If you download movies you support terrorism.

[VCDHunter]

I knew this was on the way.

Film companies in the UK have joined forces for the first time to convince movie fans that buying pirate DVDs funds terrorism and drug dealing.
The £1.5m Piracy is a Crime campaign, the biggest of its kind yet in the UK, launches on Monday with broadcaster Jonathan Ross crushing bootleg discs.

A new trailer will warn of poor quality copies and links to organised crime.

"Think of pirate DVDs as the worst sort of home cinema experience," Ross said, adding they were "blatant rip-offs".

'Fighting back'
Campaign posters will have hard-hitting messages including: "Terrorist groups sell DVDs to raise funds."

The group behind the campaign, The Industry Trust for Intellectual Property Awareness, includes the UK home entertainment arms of Hollywood studios and retailers such as HMV and Asda.

It says pirate DVD seizures in the first half of 2004 more than tripled compared with the same period in 2003.

But there are still 7,000 markets selling pirate DVDs or videos in the UK every weekend, causing an estimated loss to the film industry of £400m-500m in 2003. It is predicted to rise to £1bn within three years, it says.

"The industry is fighting back," said Raymond Leinster, director general of the Federation Against Copyright Theft.

The campaign was aimed at "shattering the misconception that piracy is a soft crime", he said.

"By purchasing pirated DVDs, many consumers are unwittingly helping to fund hardcore criminals with links to people trafficking, drugs, guns and money laundering.

"The potential high returns and relatively low risks mean that organised crime groups have got into DVD piracy in a big way."

'Blatant rip-offs'

Recent UK raids and investigations have found pirate DVDs being sold by people in possession of large quantities of drugs, paedophilia and weapons, according to examples cited by the industry.

The campaign uses figures from the Organised Crime Task Force saying paramilitary organisations are behind 80% of copyright crime in Northern Ireland.

It also quotes a July 2003 speech by Interpol director general Ronald Noble saying intellectual property crime was becoming "the preferred method of funding for a number of terrorist groups".

The campaign says 90% of pirate DVDs are filmed by camcorders
And it tells viewers Triad and Snakehead gangs force illegal Chinese immigrants to sell pirate DVDs on streets, in pubs and on doorsteps.

As well as the alleged criminal links, film fans are also likely to get a poor viewing experience from the copies, the campaign says.

It says nine out of 10 pirated DVDs of films that have not yet been officially released are filmed from the back of a cinema with a camcorder.

"Not the home cinema experience where you get Dolby surround sound and crystal clear images," Jonathan Ross says.

"No, the home cinema experience where someone gets up to go to the toilet halfway through and blocks out the screen. Where you can hear someone eating crisps.

"These things are terrible and what really bugs me is that people are duped into paying good money for these blatant rip-offs - and have you ever tried getting your money back from a dodgy geezer in a pub?"

[Treebeard]

Mkaay , so if I buy a bootleg I support terrorism??

but if I just download it myself how is that supporting them? they make no money off that.

[ViRaL1]

Maybe, if those who are the experts here at VideoHelp do what they can to insure greater distribution of high quality non-screener rips and burns to the masses, this clandestine funding of terrorism will dwindle into non-existence.

It's time we fought back!

[The village idiot]

Maybe, if those who are the experts here at VideoHelp do what they can to insure greater distribution of high quality non-screener rips and burns to the masses, this clandestine funding of terrorism will dwindle into non-existence.

It's time we fought back!

In theory I would support that, but in reality I can't afford the legal fees.

Next thing to come: "If you breath you support terrorism"

[VCDHunter]

Mkaay , so if I buy a bootleg I support terrorism??

but if I just download it myself how is that supporting them? they make no money off that.

Because you're not paying tax on the download, tax that would've been used in The War Against Terror. Actually if you download movies instead of going to the cinema you are a terrorist !

[Treebeard]

Because you're not paying tax on the download, tax that would've been used in The War Against Terror. Actually if you download movies instead of going to the cinema you are a terrorist !

Actually that makes you a thief, not a terrorist. I am not either of those but downloading does not support terrorism IMO, but I could see how buying illegal software/movies could possibly.

[lordsmurf]

Horseshit

[Supreme2k]

So what is it again?

Movie piracy funds terrorism

Software piracy= going back in time and swearing allegiance to Hitler

Music downloads make baby Jesus cry

Porn piracy kills kittens

[Treebeard]

Horseshit

Tell us how you really feel about this artilce.

[Marvingj]

I guess I'm a BAD BOY!

[Nilfennasion]

If I follow this kind of funky logic, does that mean if I make my own bootleg of a film and keep it in my personal collection, not sharing it with anyone else, that means I support terrorists?

Who dreams up this crap?

Assuming that terrorists actually are involved in the sale of pirate copies, they have to compete for every sale, just like every other commercial enterprise. Am I the only one who finds it spurious to argue that every pirate copy sold funds terrorists?

[watchmaker]

Whoa, whoa, whoa!

