As we know the RIAA and MPAA have been suing individuals and BitTorrent & eDonkey hub operators, a file sharing activist group from Worcester Downhill Battle is trying quite a different way of getting consumers to show their dissatisfaction with the music and movie industries. Coal has been considered the gift for those who have been bad and this is exactly what the co-director of Downhill Battle wish to give both industries this Christmas.
The group announced that for every $100 donated to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge or IPac, an unsightly brick of coal will be delivered to the addresses of the MPAA and RIAA. So far, a representative for the MPAA was unavailable for comment while the representative for the RIAA refused to comment on this group's campaign. DamnedIfIknow used our news submit to let us know about the following news:
As the holiday season approaches, some opponents of the movie and music industries' legal efforts are planning to celebrate in a Grinch-like fashion.
Downhill Battle, a file-sharing activist group from Worcester, Mass., has launched an Internet campaign to send lumps of coal to the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America. The group said it will send a brick of unsightly coal for every $100 that people donate to digital rights defense groups Electronic Frontier Foundation, Public Knowledge and IPac.
"It's a cute Christmas symbol for someone who's been bad all year," said Nicholas Reville, co-director of Downhill Battle. "I think it's appropriate for all types of things that the RIAA and the MPAA are doing."
Well, this must be the first time I ever heard of one actually giving coal to someone who has been naughty over the year. I wonder how it will be delivered to the industries, such as by post, left at the front doors or sent directly to some of their employees that assisted with filing the lawsuits. Either way, it would not be a nice experience to receive a brick of coal as a Christmas gift. Imagine telling that to their kids! :p
The only drawback I find with this scheme is that it maybe a little late since Christmas is only a few days away.
DamnedIfIknow wrote: I hope they both get many, many, truck loads of coal.
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want to make a point who is the richest organisation that the RIAA and the MPAA protect ???????????? boycott that company till they at least half their current prices hurts most when you hit em in the pocket directly once one falls well ............ just watch
Boycott! Boycott! Boycott!
It isnt a war about piracy...it is a war about tactics and using power to intimidate and harrass. It is about a few corporations who think their interests trancends those of society. It is about antiquated business stifling technological advances and hiding behind unbalanced legislation that allows them to sue developers, pressure manufacturers, exert control over the way people experience creative works. It is about a select few influencing air play, controlling the market and shutting off any artist or talent that doesnt play the game. It is about a dirty industry with a long history of cheap tricks now calling millions of people thieves while they put leverage against the very people they claim to protect. It is about these guys contributing to politicians and somehow convincing them that the solution is picking away at millions of people and putting them in jail or suing them into poverty. Is this the a way of living that people are prepared to accept?
The only ones who are going to stop these jack booted sharks is the public. We have got to quit thinking we can't live without them and start working to insure that we do live without them in the future.
This crap is not going to stop unless people stop supporting them and their products.
Yes boycott.. we need some voulenteers to go stand on the sidewalks of major audio video retailers with picket signs the day before chrismas and make the public aware and hurt these basterds on one of their busiest shoping days.
Send me the coal, I could use it to make iron castings in my Cupola Furnace.
Anyway, I agree, sending coal is pretty lame. When the local radio station protested something or other, they used human urine, perhaps, as at least one other suggested, Downhill should collect sh ... er feces, put it all in two large paper bags, set one on the doorstep of the RIAA and one on the doorstep of the MPAA, light it off and run.
(Note: Should save a VERY LARGE paper bag, not large as in the size of an average shopping bag or even the paper leaf bags, but they should be the size of a semi!) [edited by Saruman on 22.12.2004 13:14]
I just realised the RIAA/MPAA havnt done anything wrong, all they are doing is stopping people stealing there stuff.
If you walked into a shop, and stole something, would you think the shopkeeper was wrong to call the police?
Would you throw shit and coal in his face?
Allthough I agree they are miserly and very rich, they havnt done anything wrong.
Ben
Nobody has stolen their stuff. Nobody's claiming that "this downloaded movie was produced by me, or I wrote/composed that song".
Everybody's doing them a favor by distributing their stuff without making them spend money.
"I just realised the RIAA/MPAA havnt done anything wrong, all they are doing is stopping people stealing there stuff.
If you walked into a shop, and stole something, would you think the shopkeeper was wrong to call the police?"
If you steal a loaf of bread can the shopkeeper sue you for $150,000 per loaf?
