Failed Filmmakers Pretend Piracy Group 'Stole' Film To Try To Get Publicity

from the super-weak dept

We’ve talked about smart filmmakers learning to embrace file sharing to enlarge their audience and to improve their business model, but it appears that some filmmakers are getting the wrong kind of message. TorrentFreak has the story of how some filmmakers in Denmark, who had a total flop on their hands, pretended that the local Piratgruppen organization literally broke into the studio, stole (used correctly, for once) the film, and were threatening to put it online. Of course, the whole thing was completely made up in a weak attempt to get publicity. Little actually came of it until it was exposed as totally made up — but it’s a pretty serious issue. The studio was blatantly lying and accusing people of out-and-out criminal behavior, knowing that it was false. And this is in Denmark, where the local anti-piracy group has been quite aggressive in going after anyone for copyright infringement. Shameful.

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Comments on “Failed Filmmakers Pretend Piracy Group 'Stole' Film To Try To Get Publicity”

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15 Comments
ECA (profile) says:

The facts

It would be interesting IF’
Those that need to know..EVERYONE.
had the true facts about Pirating.

NOT the ones from the movie and Audio industry.

1. MOSt people dont need a GREAT sound system to watch a video.
2. Over 1/2 the world cant afford to GO to a movie.
3. Watching a CRAP version is not a choice.
4. IF’ there was a reasonable, PRICE and distribution, FEWER WOULD watch pirated versions.
5. with a CHOICE of a TV or a computer, Which would you get? the COMPUTER.
Why a computer? to do more things and watch/listen the Vid/audio you WANT…
6. There are 2 types considered PIRATES..those that do it for money, and those who do it as a hobby, to GIVE TO EVERYONE.
7. WHO makes the money on the movie?? Unless you have a GREAt contract with a distributor…NOT YOU.
8. which is CHEAPER…making a copy for EACh location or a DIGITAL COPY to send on the net?? that save HOW MUCH MONEY??
9. a GOOD product, PEOPLE WANT TO SEE, will draw enough person to PAY with adverts..Advertisers will PAY for you to Advertise DURING your show.
10 OUT of the 100’s of shows to hit the Theater/DVD stores/TV how many were WORTH SEEING?? we are talking of only 500+ in the USA.
11. IF you are going to PICK a show to see and PAY MONEY..would it be better to SAMPLE IT, rather then fork over money to see CRAP??

To many Corp FORCES want to pigeon HOLE, WHAT the USA wants to see. WE WANT TO SEE, what interests EACH OF US..
Its the same with video games..Japan and the EU, have 10 times the programs crated EACH YEAR that are sold in the USA…WHY? BECAUSE they are diversified…in their CHOICES.

Chronno S. Trigger (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re: The facts

I figured he was just yelling. Like in the second Austin Powers movie after he got defrosted. He couldn’t CONTROL the VOLUME of his VOICE.

I like how these filmmakers did it for a publicity stunt but the media just ignored it, both times. That’s a plus for Denmark’s media, in the US it would have been a giant media circus with a call to arms that the “pirates” need to be stopped. And of course, the fact that it was fake would just slip threw the cracks.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re: The facts

It’s NAMELESS.ONE’s thing. Let him have it. Eventually you just pass right over as soon as you notice that crap.

I don’t know what side he’s on, but he is sure passionate about whatever it is he believes. He’s just not entirely coherent yet. I bet he’s a kid trying to be as passionate as possible which makes him less than eloquent.

Claus Rasmussen (profile) says:

Re: Does that mean....

Piratgruppen has replied something along the line of:

“pff, whatever, we don’t want to make a bigger issue about it”

Which is probably better, because then everybody forgets about the poor poor movie as soon as possible.

They could probably sue for defamation in a civil court, but they ought to file the case with the police. False accusations of criminal action is a crime itself (as far as my limited knowledge of danish law tells me).

Claus Rasmussen (profile) says:

Re: Can't believe this

I don’t think there ever was a pirated version:

http://isohunt.com/torrents/?ihq=winnie+og+karina

The producers took this TV satirical show:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCP8KTW4SUY&feature=related

(in which you can judge the quality yourself), and made it into a full length theater movie. Most danish movie critics gave it very low reviews.

I can’t even imagine any dvd-ripper would bother to pirate this, whenever it hits the shelves, so if it ever turns up on torrent networks, it’ll probably be the producers themselves leaking it…

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