Terrible anti-piracy ads from the past 15 years
From the Guardian's Badge PDA blog, a roundup of 15 years' worth of anti-piracy video PSAs, each more ham-fisted than the last. Classic video.
Video nasties gallery: 15 years of anti-piracy warnings (via Michael Geist)
the latest
latest episodes
Just watched that new one. "your ticket helps support the film industry in the UK; thank-you" Well beyond being the previous adverts being insulting to both my purchase (I bought the ticket/dvd/whatever legally so I don't deserve this advert telling me what not to) & my intelligence (Knock off Nigel is a laughable depiction of the public's opinions of people selling pirate dvds) this new one is now trying to tell me that a cinema ticket is helping the uk film industry. This would, of course, be the same industry that often struggles to find decent distribution in British cinemas when up against the latest Hollywood blockbuster. That's where my money is going and not to the greedy over-charging cinema chains who couldn't give a toss about film.
If there is one constant throughout all those ads it's the fact that FACT and co doesn't have a clue about the attitudes of the British public.
Obligatory IT Crowd reference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wRxfz_6E7o
@Annoyingmouse...
Yes. I have never liked it when I whack in a DVD (or back in "the day" a video) only to be told not to buy copies. Er, what? Surely you're telling (and mightily pissing off) the WRONG PERSON. Fools.
Theft, Piracy, why not copyright rape or kidnapping? I have never seen a bittorrent client or street vendor attack and seize a ship on the high seas, how did piracy become the accepted word for unauthorized distribution of intellectual property. Is driving without a license piracy?
"Is driving without a license piracy?"
Only if you're wearing an eyepatch while doing it. I think a parrot has to be involved too.
Hey, it happens.
http://failblog.org/2009/04/07/acronym-fail/
I remember the first VCR rental store in the city, and the proprietor who insisted we shouldn't have any guests over when we viewed our movie. He folded in a few months.
Most of these ads seem directed at those who are stupid enough to purchase low quality, pirated DVDs from street vendors, and I question how many people actually do go through the bother to do that. Why do that when high quality versions are available for download for free?
DVD "Anti-Piracy" ads that are forced to run each time the disc is played have ruined my children's enjoyment of various movies. (Get Smart has some ads and anti-piracy PSAs that played repeatedly, no chance of seeing the movie on the DVD player built-in to my car (GM))...
That, and Disney's perversely-named "Fast Play" are quite annoying...
I wish I could find an online copy of the ridiculous ad I've seen on some Australian DVDs, it has a giant sweaty troll like man working in a forge or something, making pirate DVDs, and the ad claims that if you buy a pirate DVD, you are supporting terrorism. It is stupendously, marvellously, toweringly, ridiculously stupid.
Found it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYY3TT21A20
Alison, that is hilarious. That and the IT Crowd parody have made my day.
@ trent hawkins
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MM0VO3slK8 for UK peeps
I've programmed myself to dance like a moron whenever that terrible "you wouldn't steal a..." ads' music is heard.
No idea how it happened, obviously out of mockery if nothing else.
Utterly ashamed that it has Australian origins.