Arrested Pirate Claims He Was Charging For The Cases, Not The Burned DVDs
Arrested Pirate Claims He Was Charging For The Cases, Not The Burned DVDs
Posted 07/19/2011 at 11:07am
| by Brad Chacos
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The best laughs in the country aren't found in comedy clubs or celebrity-filled roasts; if you want to really put the "L" in ROFL, you need to turn towards the court system. In today's humor-filled disposition, a store owner accused of selling illegal copies of DVDs says no, sir, he wasn't selling copyrighted DVDs – that's illegal, after all. He was actually giving the movies away for free, you see, and his customers were forking over $5 "donations" for the DVD cases.
The business only lasted a few months before an MPAA investigator told the police about the place, Ars Technica reports, citing an Orlando Sentinel article. When the cops kicked in the door, they found two computers and over 1,200 DVDs. The door itself backed up the man's defense: the owner had tacked a huge sign on it saying the movies were gratis and for promotional use only. Any money that changed hands for the cases themselves was simply a kind-hearted donation to the store.
Erm, too bad that doesn't fly. Even if the court somehow swallows the "Selling cases" BS, copying copyrighted movies isn't legal, no matter whether you sell them for profit or accept "donations" for the jewel cases you stuff them into. If convicted, then owner of the shop is facing up to five years and prison and a $5,000 fine. Rest safe, Floridians; the illegal copies of Cars 2 and Hangover 2 are now off the streets in your community.
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iceveiled
July 21, 2011 at 2:29pm
A buddy of mine buys DVD's from a guy running a similar operation out of his house. Personally I don't like dealing with shady individuals and HATE pirates, but to each his own.
Trooper_One
July 20, 2011 at 12:28pm
Remember back in the 80's there were anti-piracy commercials spelling the death of music and movies due to cassette tapes and VCR's?
Fast forward to now, with alleged billions of dollars of lost business as claimed by copyright holders, I'm not really seeing the death of visual and audio arts; as a matter of fact, there so much out there (video games, music, video, TV shows, books), it's hard to chose what I want and actually have the time to enjoy it.
And yes, I get them from iTunes, Steam, and spend a good amount of paycheque on these guys. And no, even with rampant piracy, I'm not really seeing the death of the producers and artists.
MikeE
July 20, 2011 at 7:05am
Hmmm... This is kind of interesting. First off, that doesn't sound like a bad excuse. Too bad nobody believes it. Number two, it's hard to believe people still go out and buy pirate dvd's. After all you can just download them yourself. Thirdly, who downloads pirate dvd's anymore? It's all about streaming. Go to a site and just watch the movie directly, no copies are made and easier defendable in court. I for one only really watch a movie once, maybe in the future I'll watch it again, but usually once i seen it once, i'm good for that movie. No sense in downloading it for it just to take up space on my computer.
Eh em.. yaaa... i know all i watch are "trailers" of movies to see if i would like them to buy them in the future. It's not my fault the trailer of the movie is the full length giving me the reason not to buy the movie now..... That's my excuse and i'm sticking to it.
Holly Golightly
July 20, 2011 at 12:37am
That... Is... Wrong!!!
Granted, if you wanted to save money, you just go online and download the movies for free... I would never pay $5 for a bootleg, but I would be more than glad to download it for free. This is petty considered what really happens out in Florida. Maybe he should have charged $1 for the cases... Maybe that excuse would seem more real. Now I am trying to think what movie I should pirate next... Not many good movies this summer.
Keith E. Whisman
July 19, 2011 at 8:12pm
Donations? Well in that case you are free to go sir. Remember piracy is illegal and wrong.
spplutchok
July 19, 2011 at 7:32pm
Charging for the case is not without precedent. On eBay one cannot sell alcohol but to get around the rule sellers declare that they are selling a collectible bottle and that any contents are not for consumption. As long as there is a statement on the listng informing buyers of this arrangement and that buyers must contact the seller to verify the buyers age (must be over 21) eBay allows alcoholic sales.
CaptainFabulous
July 19, 2011 at 2:53pm
The thing is even if the court buys his defense (which they won't, as distribution of copyrighted material without permission is illegal even if you give them away for free), he's still guilty of violating the DMCA. It's illegal to make copies of encrypted DVDs, even for your own personal use. So either way he's frakked.
Bad-Karma
July 19, 2011 at 1:33pm
Well judge, you see it's like this.... I thought I was buying a $500 dollar condom. I didn't realize it came with a free demonstration.......
win7guru
July 19, 2011 at 12:11pm
So why is it if you pay a hooker and use a video camera to "make an adult video" its legal, but this is not...
TommM
July 19, 2011 at 11:49am
OK - that was damn funny and I have to give the guy props for coming up with SOME explanation even though it was a complete failure.
Eoraptor
July 19, 2011 at 11:26am
so, I gues the heroin smuggling, marijuana smuggling, coke smuggling, human trafficking, weapons trafficking, and gang violence was all solved before the fourth of july then?
glad to hear it, guess I know where I'll plan my next vacation
TerribleToaster
July 19, 2011 at 11:46am
What heroin smuggling, marijuana smuggling, coke smuggling, human trafficking, and weapons trafficking?
I hear they are only trafficking cargo containers that happen to occasionally hold heroin, marijuana, coke, humans, and weapons.
And there aren't any violent gangs, just gangs who have some members which violent tendencies.
Florida is the best state in the continental US below 24 degrees North.
Gorack13
July 19, 2011 at 11:23am
That's awesome. Very inventive way but none the less... he's still an assclown for coming up with such a ridiculous theory. Still best to go with the back up copy excuse :P
Darkside
July 19, 2011 at 11:23am
The only possible way for that defense to work is if the guy's lawyer is Johnnie Cochran. In any case, it is still pretty funny to hear the defenses that people have for open-and-shut cases.
Darkside
July 19, 2011 at 11:36am
Didn't think I had to put it in my comment; thought it was common knowledge that he was dead. The point I was going for was that the defense needed some really damn good lawyer that can pretty much argue his side out of what looks to be lost causes (although this pretty much is a lost cause).
On a random daydream, it would be kind of funny to watch that trial if Johnnie was alive and working for the defense.
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