Terrorists and Piracy - TOO FUNNY

[hech54]

I'm surprised it took this long...but I'm sure this isn't the first attempt at this "patriotic approach".

WASHINGTON -- Terrorists are moving into the piracy biz at an alarmingly rapid rate, according to MPAA topper Jack Valenti and a recent report from Interpol.


During a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Valenti cited an April 6 Interpol report examining the links between intellectual property crime and terrorist financing.


"Interpol believes there is a significant link between counterfeiting and terrorism in locations where there are entrenched terrorist groups," Valenti told the senators, quoting Interpol secretary general Ron Noble.


"How much of the revenues flow to terrorists is hard to measure, but doubtless it is there," he added.


The report provides ample evidence of terrorist groups reaping windfalls from the sale of counterfeited or pirated goods, and notes that proceeds from these goods are fast becoming their preferred way of raising funds, because risks are low compared with drug running and money laundering, their main profit centers in the past.


Most of the counterfeit goods mentioned in the report, however, are commonplace household items, not entertainment products. For example, the report noted that Danish customs officials have linked the counterfeiting of shampoos, creams, cologne and perfume to Al Qaeda money streams.


Report contains only one example of a terrorist group benefiting from the sale of pirated entertainment products.


In February 2000, an individual who sold pirated music CDs, Sega, Sony and Nintendo (news - web sites) game discs was arrested for piracy and suspected fund-raising for a Hizbollah-related org. Images of short films of terrorist attacks and interviews with suicide bombers were among the pirated discs recovered by police. The report claims the discs were "allegedly used as propaganda to generate funds for Hizbollah." While Interpol now has copies of these films, the individual responsible is still at large.


Several senators were sympathetic to the report's warnings.


Sen. Bill Nelson (news) (D-Fla.) has some familiarity with the issue. After police broke up a counterfeit goods operation in Florida, he wrote a letter to Homeland Security Dept. Secretary Tom Ridge, asking if there was anything he could to do to shed light on the link between piracy and terrorism.


"Terrorists are able to make a very large profit at a very low risk," Nelson's spokesman later explained. "Senator Nelson believes there are serious national security implications."

[devinemi83]

You would think they might be slightly more concerned about ******** selling WEAPONS to these folks before they worry about if they possess the new harry potter movie.

[888888]

I'm surprised it took this long...but I'm sure this isn't the first attempt at this "patriotic approach".

WASHINGTON -- Terrorists are moving into the piracy biz at an alarmingly rapid rate, according to MPAA topper Jack Valenti and a recent report from Interpol.


During a hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, Valenti cited an April 6 Interpol report examining the links between intellectual property crime and terrorist financing.


"Interpol believes there is a significant link between counterfeiting and terrorism in locations where there are entrenched terrorist groups," Valenti told the senators, quoting Interpol secretary general Ron Noble.


"How much of the revenues flow to terrorists is hard to measure, but doubtless it is there," he added.


The report provides ample evidence of terrorist groups reaping windfalls from the sale of counterfeited or pirated goods, and notes that proceeds from these goods are fast becoming their preferred way of raising funds, because risks are low compared with drug running and money laundering, their main profit centers in the past.


Most of the counterfeit goods mentioned in the report, however, are commonplace household items, not entertainment products. For example, the report noted that Danish customs officials have linked the counterfeiting of shampoos, creams, cologne and perfume to Al Qaeda money streams.


Report contains only one example of a terrorist group benefiting from the sale of pirated entertainment products.


In February 2000, an individual who sold pirated music CDs, Sega, Sony and Nintendo (news - web sites) game discs was arrested for piracy and suspected fund-raising for a Hizbollah-related org. Images of short films of terrorist attacks and interviews with suicide bombers were among the pirated discs recovered by police. The report claims the discs were "allegedly used as propaganda to generate funds for Hizbollah." While Interpol now has copies of these films, the individual responsible is still at large.


Several senators were sympathetic to the report's warnings.


Sen. Bill Nelson (news) (D-Fla.) has some familiarity with the issue. After police broke up a counterfeit goods operation in Florida, he wrote a letter to Homeland Security Dept. Secretary Tom Ridge, asking if there was anything he could to do to shed light on the link between piracy and terrorism.


"Terrorists are able to make a very large profit at a very low risk," Nelson's spokesman later explained. "Senator Nelson believes there are serious national security implications."

I guess I will have to throw out my counterfit shampoo.

[flaninacupboard]

hmm, anti-capitalist terrorists making profit from selling DVD's. what was it VCDhunter said about pubs and signs....

[VCDHunter]

hmm, anti-capitalist terrorists making profit from selling DVD's. what was it VCDhunter said about pubs and signs....

I've also said this in another thread about people who buy counterfeit dvds are supporting organised crime and I half jokingly suggested that we will soon see the ". . . . if you download movies you support terrorism . . . " argument. I just never expected it to be so soon . . .

The trouble is that the masses will lap this stuff up . . . . .

[pacmania_2001]

Simple: Just don't buy your pirated products, download them. That way you are also depriving terrorists.

[flaninacupboard]

but what if you're downloading from a terrorist?!

Really, it takes the piss. when the american media say "terrorist" they really mean "towel-wearing, sand dune dwelling, bearded mofo".

they aren't really commited to the cause of bringing down capitalist pigs are they.....

[northcat_8]

It is possible to pirate DVDs What will they think of next

Where have I been...can someone point me to a website with some information about how to "backup " my DVD collection?

[flaninacupboard]

um, oh had a bookmark for it.....
www.avsforum.com ? something like that!

I have to say, that's such an arrogant forum, not only does it look like a l33t wArex forum because of the colour scheme, the discussion is split into price brackets. imagine if we did that here, "Media, less than 50p a disc" every post "BUY SOME GOOD MEDIA, DUMBASS!! "
ah well, each to their own.

[SLK001]

Well, if I'm reading Jack correctly, we should all deprive the terrorists of their "ill-gotten gains" by just downloading the movies that we would have otherwise bought from them. And since we wouldn't know which movies were counterfeit or not, we should probably never buy a DVD again. Just download them - it's the only way to be sure.

[housepig]

hmmmm...

don't buy diamonds, either.