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Poll
IP theft:
Sure, it's a terrible thing, but everybody does it, right? 13%
Well, I do it, but I kind of feel guilty sometimes. 5%
I plan on paying for all the stuff I actually keep. Someday. 20%
I am scum. Worthless, vile SCUM. I hate myself. 23%
Praise Jesus Christ Almighty, I might be a lot of things, but at least I'm not a low down IP thief. 36%

Votes: 68

 Foreigner hacker indicted for stealing US films.

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
Jan 22, 2002
 Comments:
Notorious Norwegian hacker Jon Johansen has finally been charged with breaking into another's locked property, using his illegal "DeCSS" hacker tool. Johansen's arrest comes after years of pleas from the beleaguered Motion Picture Association of America for the authorities to do something about the wave of property theft caused by Johansen and his Lunix gang members.

The hacker defense fund, the GNU/Electronic Frontier Foundation, has responded with shrill insistence that the films Johansen stole were his "own property", and that he is being persecuted merely for making use of what is rightfully his. This line of propaganda has been dutifully swallowed by such "news" organizations as ZDNet, CNN, and even MSNBC, who seem to understand "property" to be nothing more than the equivalent of "possession".

ip_theft

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Enough already! Ban programming.

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elenchos

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Caffeinated mints, and getting into the body you desire.
It's time to surrender.
Teenage problems, teenage solutions.
No, you STILL can't look at Kate or Ashley, and if you do you are a filthy pervert.
The MPAA represents the Hollywood movie studios behind the finest entertainment created anywhere in the world today. Indeed, the films given us by these American artists are so sought-after that some of the most brilliant minds outside the US have grown wicked and rotten with envy and desire to possess them. Rather than respectfully purchase these movies under the terms offered by their creators, the twisted minds of the world's hackers have grown feverish in their plots to take what isn't theirs, and to do so in the most contemptuous way possible.

While it is the official editorial policy of Adequacy.org to remain neutral in disputes involving intellectual property, we note that terrorist hackers, who have emerged as the main threat to modern civilization in the 21st century, have never created anything original of genuine artistic merit. In contrast, Hollywood has given us for over 75 years the films that define the beauty and truth of our lives. If these hacker terrorists are allowed to bleed the creative arts to death by brazenly appropriating such landmark films as The Nightmare Before Christmas or Amilie.

It sends a cold chill through our bodies to envision a future without films of any kind, save perhaps for an inadequate selection of ill-wrought GNU/Films, rent and torn with obvious plot holes, released before they are finished, and limited to nothing but subjects that geeks will work on for free, like masturbatory medieval fantasy, and fighting robots with enormous metal breasts.

Jan Johansen faces the trivially light sentence of two years in prison. He will no doubt spend his time in the joint learning new criminal techniques from other hacker terrorists, and be back to give the creative talents of the world another kick in the teeth. Though we take some comfort in knowing this one miscreant will be off the streets for a short time, we have nothing but fear and dread for the future.


fighting robots with enormous metal breasts (4.00 / 1) (#1)
by PotatoError on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 10:57:22 AM PST
now THATS a good idea

:)


<<JUMP! POGO POGO POGO BOUNCE! POGO POGO POGO>>

Enormous Women . . . (none / 0) (#11)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 02:46:28 PM PST
Whilst I have enormous respect for both yourself and the illustrious elenchos, I must state that you are both obviously confused. I can only assume that you both meant "women with enormous breasts covered by metal breast _plates_.

You know it makes sense.


I saw this Japanese cartoon... (5.00 / 2) (#12)
by elenchos on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 04:30:54 PM PST
...where the plot involoved this violent conflict between 50ft. tall robot women. They were hell bent on one another's destruction. They had metal breasts. But wait there's more: at least one of the robot women had breasts which were actually rockets. Her breast was the nose cone of this rocket, which shot out of her chest, leaving this cylindrical void in her chest. The irony? She fired both of these rockets, leaving her looking worse than any breast cancer survivor, but they missed! I think ultimately her side won the battle against the other robot women, but at what cost? At what cost? I ask you.

My only thought was "My God. People are so sick. So fucking sick!"

One of my geekiest friends later said that that was one of his favorite cartoons. He didn't refer to it as a "cartoon" of course. "Anime film" was the proper term, I was informed, with frothing anger.

