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Too Much Free Time

by Mike Masnick

Fri, Mar 25th 2011 6:34pm




Filed Under:
piracy, time waster


But... But... Piracy...

from the just-having-some-fun dept

You've probably seen those XtraNormal videos going around these days, where you type out a script and some text-to-speech software and animation software create a short video. I thought it might be fun to experiment with this to see what came of it. Here's my first attempt at a short video that I call "But... But... Piracy."
Yes, some of the dialog is silly, but all of it is based on claims that I've seen people actually use in these discussions.

52 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  •  
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    ChurchHatesTucker (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 6:54pm

    Heh.

    I just love actually hearing "but... but... piracy"

     

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    •  
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      Anonymous Poster, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 7:10pm

      Re: Heh.

      Agreed. That was just beautiful.

       

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      •  
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        Anonymous Coward, Mar 28th, 2011 @ 7:02pm

        Re: Re: Heh.

        It's about time the net's biggest piracy apologist made his own propaganda video.

        I especially liked the part where he used "antiquated business models" and "little to back up" any evidence of harm.

        Of course if there is no harm from piracy, why is the business model "antiquated"?

        No one can talk out of both sides of his mouth better than Masnick, and yet still fail on both counts. Impressive.

         

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          vivaelamor (profile), Mar 29th, 2011 @ 1:16am

          Re: Re: Re: Heh.

          'Of course if there is no harm from piracy, why is the business model "antiquated"?'

          Because it fails to keep up with technological and social trends. Piracy may not be harming the business model, but it's still failing.

           

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            Anonymous Coward, Mar 29th, 2011 @ 9:12am

            Re: Re: Re: Re: Heh.

            Because it fails to keep up with technological and social trends.

            You seem extremely confused. The music industry has always embraced technology and new social trends, and continues to do so today. Go to any of the social network sites, itunes, amazon, or some of the streaming sites and see for yourself.

            So care to try again?

            Maybe you can do a better job of explaining Mike's blatant and hilarious contradictions than he did, because all he did was punt and resort to personal insults. As usual.

             

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              vivaelamor (profile), Mar 30th, 2011 @ 11:49am

              Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Heh.

              "The music industry has always embraced technology and new social trends, and continues to do so today. Go to any of the social network sites, itunes, amazon, or some of the streaming sites and see for yourself."

              Yes, I agree. The music industry has always embraced technology and new social trends. I'd like to see evidence that the recording industry has too, though. Even the smaller labels are a mixed bag when it comes to technology.

              You mention iTunes, which was originally crippled by labels insistence on DRM. Both iTunes and Amazon MP3 came years after the industry decided to sue Napster and neither originated from the industry itself. Prominent people in the industry express regret at how they handled Napster. The industry has done it's best to kill off popular streaming sites and has imposed region restrictions on many independent services.

              Even today, iTunes and Amazon MP3 offer inferior products to CDs and the industry is trying to extort money from ISPs for letting people access their content.

              "Maybe you can do a better job of explaining Mike's blatant and hilarious contradictions than he did, because all he did was punt and resort to personal insults"

              Personal insults like "no one can talk out of both sides of his mouth better"? Oh, wait, that was you. I notice that you didn't provide any actual information, data or evidence to back up your position this time either. Just as Mike observed.

               

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          Mike Masnick (profile), Mar 29th, 2011 @ 1:26am

          Re: Re: Re: Heh.

          No one can talk out of both sides of his mouth better than Masnick, and yet still fail on both counts. Impressive.


          I love the fact that you come here every day and bitch about my posts... and *not once* have you provided actual information, data or evidence to back up your position.

          What I find really funny is you think people take you seriously and don't take me seriously.

          By the way, how did your "overnight calls" to the record labels to get them to sue me for defamation go? I've been waiting.

           

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      identicon
      Reply, Apr 25th, 2013 @ 6:42pm

      Re: Heh.

       

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    Nina Paley (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 6:58pm

    I want to hear "but but piracy"

    but the music track over the dialog was too distracting for me to parse the voices. Any way to can the music? I want to enjoy this!

     

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      vivaelamor (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 3:46pm

      Re: I want to hear "but but piracy"

      "but the music track over the dialog was too distracting for me to parse the voices. Any way to can the music? I want to enjoy this!"

      You might want to try the subtitles I made too. I can't get rid of the music, but at least you'll know what they're saying. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping the narrative flow, though being up against automated voices hardly proved a challenge there.

