Taking the stage against piracy

GHoosdum

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan have teamed up to combat piracy in new TV advertisement.

HONG KONG (AFP) - It's no "Terminator 4" but California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has returned to the screen -- teaming up with action hero Jackie Chan to launch a TV ad in Hong Kong against copyright piracy.

The Hollywood star-turned politician was promoting the public television advertisement alongside Chan at a lunch meeting in Hong Kong on the last leg of his six-day China visit aimed at boosting trade and battling piracy.

"We both have a lot at stake in intellectual property rights enforcement. So that's why it's so important that we work together," he said at the lunch organised by the American Hong Kong chambers of commerce.

"This is something that I feel something very strongly about. Who wants to invest in new technology if we cannot safeguard the outcome of the final products of it?"

Submitted by: Trogan_1000

Source: Yahoo!

ronbo

Your kidding, right? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan are worried about copyright piracy? What, they need more money? They can't live comfortable enough with their millions? My heart bleeds for them...

zero-counter

I scoffed at that article when I initially read it.

Leonardo

Your kidding, right? Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan are worried about copyright piracy? What, they need more money?

That's a rather myopic view. Consider: Estimates are 90% of computer software and about the same amount of recorded entertainment media in China, mainland and Hong Kong, is pirated. In this case 'pirated' does not mean individual users backing up a copy of their media. This is outright counterfeiting - mass production and sales for profit. That is an enormous amount of money that otherwise would be going back to California, where the majority of US software and entertainment media originates. Given that Schwarzenegger is the governor of said state, I'd say he is directly carrying out his responsibilities.

ronbo

"That's a rather myopic view". which, in Greek, means to "close the eyes." Well we all have our own opinions, which thank God are not all the same.

TheLostSwede

Leonardo wrote:

That's a rather myopic view. Consider: Estimates are 90% of computer software and about the same amount of recorded entertainment media in China, mainland and Hong Kong, is pirated. In this case 'pirated' does not mean individual users backing up a copy of their media. This is outright counterfeiting - mass production and sales for profit. That is an enormous amount of money that otherwise would be going back to California, where the majority of US software and entertainment media originates. Given that Schwarzenegger is the governor of said state, I'd say he is directly carrying out his responsibilities.

I hope you don't believe in the hype that all those 90% would actually buy a legit copy of a given software?
I can bet milllions on that the software companys actually PROFITS on people that uses Pirated software since pirates are betausers. Nobody in their right mind would believe that (just an example) Microsoft releases less buggy software because pirated software is 20%. I pay for software that i think it's worth the money it costs and that are working 100%. Then if it costs 10 or 3000 dollars, it doesn't really matter.

Leonardo

I hope you don't believe in the hype that all those 90% would actually buy a legit copy of a given software?

You are correct. I remember, exactly the same arguments were flying around when cassette (tapes) recorders became popular. Most of my collection of music on cassettes I never would have purchased.

My point about China and pirating: it happens with everything from name-brand purses to software. We're not talking about casual home use of 'trial' or 'backup' software, but rather, large, mass production, commerical piracy for profit. In my book thoses are two entirely different things.

shwaip

ronbo wrote:

"That's a rather myopic view". which, in Greek, means to "close the eyes." Well we all have our own opinions, which thank God are not all the same.

myopic also means near-sighted - and that's generally how it's used in the english language. I'd say that's more likely what Leo meant.

Just because Arnold doesn't need the money doesn't mean that no one else in the film production business does. But then again, it's possible that movie piracy is a victimless crime.

Leonardo

myopic also means near-sighted

Yes, exactly. This PR on Chan's and Schwarzenegger's part, I think, had nothing to do with their personal fortunes. I don't think most people understand the enormous extent of corruption, counterfeiting, and black marketeering in China.

If Windows, Adobe, et al are too expensive for these low income people (which they probably are), why aren't they using Linux and freeware office suites? But that's not really my point. It's just very difficult for any nation or block of nations to even try "free trade" on a large scale of one country turns a blind eye to established, commercial counterfeiting. This is not an issue of home burning of CDs.

RADA

I don't burn music or movies. Piracy is not a victimless crime.

People look at the RIAA and the big Hollywood Companies and the stars like Arnold and Jackie and say "they have enough money, screw 'em!".

I look at from the other side, from the artist, writer, or creator's viewpoint.

If I spent hours of my life into creating something, and I market that item, and people want to buy it, then I should be paid for it. Why is it fair for you take (steal) what I've created, without compensating me for it? If you spent hours/days/months/years and hundreds/thousands/millions of dollars creating something, you bet your as* you'd be pissed if you found out it had been stolen from you.

Why is it OK to burn (steal) music/movies off the internet, but not OK to take (steal) a car from a car dealer, or take (steal) a dvd player from a store?
As Leo said Arnold and Jackie are trying to show how big the problem is in China. It's not just CDs and DVDs. Its clothes, and perfume, and household appliances, etc. It's also for you protection. If you buy a Sony dvd player, and it electrocutes you as you put the dvd in it, you have legal rights against Sony. If your player is knockoff, that says Sony, guess what, you're SOL.

Also, everyone focuses on the big stars/corporate giants, but what about the little people in all this? Like the guy packing the cd/dvds in boxes, the person driving the truck to the store? What happens when they get laid off because the company has lost too much money to pay them anymore? Like I said, it is not a victimless crime, its just not as dramatic as murder, bank robbery, etc...

Do I think DVDs and CDs are overpriced, yes I do, but there are better ways to get the point of price-gouging across. Two wrongs still don't make it right.

Just my 2c

R

Leonardo

s Leo said Arnold and Jackie are trying to show how big the problem is in China. It's not just CDs and DVDs. Its clothes, and perfume, and household appliances, etc.

It's even worse than that. China even ships quantities of apples, medium or low quality, around the world with "Washington" stickers on them. It's not about you or your friend copying a song a movie that you otherwise wouldn't buy, but rather outright stealing of trademarked, patented, and copyrighted material for sole purpose of billions of dollars in profit. Theft is a major component of the PRC economy.