Also, if you have ever seen the cover of "Heavy Metal" magazine (at least the issues of from 1978 to present), you will know that in the future, the world will be lousy with robot women equipped with metal boobs of the most improbable proportions.

We are doomed. I've been saying that for some time, by the way.


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


Convergence of 'Cultures' (none / 0) (#18)
by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 08:11:29 AM PST
Fortunately I've never witnessed any Japanese "Anime films" or read "Heavy Metal" magazine.

Your post does raise an interesting possibility; are we seeing a cultural convergence of slashdot geekdom and heavy metal headbangers? They both share equally repellent sexual politics, to be sure, but does this mean that we will soon witness the first Metallica Linux distribution - the box replete with pictures of women with unfeasibly proportioned (metal) breasts?


Anime and metal (none / 0) (#25)
by budlite on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 08:13:20 AM PST
> Fortunately I've never witnessed any Japanese "Anime films"

You haven't lived. Anime is actually quite good to watch, it's ceratinly no worse than anything else. True, the themes and visual content sometimes tend to be somewhat dodgy, but is it really any worse than any "real" film?

I recommend a copy of the film Princess Mononoke to you. Yes it's anime, but it's a damn good watch. And it has nothing to do with 50ft robot women with rockets for breasts.

Personally I can't find much wrong with heavy metal either. True a lot of the imagery sucks, as do the attitudes of some bands, but it's not all big scary bikers covered in tattoos and scar tissue. In fact, very little is. Try listening to some early Rage Against The Machine, or some Deftones, or going back to the roots of heavier rock, Led Zeppelin.


 
Hey! No loss! (none / 0) (#28)
by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 09:32:55 AM PST
The irony? She fired both of these rockets, leaving her looking worse than any breast cancer survivor, but they missed! I think ultimately her side won the battle against the other robot women, but at what cost? At what cost? I ask you.

You appear to be missing one of the major benefits of being a 50ft robot woman. Fired both your chest rockets? Pop down to the armory and get a couple more! It's that easy!

Let's be honest. Being built to a standard, non-proprietary design allows free competition in the servicing and parts industry, which allows for lower prices which ultimately benefit the 50ft consumer. Furthermore, replacing or upgrading damaged parts carries with it none of the "stem cell" stigmata that would afflict a purely human person. Medical ethics will be a thing of the past, which ultimately benefits us all.
adequacy.org - because it isn't


 
Whatchu smkoin?!?!?! (1.00 / 1) (#2)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 11:33:42 AM PST
you guys must be smoking some pretty good crack, seeing as you have no concept of reality.
Whats that? you say you dont smoke crack?!?
Oh, right, it is practically impossible to smoke crack while having your head up your ass.


'i was here, but now am gone. i left my tag to turn you on.'
-�bern00b


 
dear elenchos... (4.00 / 1) (#3)
by nathan on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 11:34:14 AM PST
I know you posted this in haste, but

filled with gaping plot holes

is a slightly unfortunate locution.

Nathan
--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

Better? (nt) (none / 0) (#5)
by elenchos on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 12:23:50 PM PST



I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


much n/t (none / 0) (#10)
by nathan on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 02:09:16 PM PST

--
Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

 
I think this post was truncated.. (1.00 / 1) (#4)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 12:05:06 PM PST
You forgot to put the </sarcasm> tag at the end.

The MPAA represents the Hollywood movie studios behind the finest entertainment created anywhere in the world today.

Hehahahahehaha!! Would you be referring to such masterpieces as Snow Dogs, Crossroads, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Big Momma's House, and the like?

The hacker defense fund, the GNU/Electronic Frontier Foundation, has responded with shrill insistence that the films Johansen stole were his "own property", and that he is being persecuted merely for making use of what is rightfully his.

He bought DVDs, he wanted to watch them. I believe that's the main reason to buy DVDs. He couldn't on Linux, he wrote a piece of software so he could.


Once again... (none / 0) (#6)
by elenchos on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 12:33:06 PM PST
We have someone who can't deal with anyone who actually thinks differently than they do, so they shelter their narrow opinions by categorizing anything strange to them as "sarcasm". Welcome to the wide world, Anonymous Reader.

And <sarcasm> tags are for idiot savants who never "get" anything without being told. If we ever decide to have any sarcasm on Adequacy.org, there won't be any tags to spell it out for you.

