the population gets older, superannuation is harder to collect and young people have to work harder and pay more taxes to support the older population.

 

Well according the latest conclusion drawn from the claims of the content industry – it appears its all your fault.

 

No don’t look over your shoulder – I’m speaking to you.

The UMDINK, (upwardly mobile double income no kids) couple that have stopped going to the movies.

 

The content industry is blaming your downloads – yes – I know you only download material that was on Foxtel last week that you missed because you were out for dinner.

Yes, I know it was a really good program and won’t be repeated for at least four days…..

 

But listen to me – if you young people don’t go to the cinema more often and get all cozy with the arm over technique…. Where the hell are we going to get all those new babies that we need so urgently to pay cinema admissions so these stupid content people will get off our backs and stop telling us that we cant download any more.

 

What was that ?

You like going to the movies ?

Oh you go to the movies now more than you ever did before ?

The seats – yes I understand the seats are now comfortable.

What’s that ? The popcorn is now fresh. Good.

So what’s the problem – why isn’t he putting his arm over your shoulder and getting all snuggly – look I’ll put it simply. Why aren’t you getting in the mood and popping out lots of little darlings….it’s good for the economy you know.

 

Ahhhh. Well I don’t think we can say that here.

Well yes – we have lots of Catholic readers.

No we don’t want to tell them about the pill….

 

HEADLINE – “The Rising price of the Pill Causes P2P Download Frenzy in Australia”

Well ya gotta admit, its got about the same credibility rating as the content industry's claims that file sharing is hurting their profits.......

Source MPAA

7.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).

Source: Price Waterhouse Cooper.

From the Tongue in Cheek Department.

 

The US Government may be considering funding a new federal department: The Office of Disambiguation.

 

It appears the public have become very confused between the term “Pirate” and “Pirate”.

 

In Somalia it would appear that “Pirates” are:

(From an email from a concerned and confused citizen)

 

>This whole pirate situation is getting out of control, right? Just

>can't stop thinking about it. Two more attacks yesterday. I mean, I

>don't understand how it works. Apparently, they pull up to the ship,

>they fire some shots, scare everyone off, then they climb up the

>side, then I guess they copy and distribute DVD's. Is that what they do?

 

In Sweden yesterday, the “Pirates’” ringleaders were sentenced to a jail term although an appeal is expected because the “Pirates” didn’t burn any DVD’s.

 

Office of Homeland Security in the US is receiving calls from the public who are unsure if they should call 1-800-Navy Seals or 1-800-RIAA-WSTB (We’ll Sue The Bastards).

 

It would however seem that President Obama is taking the problem so seriously, that he has acquired his own private Presidential Pirate (PPP – not P2P) Guard attack squad.

 

From the Blog of another concerned Citizen,

 

But what really took hold of the Easter Day Weekend was the successful saving of the Cargo Ship Capitan Phillips from the Somalian Pirate Bad Guys.

 

So, what did we have? A little praying, a little dog, and a few very sorry, no longer amongst the living outlaw pirates. Maybe we are turning the corner on some of the bad news that has surrounded our airwaves and papers during President Obama's first 100-days in office. One has to wonder if we can turn Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog into Navy Seal attack dog, can you just imagine it?

"Yo, Bo, see the pirates? Now, sickem' and take no prisoners!"

Well, perhaps not, but a Portuguese Water Dog is a smart breed and perfect for the White House watch dog. So, maybe this was a very wise choice? Think on it.

 

It would appear that the RIAA has offered President Obama a job after his current term of office and from the President’s Pro ANTI Pirate attitude – it would seem that he is seriously considering it.

 

From the Tongue in cheek department.

---------------------------------------

References

 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Yo-Bo,-See-the-Pirates?-Sickem&id=2213796

 

Hat Tip to Jan Whittaker (American/Australian author) for the heads up on confused citizens apparentely initially from Jimmy Fallon