       

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    sehlat (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 7:11pm

    Subtitles, please?

    For those of us with auditory challenges.

     

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    •  
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      vivaelamor (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 11:13am

      Re: Subtitles, please?

      I've made some subtitles to go with the downloadable video.

      I'm disappointed that Xtranormal don't seem to have the option to do it automatically. On the grand scale of technology involved, automated subtitles seems kind of simple.

       

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    ScytheNoire, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 7:23pm

    He's a stooge

    I love it. Shows how stupid it sounds when you hear it. Maybe if they played something like this for the politicians... ah heck, who we kidding, they are bought and owned by corporations who whine about piracy and make up the bogus studies and stats.

     

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    Capitalist Lion Tamer (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 7:42pm

    About that character model...

    He doesn't look... well... "anonymous" enough. Perhaps some sort of fake mustache is in order.

    Other than that, I liked it. Someone once mentioned that internet fuckwad syndrome could be drastically reduced if the comment box ran it by as text-to-speech first. Hearing these comments out loud seems to confirm that.

     

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    RadialSkid (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 8:20pm

    Cue AC bitching in 3...2...1...

     

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    Unanimous Cow Herd, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 8:36pm

    But..

    Butt.. Piracy!

     

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    Jesse (profile), Mar 25th, 2011 @ 8:37pm

    Her expression at the end was priceless.

     

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    Unanimous Cow Herd, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 8:44pm

    Arrgh!

    Butt Pirates!

     

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    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 9:38pm

    I can't really distinguish this video from the real arguments. What's the difference? If Mike hadn't mentioned that it was a parody, I would have never guessed.

     

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    Anonymous Coward, Mar 25th, 2011 @ 11:20pm

    I'm opposed to the protectionist laws being considered for reasons other than the debate over what constitutes privacy or it's *actual impact on the economy. I'm opposed to it on the grounds of human rights. The right to express one's self is more important than some legal pools right to prosecute anyone they suspect of violating their copyright. I'm concerned about privacy and most importantly I'm concerned about the inequitable penalties imposed upon individuals, for whats tantamount to trespassing. File sharers are not the only ones taking notes here. More and more mega corp. companies are getting into the SLAP game seemingly everyday. Deep corporate pockets are bulldozing citizens rights and the Govt. seems powerless to stop them. This has moved way beyond the internet...

     

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    6 (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 12:13am

    I liked the ending. lulz.

     

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    OAKside (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 12:19am

    TechDirt + XtraNormal = Non-Anonymous Coward. (AKA Thanks TechDirt, for everything, including this gay old time.)

     

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    Hiiragi Kagami (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 5:10am

    Huh. This is interesting...

    ...the dialogue sounds identical in real life too: canned speech.

    Funny toy. I'm going to go play now.

     

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    Duke (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 5:48am

    Copyright in the video

    This is a little off-topic, but one of my first thoughts after watching the video was "Who owns the copyright in the video?" [Yes, I've been spending too much time around lawyers and copyright lobbyists]

    ...

    Having now skim-read through the rather extensive terms and conditions on the website, I'm not sure they know the answer either, but it is an interesting question (similar to the question of who owns the copyright to save-game files generated by a computer game).

     

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    proximity1, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 6:39am

    attention to detail...

    The impression strikes me with some amusement that the video artists/programmers didn't spend anything like the same time, care and attention on the voice-quality of the characters as they seem to have on the way they filled out that blue button-up sweater the young woman is wearing.

     

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    sumquy, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 8:50am

    good first effort. i think your missing an important point, though. what makes these things go viral is that they are funny. yours was just kind of dry.

    think parody, mike, or satire! i've read enough of your posts to know your pretty good at both of those!

     

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    Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:21am

    I struggle with how techdirt on one hand is against government regulation when it comes to music and movie protections because it is unduly influenced by corporate entities...but on the other hand generally endorses the government growth in all other areas. It is such a hypocritical take that only in this area is government influence bad. From the TSA, to health and welfare, to banking, to even energy policy, in every area that government influence is seen it is hi-jacked by industrial lobbyists. Locked down to prevent competition, over regulated to make it impossible for the small companies to compete, and loop holed into giving overly specific tax breaks to individual companies who happen to be large donors IE: GE, BP, and others. GE makes 14 billion and pays no taxes due to specific loopholes, the RIAA gets homeland security to bring its immense manpower out to tackle piracy. The more influence you give government the more it will be swayed by special interests to take advantage of the general populace. It was no mistake that the hollywood and music industry's love affair with President Obama is resulting in viewing copyright infringement as a terrorist threat, yet people continue to miss the connection because they refuse to connect dots where they do not want them to be.