Maybe you're thinking of Slashdot?


I do, I do, I do
--Bikini Kill


Can't you see? (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by T Reginald Gibbons on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 12:54:21 PM PST
He's trying to make your post funny. See, humour comes from saying things that other people said twenty years ago on usenet. The more often you say it, the funnier it gets. That must be humour. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with trying to pretend to be part of a "community" that never even existed.


 
Please don't (5.00 / 2) (#9)
by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 01:50:15 PM PST
If we ever decide to have any sarcasm on Adequacy.org, ...

The mere thought of this possibility makes me shiver. Please don't even think about that. There are already way to many sites whose only purpose seems to be to propagate "sarcastic" views. I mean these sites where the writers think they can give their claims more credibility by making up stuff and presenting it as facts. And then, when their lies are debunked they claim it was all just "sarcasm".

While this is mildly amusing for the knowledgeable professional this can be dangerous for the general uneducated public. Thus, Adequacy.org must stay as it is: an informative source of knowledge written by experts dedicated to present the truth, and nothing but the truth, without any "sarcastic" undertone.


 
But there's no such thing as intellectual property (1.00 / 1) (#7)
by 91degrees on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 12:49:34 PM PST
Its a ludicrous idea. Intellectual property does not exist. Can I take my intellectual property away? No of course not. In that case, perhaps I can build a fence around it. No? Why not? Perhaps because it isn't property.

If people take it away from me, then I still have it. If I take it away from other people, then they still have it, burt I do as well.

Intellectual property is and always has been simply a tool used in order to make lawyers richer, and both the consumer and media producers poorer.


I agree. (none / 0) (#13)
by PotatoError on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 07:46:11 PM PST
When someone comes up with intellectual work its apparently their intellectual "property". Often people use this for books or software or music - Stuff which has no real physical form.

Claiming it as intellecual work they can prevent others from copying or using it in any form - writing it in books or copying it on computers. Even prevent people even from speaking it in public in language form.

I only wish that Newton had claimed gravity as his intellectual property and prevented anyone from copying it in any way.
I only wish that the person who invented the theory for the combustion engine had claimed it as their intellectual property and prevented anyone from copying it or using it.
In fact the first person to figure out multiplication - if only they had declared it their intellectual "property" and prevented anyone from ever using it in the future.

How fucked up would the world be then? Intellectual property is one of the stupidest things ever concieved.

Its happened already. Some bloke created a design for a water powered car in the 80's. The oil industry saw it as a threat and bought the patents off him for millions of dollars and locked the designs away.
This is how "intellectual rights" stifle technical development.

If capitalism is supposed to help, not hinder, innovation then whats going on?


<<JUMP! POGO POGO POGO BOUNCE! POGO POGO POGO>>

aha. (none / 0) (#14)
by nathan on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 08:08:20 PM PST
Some bloke created a design for a water powered car in the 80's...

As a matter of fact, the bloke is alive and well and living in the Philippines. I should know - I use his technique for free power. It's tremendous. On fifty liters of water, I power an office building. It replenishes from condensation in the air conditioning.

All you need to do is:
  • Use the 12-volt battery to break water into H and O2.
  • Burn the H in a gas generator.
  • Use the output of the generator to electrolyse more water.
  • Repeat.

    Soon you have more electricity than you can handle. It's great!

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

  • heh (none / 0) (#15)
    by PotatoError on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 08:25:03 PM PST
    cool - youve disproved the law of thermodynamics. Impressive.
    <<JUMP! POGO POGO POGO BOUNCE! POGO POGO POGO>>

     
    Excellent (none / 0) (#29)
    by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 10:48:15 AM PST
    Seems like you've got an inexhaustable supply of fresh O2 with that setup. This is great news - we don't need those silly "rainforests" after all. Timber!


     
    Cool. (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by hauntedattics on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 12:11:44 PM PST
    I only wish that your ideal vision of the world could be realized, Mr. Error. Then books would be free, music would be free, software would be free, manufacturing processes would be free, consulting services would be free, you name it. Authors, composers, inventors and consultants would happily bleed out of their eyeballs to create things that they wouldn't get paid for, with a warm feeling of satisfaction that they were working so hard just to improve the lives of their fellow humans.