I thought if I smoked dope I supported terrorism. Now I'm being told if I download I support terrorism? For the record, potheads and pirates aren't terrorists. It is those farkers who flew the airplanes into our buildings, just in case anyone forgot.

[4smiley20]

I used to sell drugs and kill people. That was all small time stuff so now I'm a hardcore movie pirate.

[ViRaL1]

If you drive a gasonline powered vehicle, you support terrorism.

Next they're going to say you don't actually have to BUY a bootleg video, just INDUCE others to buy bootleg videos, or somehow make it possible.

[Treebeard]

If you help feed those children in the poor 3rd world countries, Your supporting terrorism!!

[leebo]

For the record, potheads and pirates aren't terrorists. It is those farkers who flew the airplanes into our buildings, just in case anyone forgot.

Actually, the media are huge supporters of terrorism. They broadcast and printed thousands of pics of that event, making money off of it for weeks. Anyone here think if no one pirated any movies, the film industry would use the recovered funds to fight terrorism? Shoot, the industry itself makes a profit off of terrorism by making and selling movies about it. Think Bruce, Arnold, Harrison, Segal, etc.

[smearbrick1]

It's a slippery slope...

Today: movie piracy...

Tomorrow: Heroin...

The Next Day: Islam Extremist...

I guess you could equate dvd piracy with marijuana being "stepping stone" to harder drugs...

Of course you know, Osama Bin Laden is reading this site as we speak. He's a big fan of DVD Shrink and Nero 6.

He's tried the whole vcd/svcd thing but got no satisfaction.

I think that's one of his crimes listed on his wanted poster:

Senseless murder of thousands of people and dvd piracy.

[DVD_Ripper]

Horseshit

BullShit

Plus, whose gonna buy a bootleg DVD when you know they are using CMC disks

[iooi]

What crap they dream up to scare people.
Wonder which department dreamed up this story..... Might be true in the far east, but in good old blighty. Just make sure when you buy your bootleg copies the seller is white....
Personally i think Mr J Ross is more of a terriost to the air waves than any video pirate...

Artical also avaiable on the ITV site...

[Lucifers_Ghost]

I actually find a high amount of amusement in stuff like this.

The people that come up with this stuff must sit in their attic around their cauldron full of boiling spew, conjuring up all this stuff.

Lets say for arguements sake, its true. So what? Im sure that if we stop bootlegging, then terrorism is dead. There are a billion and one ways that terrorists make money and I am pretty sure selling dvd's is not one of them. Although, if you think about it, its a pretty good front. Its like the mob opening a "bar" or "restaurant" only less obvious :P But because we unwittingly eat in a restaurant owned by a mob boss, does that mean we support the mob?

Hogwash I tell you. Hogwash!

[Cholerabob]

Well, paying your taxes supports State sponsered Terrosim too......

[Cole]

I personally believe the link to organised Crime. I work in the West End of London where very often there are Chinese people selling DVDs on the pavements. I thought nothing of it (except for "I bet they aren't legal) until a recent UK documentary which showed that Chinese illegal imigrants were forced to sell Pirate DVDs to pay back the debt to the people traffickers that brought them into the UK.

Illegal DVDs are easy low risk money - of course organised crime will use that.

HOWEVER, ironically I feel that this advertising campaigne will fail because...

...poeple don't give a sh*t!

There I have said it.

As long as they can say "I've got <insert film name here> and it isn't in the Cinemas yet" ; something to boast about. I have been in this situation before and have said that it is all linked to organised crime and the reply I get is, "yeah, whatever! So what! Big deal"

All the acts of terroism or crime or drugs issues are only something we see on the news; "it will never happen to me! so long as it doesn't hurt me!" etc. We are so very worringly blaise about it...

[ViRaL1]

If you buy a ticket on an airline for a flight, you're potentially putting a huge missile in the hands of terrorists that could be used to kill thousands of innocent people right here in the US or in your own country.

Let the idiocy begin.

[glockjs]

well thats the uk. wait til they enforce the patriot act here

its all bullshit, and angle you smell it from.

i've said it before. if they keep pushin, keep abusing their powers. if.....

[rgs_uk]

"Jonathan Ross said of the pirate DVDs he bought: "Without exception, they were rubbish, they were shaky, out of focus, camerawork was bad, they had muffled sound - they were a cheap, shoddy, second-rate version of the original."

In other words, rather like his Film programme, when compared to the way Barry Norman used to do it.

Anyone who listens to anything that Jonathan Ross says deserves to be ripped off by the film industry. He's a k*obhead and if anyone knows about crap on TV it is him.

AOL TimeWarner donations to the Republican Party 1999-2004:
$2.31 million. That is sponsoring state terrorism.

Full list of brands to avoid:

http://www.boycottbush.net/

[turbo]

Well for me thats pot calling the kettle black,

didnt the US government fund the Afghans in the first place and throw over arms and weapons, and wasn't the IRA largely funded by the US????

Not wanting to enter a political dis, but thats a crock of s**t IMO

T