There is no better example of how stupidity and ignorant rhetoric dims the magic of the movies for everyone than this report today regarding MPAA Pres and CEO Dan Glickman's scapegoating BitTorrent for what was essentially an industry insider job:

"There is no better example of how theft dims the magic of the movies for everyone than this report today regarding BitTorrent providing users with illegal copies of Revenge of the Sith. The unfortunate fact is this type of theft happens on a regular basis on peer to peer networks all over the world"
[ MPAA Blames BitTorrent ]

Let's look at the facts, shall we? Assuming such things still matter ...

1. That first file-share I commented on earlier was, apparently, bogus. It was a prank (or a troll?) -- It wasn't really Star Wars.

2. The real pre-print wasn't released on BitTorrent, it was released on Usenet, and only later appeared on the Trackers and various other networks. A leak is a leak, and once it's leaking, it's leaking.

3. That real print was not released until just three hours before the first midnight showings of the Real Thing; in my experience, it takes longer than 3 hours to actually locate and download a file that size, but I do understand that others are luckier. Nonetheless, the studios are crying over 180 minutes of lost revenue.

4. Even with this pre-release, to postulate lost profits, one must assume these eager downloaders do so in lieu of a theatre ticket, and not, as I suggested, as a means to pre-view and arm themselves with trivial observations to one-up their buddies when they do go to see it.

5. Here's the kicker:
   

   After starting the day with $16,912,367 from midnight shows alone, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith closed Thursday with $50,013,859 from an estimated 9,400 screens at 3,661 theaters. That's the biggest day ever for a single movie in history.
   BoxOfficeMojo.com

   Let me restate that for clarity: Fifty million dollars, in one day -- that's some hooker. Brings a teary eye, it does. Show me that tv spot again about the poor distressed film-editor who's children will go hungry tonight because of fan(atic) file-trading.

6. And a postscript of common sense: If not Usenet, there'd be rogue FTP. If not FTP, there's email. If not email, there's couriers and VHS -- bootlegging did not start with BitTorrent, it didn't even start with VHS; pre-release leaks have been leaking for a long, long time.

When there's this much blatent disinformation in the mix, I don't know about you, but it makes me really wonder about the unsaid real story. Dan's hiding something, or the MPAA wouldn't need to speak through his teeth ...

I can't endorse the file-trade of copyright material, if you ask me you shouldn't be letting yourself get sucked into that false-reality (the industry, not the story) poor excuse for cultural expression, but let's do the reality-check: if not these kids, hey, just take a cruise through your average North American 'Asian' mall. It's going to happen, anyway so, like, grow up and deal with it.

I don't endorse the file-trade of previews but hey, it's just a movie, in case anyone has forgotten, it's entertainment, no one gets hurt, nobody dies, just a few bruised egos on those execs who really really thought they were smarter than all the bootleggers this time. They were wrong, poor babies, they slipped up, they goofed, they lost fair and square and good sportsmanship says just take your loss like a pro and let the next game begin!

"Dim the magic" bedamned -- the faux aristocracy and paste-jewelry opulence of the celluloid thespians already stratches my blackboard, lunatic ravings like this, and their low-deal tactics like the MPAA propaganda saturation of even children's TV, it all just makes it worse. The unfortunate fact is this type of puffer-fish posturing happens on a regular basis on media networks all over the world.

Taken in the context of Hollywood's soddy origins, it's a parade of pure farce -- fake as a horse-opera saloon facade. Hmmm ... maybe that's it, maybe I've missed the point: Maybe Dan and the MPAA are merely acting wounded, as part of the show, y'know, play up the pathos, engage the heart, suspend belief, white hats, black hats, quiet on the set, ready ... action!

... 'the great california profit famine', take one ...

Brill show, Dan, I laughed, I cried. Simply maaarvelous daaahling. A new chapter in the art of film, a bold new theatrical experience, call the Academy, we need a category for "Best Actor in an MPAA Propaganda Short" ...

For those seeking some extra bits of background on this particular bit of farce, there's more juicy fan commentary and deconstruction over on Slyck's SW3 Distribution forum