    Then we'd all live in a commune in one big, happy family and share everything! From each according to ability, to each according to need! Oh, this is exciting. But it somehow sounds eerily familiar...




    I can see it now. (5.00 / 1) (#23)
    by nathan on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 06:04:41 PM PST
    "All animals are Adequate, but some are more Adequate than others."

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

     
    Water Powered Car? (none / 0) (#26)
    by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 08:59:01 AM PST
    Where do you get off shouting such bull shit as a water powered car?
    Please explain how to release energy from hydrogen ash at anything close to standard temp/pres! That whole BS conspiricy story is for suckers. Anyone with a 7th grade science education can see that water is already burned hydrogen. Shit man, what am I going to do? Burn the hydrogen with an even more powerful oxidator? Hmm, can't think of one that doesn't require more energy to aquire than will release. . .
    Do you understand the shear amount of chemical energy contained in a gallon of gasoline? Do you understand the strength of the EM field that would be created if you tried to fill a car with like amount of eletricity in anywhere close to the time it takes to fill a car with petro?
    Do you understand that you are ignorant?



    Duh! (none / 0) (#27)
    by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 09:03:31 AM PST
    Zero point energy.

    Look into it moron.


     
    But there's no such thing as intellectual property (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by zikzak on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 09:50:32 PM PST
    Its a ludicrous idea. Intellectual property does not exist. Can I take my intellectual property away? No of course not. In that case, perhaps I can build a fence around it. No? Why not? Perhaps because it isn't property.

    If people take it away from me, then I still have it. If I take it away from other people, then they still have it, burt I do as well.

    Intellectual property is and always has been simply a tool used in order to make lawyers richer, and both the consumer and media producers poorer.


    Why stop there? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 22nd, 2002 at 10:31:47 PM PST
    Why not just print your own money while you're at it?


    And why not? (1.00 / 1) (#20)
    by 91degrees on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 11:11:46 AM PST
    If someone was willing to give me goods or services in exchange for pieces of paper I produce saying "I promise to pay the bearer ten pounds", then I would do so.

    I've heard they do this in Disneyland.


     
    Umm... Your point would be? (none / 0) (#19)
    by 91degrees on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 11:08:02 AM PST
    You seem to have just repeated what I said? This being a free market environemt, you are of course quite entitled to do so. I just want to know why. Its not like people are paying us per comment.


    the point is on top of your head (5.00 / 2) (#21)
    by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 23rd, 2002 at 11:50:44 AM PST
    You seem to have just repeated what I said?

    You say "I said" as if you have a legitimate claim on what you said.

    Its not like people are paying us per comment.

    If they were, I'd pay zikzak every time you made a comment. Get it?


    My head is not pointed. (none / 0) (#24)
    by 91degrees on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 01:06:03 AM PST
    Although I feel that perhaps your ears might be.

    You say "I said" as if you have a legitimate claim on what you said.

    That's because I said it. Zikzak also said it. You said what I just quoted above. It was the use of a stative verb in the past tense with a personal pronoun representing the first person, to indicate that I had in the past performed the action of saying that which had subsequently been repeated by Mr. Zikzak. Much like if I were to make a cup of tea, and I felt inclined to tell you about it, I would say "I made a cup of tea". Others may also make a cup of tea. That would not stop my claim to have made a cup of tea from being valid, nor would it give me any right to prevent others from doing so, and for either myself, or them from telling you about it.

    If they were, [paying per comment]I'd pay zikzak every time you made a comment. Get it?

    Really? Even if I reduced my price to be lower than Zikzaks, and offered better customer service than him, and you had had experience with both of us making comments? surely if someone else can provide the same service at a lower price, then in a true free market economy, they should win.


     
    Ehh... sorta. (none / 0) (#58)
    by Anonymous Reader on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 08:19:21 PM PST
    While I believe that a lot of information should be left for free movement, there are a lot of things that should have copyright laws and stuff. Namely, things like plot lines, characters, etc. So, now that Theodore Geisel (Dr. Suess) has died, no one else can take the name Dr. Suess and try to sell books pretending to be the same author. That's just hijacking his ideas. Most other stuff, though, I agree. Information is to be shared, not hidden.


    so... (none / 0) (#59)
    by nathan on Wed Jan 30th, 2002 at 09:14:34 PM PST
    It's OK if you approve, but it's wrong if you disapprove?

