PLEASE HELP- child illegally downloaded movie

[timdonnawho]

Same situation

Hey there. I'm going through a similar situation right now, where I think my roommate may have downloaded one of these movies. I was just going to pay the settlement, but I'm concerned that after I do, they may send more notices. Is this what happened to you? Was the second notice sent after you already settled on the first one?

I'm trying to find if any action has been taken against anyone who has settled, as well as anyone who has not settled. I've spoken to 3 lawyers so far. One laughed and told me to ignore it. Another took it seriously and told me I should probably pay. The third was sort of neutral, admitting that something could be made of it, but probably not.

I've also done extensive copyright searching on copyright.gov and can't even find a copyright to exist for the title in question. The whole thing just seems ridiculous.

Anyway, any input you could give me from your own experience would be great. Thank you.

 

[You Are Guilty]

I greatly enjoy the blog posts here: http://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/

I suggest you check it out and see if there are any existing posts about the place that sent you the letter.

 

[quincy]

What I especially like about that "fight the copyright troll" site, YAG, is how easy they make it for supporters to connect up their bank accounts so they can donate funds to help with the fight.

 

[tranquility]

Now, all they'll have to do is move to Antigua or Barbuda. Pirates of the Caribbean, indeed.

http://techland.time.com/2013/01/29/antigua-gets-ok-to-become-copyright-haven/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/8235596/US-fuming-over-copyright-sanctions
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/29/business/global/dispute-with-antigua-and-barbuda-threatens-us-copyrights.html?_r=0

 

[quincy]

. . .Pirates of the Caribbean, indeed. . .

Antigua may soon be the intellectual property paradise you've been looking for, tranq.

 

[tranquility]

Antigua may soon be the intellectual property paradise you've been looking for, tranq.

Intellectual property law is broken, not evil. It is overly broad in scope, impossible to understand until a court decides on the specific facts and big boys get to intimidate the little folks with truly draconian "remedies" that far outstrip the actual harm done. Worse, it criminalizes what everyone does as a matter of course. (Like view a web page in a browser.) Prosecutorial discretion, indeed. It needs to be fixed, not eliminated.

(That and the purported societal function of the law does not seem to be fulfilled under the current scheme. Patent law was designed to foster innovation, not stifle it. Copyright is discouraging creativity, not fostering it. Rewarding the artist appropriately so he will produce does not require post-death ex-post-facto increase in copyright length extension.)

That I feel the current law an interpretations are overbroad and burdensome to the consumer, does not mean I want it gone. And, if the holder wants some license given to me rather than ownership to use as I please, he should make a contract where we BOTH know the limitations rather than some scroll through an intentionally small box for a while and click the button rubbish. Put the license on the outside of the box in English, not legalise. Or let me return the thing after I buy and read the license. Heck, make me sign it and he has to save it if he wants to sue me for breach of a "license".

 

[quincy]

I think I have similar feelings about tax law (although, unlike you and copyright law, I actually think some of tax law is evil ).

 

[tranquility]

I think I have similar feelings about tax law (although, unlike you and copyright law, I actually think some of tax law is evil ).

With that, we both agree.

See also:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dk-production/images/17459/lightbox/1123ckCOMIC-computer-criminal.png?1359498805

 

[quincy]

Ahh. That explains a lot.

You are getting your information on copyright infringement from cartoons.

 

[tranquility]

Ahh. That explains a lot.

You are getting your information on copyright infringement from cartoons.

But, but, but....the cartoons are getting their information from Judge Posner.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/judge-decries-excessive-copyright-and-software-patent-protections/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443295404577545052739462384.html
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121001/03062420554/becker-posner-time-to-minimize-patent-copyright-law.shtml

 

[Mass_Shyster]

Ahh. That explains a lot.

You are getting your information on copyright infringement from cartoons.

Can you recite the preamble to the US Constitution? (I can) Can you do it without singing it? (I cannot)

That came from a cartoon.

 

[quincy]

Schoolhouse Rock apparently educated a lot of us.

Perhaps some smart person will come along and reduce the tax code and the copyright law to a cartoon verse (not that I'd necessarily want to sing either one. . .).

 

[tranquility]

Perhaps some smart person will come along and reduce the tax code ...... to a cartoon verse (not that I'd necessarily want to sing either one. . .).

I thought they did (At least from the government's perspective):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX0fIi3H-es

Info edit:
For the copyright, see also:
http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/digital.php
http://abcwebliteracy.wikispaces.com/Copyright+and+Fair+Use

 

[quincy]

I thought they did (At least from the government's perspective):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX0fIi3H-es

Info edit:
For the copyright, see also:
http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/digital.php
http://abcwebliteracy.wikispaces.com/Copyright+and+Fair+Use

I guess I am not surprised that creative people have come up with creative ways to explain the laws that protect creativity.

Now. . .has anyone tackled taxes?

 

[tranquility]

I guess I am not surprised that creative people have come up with creative ways to explain the laws that protect creativity.

Now. . .has anyone tackled taxes?

Obfuscation is the key in taxes. Without that, people would realize that when the talk is only about taxing the rich, that's not what is really being discussed. Besides, you think the most creative people are making comic books and films? Pikers, all. In taxes teams of moderately smart people who want to stay in charge make complex rules that are designed to not really say what they are doing. Then, teams of very smart people creatively interpret those rules to reduce the amount paid to the government. The moderately smart people then revise the rules to deal with the creative smart people and so on and so forth in an ever circling game.

Just saw it and is related to the discussion edit:
Here's a commercial that will be played at the Super..um, a game which shall not be named that is purported to be played this Sunday. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pzfAdmAtYIY