this post was submitted on 14 Jul 2023
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Piracy: ꜱᴀɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴇᴀꜱ

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In what appears to be an escalating incursion into a user’s digital privacy, a collective of film companies continue to implore the court to compel Reddit to surrender its users’ personal details. This move is part of an ongoing piracy liability case against Internet Service Providers. Reddit, however, steadfastly resists, staunchly defending its users’ rights to anonymous speech.

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[–] [email protected] 297 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Movie studios: "This is definitely the most important thing we have to deal with right now"

[–] [email protected] 113 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Here's the plan, gentleman. Where's my cigar? Now listen up! We ain't gonna be making another movie the whole rest of duh year, see? Fuck dem writers. Don't even get me started on the talent! So here's what we do. We get the moneys from this kid dat donloided one of our movies 12 years ago. It's brilliant! Where's Harvey?

[–] [email protected] 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Harvey: *shaking because he knew that was the one on reddit /r/piracy 12 years ago, drunk posting for shits and giggles

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[–] [email protected] 150 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They think that bullying one user is going to setup an example of what happens when you fuck with them.

Fuck 'em.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 1 year ago (7 children)

IIRC they aren't prosecuting these users, instead they want to make them be witnesses in a case against an ISP they want to say wasn't doing enough to stop piracy. The Reddit posts were about whether the ISP takes action against pirates or something like that.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Oh in that case I admit to pirating hundreds of movies while connected to the wifi on holiday at Disney Land. I'm happy to be a witness in a case if one of these scum bags wish to take on The Mouse.

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[–] [email protected] 118 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Its a surprise to me that a reddit post or any kind of random text blurb can be used as an admission of anything. What if the guy simply says I made all that up for fun? There is no requirement for text written on the internet to be under oath. Edit: fixed spelling oauth -> oath ;)

[–] [email protected] 103 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Wait a minute. Are you saying people can lie on the internet?

This changes everything!

[–] [email protected] 41 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Hold on. Let's test this.

I knew you could lie on the internet.

Edit: holy shit it worked! I have a giant penis!!

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[–] merc 113 points 1 year ago (4 children)

The film companies have singled out a Reddit user, “xBROKEx,” citing a 12-year-old comment admitting to pirating the movie The Expendables.

Reddit counters that this attempted breach of privacy is unwarranted, given that the statute of limitations for copyright infringement is just three years.

How ridiculous. Someone admitted / bragged / bullshitted on the Internet 12 years ago. The statute of limitations expired 9 years ago. But, the film companies are still trying to get the information on a poor xBROKEx.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Could the selection be intentional? A silly unenforceable case to open the door for a more comprehensive invasion of privacy on platforms to make discussion and hosting discussion of piracy into a riskier endeavor?

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This is what I'm thinking. This is just a case of them seeing how far they can take it. Once precedent is set they can start to litigate based on a user merely mentioning that they pirated a movie.

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[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (4 children)

What a ridiculous case. You can't prove anything based on a comment made online. Defence will just be "i just said that to sound cool, I've never pirated anything and wouldn't know how" probably doesn't even need a lawyer as there's no evidence.

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[–] [email protected] 111 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (8 children)

This is fucking pathetic.

I, too, downloaded movies 12 years ago. Fuckin losers. I also used Napster, come at me.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You'll get the chair for Napster.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 year ago

Zapster amirite

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I did the most egregious thing back in the day and rented DVDs from the video store, ripped them, then returned them.

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[–] [email protected] 64 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Reddit understands it's value is in content to sell. If reddit starts ratting out it's free content creators, they lose value. Their actions are a profit calculation, not some noble stand to protect privacy.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 1 year ago (3 children)

You’d think they’d have considered that these past few months in relation to, …other user concerns.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago

You are the product, not the paying customer. That means you are cattle.

The farmer will build a fence to protect the cattle from predators, because it is in the interest of the farmer to preserve the cattle. But come payday, the farmer will gladly butcher the cattle for profit.

Social media users in the you-are-the-product buisness model are no different. Your user experience will be catered to you to cultivate the user base. But your experience will be actively ruined the instant it benefits the paying customer, I.e. if that means the paying customer, advertisers, will get what they want (promotion).

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[–] [email protected] 62 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How are they gonna prove he really did and he's not just bluffing?

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago

Simple: Lie, cheat, steal, and the mafia.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I confess. I was the 2nd gunman on the grassy knoll.

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I logged your IP: 127.0.0.1 - police are on their way

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[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (10 children)

ive pirated 99.99% of the movies ive seen come find me xD

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (23 children)

Wait, is it even possible to pay for movies outside of a movie theater?? I have taught everyone I know how to use bittorrent because I assumed that was a basic computer literacy thing. My grandma regularly pirates TV shows so they have something to watch at her adult daycare. That old bitch even offers DVD copies for a buck fifty.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Maybe I'm missing context, but the article doesn't mention what this admission looked like. Was it just a use saying "yeah I downloaded the new ghostbusters movie, it sucked glad I didn't pay for it", or was it someone admitting to camming/distributing/facilitating piracy at a base level? Surely they are not going after someone for just casually mentioning they pirated a movie?

[–] [email protected] 52 points 1 year ago

You're talking about the people that sued a single mother for millions because she uploaded a video of her child with a Beyonce song faintly in the background. These people are psychopaths.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah it's not that I think they're above this kind of petty bullshit, but I don't get why they'd go "fuck this guy in particular".

That said, even if the guy admitted to running the world's biggest pirate ring, screw them anyway

[–] [email protected] 46 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Friendly reminder that piracy is not theft

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Well, digital piracy.

But ye olde Black Beard and the modern Somalian type is very much theft.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 year ago

Nah. Haven't you heard about how the lack of pirates is causing climate change? /s

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum, 17 lawyers up that pirate's poor bum!

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 year ago

Statute of limitations much?

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Every day that does by and /r/piracy isn’t shuttered is a surprise

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)
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[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago

The only party that wins is the law firm charging as many billable hours as possible.

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 year ago (6 children)

I admit pirating all what I need during the last 20 years... So what, they may want to jail me for that !?

[–] [email protected] 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

B b b but... Think of the poor poor millionaires and billionaires :(

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I could say that I took a dump on Joe Bidens face while he soundly slept 12 years ago doesn't mean I actually did it. ;) ;)

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What do they even have to gain from this? Going after small fry individuals worked out so well for their image in the early 2000s.

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 year ago

Admit to downloading a car and you on a list forever.

[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Shit, I wonder how long until they come for me too? I’ve pirated hundreds of movies.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago (1 children)

what proof do they actually have it occurred though? 12 years is a long time - I dont think I have any electronics that are 12 years old, let alone digital media

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