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

     
    What about fan fiction? (none / 0) (#60)
    by The Mad Scientist on Fri Feb 1st, 2002 at 02:12:42 AM PST
    While I believe that a lot of information should be left for free movement, there are a lot of things that should have copyright laws and stuff. Namely, things like plot lines, characters, etc.

    What about fan fiction?

    There should be full-range exemption for fanfic. To prevent eventual confusion with "official" material, I won't argue eventual labeling/disclaimer requirements.

    But I don't see a reason why I shouldn't be able to write a what-if story featuring ie. Spock or F'lar or Sherlock Holmes.


     
    Amilie ?! (3.00 / 1) (#30)
    by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 12:14:14 PM PST
    What has Am�lie got to do with Hollywood ? It is french from head to toe (director, actors, producer, etc).
    I forgot : Indeed, the films given us by these American artists are so sought-after that some of the most brilliant minds outside the US have grown wicked and rotten with envy and desire to possess them.
    Must have been hijacked by most brillant froggies rotten with envy.
    God blessed America : no artists outside, no pirates inside.


    Typical hackers. Stealing credit again. (none / 0) (#31)
    by elenchos on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 02:39:11 PM PST
    While no one denies France full credit (read blame) for the abomination that is Mandracke Lunix, hacker fanatics need to realize that they can't arbitrarily reassign credit to anyone they please. Invariably they attempt to rob the US of it's pride and digninty while boosting some minor dependent nation, and typically, again, a suspicously Socialist (ie COMMUNIST) one. Whatever, say what you will. If hackers really thought so little of the legitimate entertainment industry, why do they steal so much of it's output? Go download a free copy of GNU/Amilie if you think the American creators of the real, proprietary Amilie were "no artists".

    Normal people (non-hackers) have the common sense to know that we can thank the fine American institiution of Hollywood for ALL of the quality entertainment we want, and if we want it to continue, we must defend the right to own property.


    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


    Who are the real creators ? (none / 0) (#34)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 02:11:42 AM PST
    I love your sense of humor, so tipically American. Just tell me, what happened to the real proprietary Amilie and its American creators exactly. And who are those American creators ?
    Just curiosity. I don't use any Lunix as you say, and any GNU/anything.


    Uh, Miramax Films? (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by elenchos on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 11:38:35 AM PST
    It's right there on any poster, ad, or movie review. It's right there on the front of the web site at the link privided. Miramax sure as hell isn't some French company run by a labor union of violent Marxist revolutionary terrorists.

    Oh, I know, these are mere facts, and what are facts in the face of powerful ideolgy and your insane hatred of all things American? Why do I even bother?


    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


    I wonder (none / 0) (#36)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 01:59:07 PM PST
    What makes you think I hate all things American ? I just love truth, but certainly this must be a communist terrorist un-american attitude.

    Miramax, a very American firm, and good, is just distributing that french film in North America. Nothing less, nothing more. May be you should take a look at that :
    http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0211915
    a US site, as you can see, and try to find anything American related with that movie ?

    Oh, I know, these are mere facts, and what are facts in the face of powerful ideolgy
    Very good question.


     
    You mean the distributor? (none / 0) (#38)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 02:46:52 PM PST
    Ah yes, Miramax is the US distributor of Le Fabuleux destin d'Am�lie Poulain, which makes it as American as the Dodge Colt.

    Your polemic smacks of someone moderately intelligent[1] who's used to bitchslapping the double digit IQ set.

    jvance

    [1] I'm guessing around 144 IQ. Probably not 143,and certainly not as high as 145.


    OK (none / 0) (#40)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 03:31:35 PM PST
    I give up. One more great american victory.


     
    why? (none / 0) (#39)
    by nathan on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 03:07:36 PM PST
    Why do I even bother?

    I frequently ask myself the same question. Saint that I am, the Linux zealots won't be able to keep me from my freelance, volunteer social work. Let's hope it helps them, poor dears.

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

    What ? (none / 0) (#41)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 03:48:44 PM PST
    What the hell has Linux Zealotry to do with that thread. Are you saying that if I don't agree with you I am automatically a Linux zealot, even if I don't use Linux, and don't like it, which is the case (I don't like it because I have used it). Are you all mentally impaired on this site ?

    Why would you even bother ? You are right, don't bother.