     

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      ChrisB (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:27am

      Re:

      > but on the other hand generally endorses the government
      > growth in all other areas

      Really? I don't ever remember TechDirt advocating big government.

       

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        identicon
        Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:03pm

        Re: Re:

        I do in one instance at least, when talking about the need of federal anti-slapp laws.

        Note that I'm all for the death of copyrights though.

         

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        Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:06pm

        Re: Re:

        That is the one quibble I have about Mike's position, because I like net neutrality and want some laws to come with it to guarantee that it won't be abused, but he keeps talking about unintended consequences which are a real problem and concern but so is anti-slapp legislation that could end up being something totally different if it was thrown to the wolfs in the legislative.

         

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      Anonymous Coward, Mar 27th, 2011 @ 7:08am

      Re:

      I've been reading TD for some years now, and I can't' say I've found Mike to be a 'more government...except for copyrights!' promoter. More like a 'we need better/smarter/realistic law, not necessarily more law' type of mindset underneath an arch of 'stop crying and start working if you wanna make a buck these days' - adapt or die, in other words.

      That's not a catch phrase that applies only to copyright/patent situations, btw. Nor just business.

       

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    ChrisB (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:22am

    Xtranormal points?

    Looks like fun. I went over there to try it out, and now it costs to use. You get 300 free Xtranormal points when you sign up, which will allow you to make about one movie. So what is their business plan exactly? Not only do the users who generate the content invest their time, but they also have to pay? Ya, that's going to work.

     

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      RobShaver (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 11:54am

      Re: Xtranormal points?

      BUSINESS PLAN: Provide a service that no one else provides (read that as a scarce product) and charge people to use it. Keep improving the service to keep ahead of competition.

      Why would that not work if it turns out people want the service for the price offered?

       

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    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 12:09pm

    The funniest part is that if this is what you think the debate is, then you really, really, are getting high on your own supply.

     

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      Atkray (profile), Mar 26th, 2011 @ 2:40pm

      Re:

      no....

      What is the funniest part is that you do not realize that is EXACTLY what the debate is.


      Nice job Mike.

       

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        Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 9:21pm

        Re: Re:

        Again, if you think that is the debate, it is only because you are deaf to the other side.

        You can get your extra cup of koolaid at the door, you earned it.

         

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          identicon
          Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 10:09pm

          Re: Re: Re:

          What is not about how piracy is destroying the lives of artists everywhere? or how the industry can't actually prove any harm but keeps claiming it anyways?

          I'm shocked!

           

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    Jim, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 2:02pm

    Lol

    "Sure, but can you send me the MP3's first so i can learn about the band?" the chicks reaction = hilarious

     

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    DazzaJ, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 3:16pm

    Very good

    Love it! "But but piracy" sounds like some politians in Australia

     

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    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Mar 26th, 2011 @ 4:26pm

    You know what makes Charlie Laine sad? When people hurt animals and when people illegally download her movies.
    So remember, every time you download a movie, you make somebody sad. And somewhere a puppy dies.

     

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    okwhen (profile), Mar 27th, 2011 @ 5:14am

    Mike, hit the proverbial nail on the head with this video. Movie and music industries with their high dollar lobbyist have joined the energy corporation in using governments, military, laws, etc to insure their success. Well done in an honest and factual motivational article.

     

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    Tom Landry (profile), Mar 27th, 2011 @ 5:59am

    1.) don't use human models

    2.) don't use a music bed

    3.) simply the speech. You want the one pontificating to sound like a 15 year old who just read a biased article. You want the other to ask simple logical questions with a few retorts.

    4.) keep the text-to-speech less natural and more digitized.

    A good effort but you're trying to fit too many bullet points of the pro/anti piracy controversy. Just concentrate on the most moronic and easily debunked aspects of the issue in the fore. Keep it light an humorous.

     

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    Cynix, Mar 27th, 2011 @ 2:18pm

    Brilliant, I really liked it. :)

    Don't stop making these Mike!

     

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    Anonymous Coward, Mar 30th, 2011 @ 8:07pm

    What's really amusing, and rather ironic, is that the video was made on Xtranormal, which, according to the TOS, owns all of the content created with their tools.

     

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