Michael Moore Admits He Doesn't Care About International Downloads, But He Has To Pretend To
Date : 08 Oct 2008 Category : Business
Techdirt
We were a bit surprised recently when the news came out that lawyers representing Michael Moore were making the rounds concerning international downloads of his latest documentary, Slacker Uprising. Moore had decided to give the movie away free online, and given his past statements about having no problem with folks sharing a movie online, it seemed out of place to complain about any sharing that didn't just happen in the US and Canada.
Now it appears that Moore himself has taken the initiative to explain, and the answer is effectively that he doesn't care -- but he has to pretend to, because he only holds the rights for the US and Canada. In a note to the site TorrentFreak, he wrote: "What do you think I'm up to? I know it may not be obvious to most, but I think you guys get it. I only own the US and Canadian rights. So my hands are tied. But this is the 21st century. What are 'geographical rights'?" He then went on to point to the silliness of trying to prevent fans from sharing a movie: "I'll say it for the hundredth time: If I buy a book and read it, and then give you the book to read, I have broken no laws. Why is that not true for all media?" I'm not always a fan of his movies (though I do find them entertaining), but it's nice to see another moviemaker recognizing how counterproductive it is to try to stop file sharing, when embracing it has many more benefits.
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Now it appears that Moore himself has taken the initiative to explain, and the answer is effectively that he doesn't care -- but he has to pretend to, because he only holds the rights for the US and Canada. In a note to the site TorrentFreak, he wrote: "What do you think I'm up to? I know it may not be obvious to most, but I think you guys get it. I only own the US and Canadian rights. So my hands are tied. But this is the 21st century. What are 'geographical rights'?" He then went on to point to the silliness of trying to prevent fans from sharing a movie: "I'll say it for the hundredth time: If I buy a book and read it, and then give you the book to read, I have broken no laws. Why is that not true for all media?" I'm not always a fan of his movies (though I do find them entertaining), but it's nice to see another moviemaker recognizing how counterproductive it is to try to stop file sharing, when embracing it has many more benefits.
Permalink | Comments | Email This Story