    God bless America, and have mercy upon the rest of the world.
    Or should I say : God bless the world, and have mercy upon America


    don't preempt me, my friend. (none / 0) (#42)
    by nathan on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 06:49:43 PM PST
    Linux zealotry is where I'm being mistreated. I've barely even posted to this thread. That's all I was talking about.

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

     
    Amelie! (none / 0) (#32)
    by Anonymous Reader on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 05:06:44 PM PST
    The ubiquitous Anonymous Coward posts again. About the only thing I gained from this *ahem* article was the link to Amelie the Movie.

    Siskel^H^H^H^H^H^HRoeper and Ebert gave it two thumbs up. "With her cartoon cat eyes and her Audrey Hepburn vulnerability, Audrey Tautou is pretty near irresistable..." Hot damn, I know what I'm blowing 30 bucks[1] on this weekend.

    No, wait - Audrey...Audrey?! Why, Audrey is just a cracker GNU/Film Lunix cloned rip-off of Audrey! I can't believe how close I just came to being deceived and defrauded out of my hard-earned[2] money!

    jvance



    [1] mostly spent on proprietary American popcorn
    [2] as a cracker


    No, really. (none / 0) (#33)
    by elenchos on Thu Jan 24th, 2002 at 07:40:25 PM PST
    She's so much like Audrey Hepburn you will spill your popcorn. Trust Adequacy.org.


    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


     
    ridiculous (1.00 / 1) (#37)
    by Anonymous Reader on Fri Jan 25th, 2002 at 02:45:36 PM PST
    your thoughts on the matter of linux, decss, and the eff are ridiculous and ill conceived. Linux is not a gang of illegal hackers.DeCSS is by no means illegal (except in the eyes of faceless corporations. And the eff protects the rights of people like you to express opinions such as this on the internet.


     
    What makes Johansen all the more despicable: (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by cp on Sat Jan 26th, 2002 at 11:38:44 PM PST
    There's no need for him to be stealing IP, since he's already fabulously wealthy from his successful tennis career. Stealing is rarely moral, but it's certainly most immoral when it's perpetrated by the filthy rich.


    Heeeeeey. What's this guy's game, anyway? (none / 0) (#45)
    by elenchos on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 02:21:40 AM PST
    Is he Swedish or Austrian? Or what? Seems to have had home court advantage there at the Austrian Open.

    German-Russian perhaps, like the Nazi-Communist Linux Tor Von Alds? Yet another German fascist who escaped the advancing Allies into the welcoming arms of Joe Stalin, only to resurface in one of the USSR's bordering satellite nations shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall?

    Funny how both Linux and Johan-SS-en suddenly surface in 1991, isn't it, with not a shred of proof (in the West that is) of either of them having existed before that.

    Maybe they will put him in Spandau prison, eh? Probably be right at home.


    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


     
    The ultimate in good taste. (none / 0) (#46)
    by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 04:40:46 AM PST
    "Hollywood has given us for over 75 years the films that define the beauty and truth of our lives"???<p>
    <I>Bleaargh.</I><p>
    I'm really happy I'm not an American.


    So are we. (nt) (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by elenchos on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 11:48:42 AM PST



    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


    Yipii! (none / 0) (#48)
    by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 03:42:22 PM PST
    Not The Same Anonymous Reader.

    We are happy we're not Americans.
    You're happy we are not Americans.
    Everybody is happy.
    What a wonderful world.

    Thanks Tim, Pete, and some others to remind us that there still are some good souls in America, some educated people, some logical minds.


    educated? logical? (none / 0) (#49)
    by nathan on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 05:50:32 PM PST
    What makes you think that brilliant people like osm, elenchos, RobotSlave, or Yoshi are stupid? That's just rude.

    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

    The real question (none / 0) (#50)
    by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 06:15:32 PM PST
    is : what makes you think they are not part of the others ?
    Now who's rude ?


    nice try (none / 0) (#51)
    by nathan on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 07:25:51 PM PST
    If you're holding up linux advocates as models of intelligence and taste, and contrasting them with unnamed others, it's not exactly a flying leap of logic on my part to assume that the people they argue against are the ones you feel are unintelligent and tasteless.

    Try again,
    Nathan
    --
    Li'l Sis: Yo, that's a real grey area. Even by my lax standards.

