This is just more blah, blah about the whole MPAA vs. me thing.
One thing that I think people are not understanding here is that I’m not trying to change the world with this. I’m not trying to “take down the MPAA”, change any copyright or file sharing laws or anything else as grandiose as that. Hell, I have expensive billing software that I wrote that is pirated every day (I’m just too lazy to sue them… too much hassle and work IMO).
I’m still not 100% certain what the details are for the stuff the MPAA has against me (other than it was downloading “Meet The Fockers”), but I’m sure it will come out in the discovery process. I do think it will be very interesting to check out their methodology for pinpointing users for their John Doe lawsuits. Even if the world jury lost their minds and I was somehow found guilty and had to pay whatever the court sees fit, the whole process would have been a cool story to tell. And maybe I could even learn something in the whole process. I’ve learned a TON about all sorts of interesting stuff already as a result of this case – for example BitTorrent technology is actually pretty amazing from a purely technical standpoint [other companies like Apple, some Linux distributions, etc. seem to think it’s a pretty good technology too]. Even Warner Brothers is going to be distributing movies via BitTorrent (legitimately with DRM intact of course), which I think will be *awesome*. When it comes down to it, it’s all about decentralization and utilizing whatever resources are available. I’m still hoping Apple will do an iTunes Movie Store, and if the backend works with file sharing/swarming technology where users could earn credits for ultimately footing Apple’s bandwidth bills, then all the better.
Anyway, my point is that I’m not trying to save the world… I’ve received countless emails/phone calls from people who treat me like the second coming of you-know-who, and just think people are blowing everything out of proportion (obviously). I’m not interested in writing a book about it or making a movie about it (well, unless maybe someone can somehow slip in a love scene for me with someone like Rachel McAdams… haha!)
Some useful advice from me… “Don’t ever take things at face value if your gut tells you that something is fishy. Ultimately knowledge is power, and the best way to get knowledge is to figure it out on your own. Sometimes you might even come up with a better way of doing things by ‘thinking outside the box’.”
BTW – if Rachel McAdams is reading this… can you call me please, I must have lost your phone number… 😉
So what will the movie be called? It has to be something catchy.
The people calling and writing are just thanking you for doing what they wish they could do if the opp. presented itself and they had the resources. Everyone knows they are crook (MPAA RIAA etc…) and you have the chance to expose them. Be flattered, they are just thanking you (me included)… This is some of the best reading I have seen in a long time and I just found out about the lawsuit today…
People are acting like that because they hate the MPAA as much as Satan – I guess, that’s the the MPAA is – the Satan of the digital age, trying to squeeze the last bit of profits out of their un-innovate business model.
The public knows the technology exists for the music and movie industry to provide media dirt-cheap with VERY little overhead on their part, but yet the RIAA and MPAA can’t let go of the old system where they can sell you the same damn thing 50 times. Now the public’s retaliating and they can’t handle it.
The MPAA is not Satan.
I can respect Satan.
Dude, I can fully respect the fact that you don’t want to be branded as the second coming. I don’t think I would want that job either- look what happened the first time!
Anyway, while I understand that you are not trying to violate or change copyright, it is still a very important battle that needs to be waged. Up until now MPAA has only been going after the little guys because they know thier huge war-chest will enable them to squash anyone like a bug and they win by default. This time they picked on somebody who can actually defend themselves!!
It’s like the old addage goes; “why don’t you pick on somebody your own size?” — this time they did.
People with money have no fear.
Well, I think I know why everyone is treating you trhis way. In short, while there’s a lot of infringements (they call it ‘piracy’- but I’m wont to call a spade a spade, and it’s neither theft nor ‘piracy’…), the way the MPAA and RIAA are going about this is more akin to a mob protection racket than anything else. You standing against them is one of a few first passes- and in reality the RIAA’s cases all keep seeming to be dropped on the spot when they actually present a resistance that’s credible. They don’t want a single invalidation of their scare tactics they’re on about- even with you. If you go to court and win, it’s very highly likely that a precedent will be set and they’ll get told to go pound sand, etc. You honestly need to file a countersuit on them if you’ve not done anything wrong- they’re doing you wrong if this is the case and they’ll drop the case outright if they think they’re going to lose at any point in the ordeal. But that’s your call- but if you’re honestly doing this for the principles, you’ll not give them that out.
Voldemort?
We all wish you luck!
My hat is off to yee. The only regret I see is that to do this requires you to actually pay real and honest money to lawyers to defend yourself from lawyers. Somehow a more civilized solution should be available….
I’m really happy that people are starting to stand up to the extorting thugs in the MPAA and RIAA. Sadly, this will make absolutely no difference.
They’ve done this before, against a single mom. Once they ran up lots of legal costs for her, they dropped the case. The **AA can’t afford to lose a case, because it might establish a precedent, and it would definitely hurt their PR campaign of “downloading=piracy=theft”.
In reality, they actually won that case; they made an example of her, and showed that if you fight them, you’ll lose even more money than the $2500 they asked for.
These bastards are completely evil extortionists. How this is legal is beyond me.
Good luck man, RIAA methods are desgusting, it’s more racket than justice.
I still hope they are diserving their own industry.
Hi,
I hope you kill the riaa.
a freedom man
The France is with you !
Kill the real fockers !!!
Hi,
You’re not trying to change the world? Showing to the majors that they can’t use the justice to their own benefit because of the power of their money (the legal costs) is good enough for me!
Keep up the fight. We need brave men like you to change the world. Yes, you are changing it.
Cheers
Sebastien lautie
Good luck, we are with you.
>
Meet The Real Life Fockers (MPAA)