Pirates using coal, whats the world comming to ?
file sharing is warez nothing legall about that so pile that coal up in your own yard and practice not getting your fingers burnt which i suspect you will one day.
tinku:
Can the sanctimonious and self-righteous twaddle.
Just so you know, file sharing is quite legal here in Canada and NOT necessarily warez. Like any other technology, it has its downside but that doesn't necessarily mean it's the sole use of the concept.
We live in capitalist societies, and sometimes these big corporations try to screw the general population. I don't think its such a clear cut line as it being stealing as it being ripping the people off. They charge too much for albums, only put out crap, control the radio. They've screwed things up.
The advent of mp3's has kept me from buying alot of crappy albums. Now i get to preview them first. I still buy albums i really like, but this saves me alot of money.
Capitalism doesn't protect everyone, and I guess by download works were protesting a corrupt system.
No I wouldnt think it was wrong for the shopkeeper to call the police, because such behavior is criminal intent.
I dont get what correlation that has to somebody downloading copyrighted music tho?
And whoever said anything about throwing shit or coal in peoples faces. You have a sick mind.
I always love how it is the MPAA and the RIAA that always bitch about losing money and all that, cept you hardly ever hear any of the artists complain unless they are poked and proded about it. Maybe because they actually appreciate that we listen to them, and know that if we have a chance to see our favs in person we will go there, and the bands get more direct profits from the live shows then they ever see from a CD. Just my thoughts. I know when Evanescence finally hit it big, they TOLD us to download their songs for free, because most of their work was no longer available, and they did not care at all. Just glad I live in a country where I do not have to worry about downloading music, GO CANADA!!
Ok lets cut the crap. You cannot upload by law. You can download but not from torrents legally. You can't sit on kazaa with your shared folder available to everyone. Whether or not you can be traced is a different story.
You'll get some little Canadian in trouble if you keep telling them otherwise
It's better than the US system but don't make it sound better than it is. It's still has limitations.
the fact is that both the general consumer and about 80% of the artists are unhappy about RIAA. Now u figure it out. With the advent of p2p. there is no need for cd`s anymore. people can sample music in a matter of seconds and dont have to listen to the music shoved down by MTV. The dinosaur is loosing money and the only thing left to do is go out on a rampage.
Rij, go and buy your lump of coal haha!!
like i said its warez nothing other i dont care if its legal in canada its WAREZ you just dont get it do you. people like you are costing the guys that buy their movies and music cds
freqnasty:
Still trying, eh kid?
Ah well, it doesn't matter. No one here who knows how our laws work is buying (hint: what the Copyright Board has issued a ruling, no judge has ruled on this matter in a Canadian court as yet). In addition, methods for encforcement are non-existant and will very likely conflict with other much stronger and fundamental legislation such as the Privacy Act.
In short, that ruling is pretty much a non-issue at this time.
Now run along, freak out, be nasty and spread FUD somewhere else. [edited by Roj on 23.12.2004 18:13]
tinku:
Just because YOU think it's warez doesn't make it so, especially when other countries don't support your view (thank God). As to me hurting people who buy their music and CDs I surely don't appear to be hurting myself - *I* buy music and CDs.
If you get near a point, make it. [edited by Roj on 23.12.2004 18:01]
Pretty crap protest "Yo! we dont like you, so we are sending unsightly coal to your door, you will recive your coal in 6-8 weeks"
(Note: Should save a VERY LARGE paper bag, not large as in the size of an average shopping bag or even the paper leaf bags, but they should be the size of a semi!)
"I just realised the RIAA/MPAA havnt done anything wrong, all they are doing is stopping people stealing there stuff.
If you walked into a shop, and stole something, would you think the shopkeeper was wrong to call the police?"
If you steal a loaf of bread can the shopkeeper sue you for $150,000 per loaf?
We live in capitalist societies, and sometimes these big corporations try to screw the general population. I don't think its such a clear cut line as it being stealing as it being ripping the people off. They charge too much for albums, only put out crap, control the radio. They've screwed things up.
The advent of mp3's has kept me from buying alot of crappy albums. Now i get to preview them first. I still buy albums i really like, but this saves me alot of money.
Capitalism doesn't protect everyone, and I guess by download works were protesting a corrupt system.
the riaa represents more a cartel ,,,
it's a stange thing that cds from various editors cost +- the same ....
stop feed the sharks
It's better than the US system but don't make it sound better than it is. It's still has limitations.