    I won't try again. (none / 0) (#55)
    by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 29th, 2002 at 02:22:48 AM PST
    You are a logical mind.
    You are evidently educated, and apparently well educated.
    You're on my list now, even if you're not a Linux advocate, which I do not consider a sin, nor a must. I myself am not, and anyway why not "de gustibus coloribusque disputandum", but politely.
    I hope you won't be vexed to be on that list with Linux advocates.


    I'm sure (none / 0) (#57)
    by hauntedattics on Tue Jan 29th, 2002 at 06:08:05 AM PST
    nathan is thrilled to be 'on your list,' and will be adding it to his resume later in the day.



     
    OMFG (none / 0) (#52)
    by Anonymous Reader on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 07:29:45 PM PST
    This has to be one of the most entertaining things I have read in a very long time. It's horribly inaccurate, oddly biased, and to top it all off they misspelled Linux. I thank you for writing this awful article, as it has givin me a new definition of stupid.

    DeCSS itself is in no way "a hacker tool". It is a legitimate tool for backing up DVDs, which unless the person backing up the DVD has not purchased said DVD, should be perfectly legal. But due to the warped and corrupt nature of law in the USA, it has been deemed illegal to backup something you have paid for, even in the event that a DVD may become damaged. Is the MPAA saying that we're not even allowed to own the movies we pay for anymore? That I'm shelling out up to $30 to in essence rent a DVD from them? That is capitalism and corporate bullshit at its best. (Which in this situation is its worst.)

    I hope the author of this article is truly brain damaged, mentally retarted, and/or 10 years old, as I can see no other explanation for the gross incompetence of this article.

    --_TweeK_


    Unfortunately... (5.00 / 1) (#53)
    by elenchos on Mon Jan 28th, 2002 at 08:53:55 PM PST
    ...the US did not arrest him. He was indicted by his own government, and there are no plans to extradite him here to face the serious punishment he deserves. As a Swiss citizen, he will go to a country club style "prison" equiped with saunas, private screening rooms for major Hollywood releases and five room suites for each "prisoner", boasting a beautiful view of downtown Salzburg. He will be released to visit his family on weekends and will be paid welfare by the government exceeding what the average US family earns in two years.

    Is it any wonder so many of these criminals come from Europe? And from Scandinavian countries in particular?

    Can I ask you why you buy DVDs if you think the terms the owners offer them to you are "bullshit"? If you think you have an inalienable right to DVD movies regardless of the wishes of those who created them, why not seek some sort of Government welfare program to put DVD's in the hands of everyone, regardless off ability to pay?

    TweeK, you COMMUNIST! I tell you this: the original content I create is be distributed on my terms or not at all! Don't like it? Go write your own shit and get your hands off the fruit of MY LABOR!

    ***MINE*** YOU COMMIE! You spoiled rat bastard! Thief! Pah!


    I do, I do, I do
    --Bikini Kill


     
    Allow me to correct You... (none / 0) (#54)
    by Anonymous Reader on Tue Jan 29th, 2002 at 01:44:35 AM PST
    The article says Jon Johansen is norwegian, if you have knowledge that he is a Swiss citizen please post it, otherwise I suppose he is a Norwegian citizen. Switzerland is in mainland Europe, bordering with France, Germany, Italy, Lichtenstein and Austria. Salzburg is a city in Austria near the German border so there is no way you can have a view of this city from Switzerland or from Norway. Please, get these facts straight before posting in the future...


    Thanks... (none / 0) (#56)
    by hauntedattics on Tue Jan 29th, 2002 at 06:06:14 AM PST
    for the geography lesson. Now go get a clue.

    Luv 'n' kisses,
    Haunted



     
    DeCSS is a program for watching DVDs in Linux... (none / 0) (#61)
    by Macragge on Mon Mar 18th, 2002 at 10:41:56 AM PST
    ...and before it, there was no way for somebody who used Linux to watch DVDs on their computer.

    Nothing amoral with that, is there? I mean, he did distribute it for FREE, he did make it so that anybody could take a look at the code for it and program their own stuff. What did he steal? Not DVDs. He "stole" the rights of the entertainment industry to charge well over $100 dollars for some inferior piece of garbage, and their ability to crush anybody who comes out with a cheap alternative under the weight of their mighty legal department.


     

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