Illegal acts... just to be clear.

**Singin Hobo** · May 5th, 2009, 10:33 PM

From the Forum-Wide Rules:

Quote:

Anyone found to be encouraging things that are illegal by US law, regardless of what that act may be, will be warned and/or banned (depending on the severity.) This includes (but is not limited to) the use of illegal drugs, media piracy, or jaywalking. A general guideline to consider is that if your post would get you in trouble with a police officer, you shouldn't be posting it.

It occurs to me that the line has been a bit blurry lately, particularly with the recent early leak of the Wolverine movie that many people have apparently seen. I didn't jump on it when people were hinting at it, so I take some of the blame for where it went from there.

Let's be clear. It is against the rules to admit to personally partake in illegal acts... whether or not you think it's okay or if a billion people do it or if you live in a country where police officers sell illegal DVDs on street corners.

THE PENALTY FOR VIOLATING THE ILLEGAL ACTS RULE IS A 50 POINT PENALTY. If you have no other penalties against you already that amounts to a 30 day temporary ban from the forums.

There is a blurriness to the line, I admit, and where that blurriness falls is at my discretion so tread lightly. Here are some examples:

"I know this great website that you can go to to download any movie you want for free!" -

BAD

"I heard a piracy website is being fined 4 million dollars for hosting a bunch of illegal movies!" -

OKAY

"Did you hear that the Wolverine movie was leaked and the FBI is after the person who leaked it and Hugh Jackman is pissed?" -

OKAY

"Hear it? I'm watching it right now!!" -

BAD

If you don't understand the difference then your best bet is to stay away from the topic completely! No quarter. No mercy. No clarification after-the-fact.

~~Fool's Requiem~~ · May 6th, 2009, 12:28 AM

I just want to be clear on one other thing: Is it okay to bash on people watching pirated movies as long as I don't go to far?

**Singin Hobo** · May 6th, 2009, 01:00 AM

Flaming is still against the rules. Take the following conversation:

"I just downloaded a movie illegally."
"You're a total douche-pecker."

That would probably result in two warnings. Since trolling was abolished you're more than welcome goad, prod, entice... but the most effective tool you have is the 'Report this post' link.

**Woozie** · May 6th, 2009, 01:22 AM

Does this mean I can't say I've seen the Bruno trailer. I'm pretty sure that wasn't officially released, but it was on YouTube for a few days.

I don't understand the line. This is obviously be brought up because of the Wolverine movie (for everyone reading this a year from now) and how it was leaked on a YouTube copycat site. But I think it's blurrier for that individual case. You didn't have to download anything, or even register an account, you got a link and OMG! The entire movie was plain up on the internet. I'm sure everyone knows that movies will never be released on the internet for free, but I doubt anyone is going to close that window if they were sent that link.

And again, Bruno trailer was up on YouTube. I didn't even know that I wasn't supposed to see that until it was taken down.

~~Fool's Requiem~~ · May 6th, 2009, 02:27 AM

You know, that's something I never understood. Why remove movie trailers from Youtube? It's free advertising. If anything, I think it would be a good thing that a lot of people are posting the trailers, it means that they're looking forward to the movie and want others to do the same.

**Singin Hobo** · May 6th, 2009, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woozie

I don't understand the line. This is obviously be brought up because of the Wolverine movie (for everyone reading this a year from now) and how it was leaked on a YouTube copycat site. But I think it's blurrier for that individual case. You didn't have to download anything, or even register an account, you got a link and OMG! The entire movie was plain up on the internet. I'm sure everyone knows that movies will never be released on the internet for free, but I doubt anyone is going to close that window if they were sent that link.

Quote:

Originally Posted by me

whether or not you think it's okay or if a billion people do it or if you live in a country where police officers sell illegal DVDs on street corners.

Always feel free to exercise your fifth amendment right. You don't actually have to tell us if you do anything illegal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Woozie

I don't understand the line.

Quote:

Originally Posted by me

If you don't understand the difference then your best bet is to stay away from the topic completely!

Just so you know... it's not even a LITTLE BIT blurrier. It's exactly the same thing. If a person viewing that movie didn't know it was an illegal copy then he is actually mentally retarded and isn't fit for normal social interactions like posting on forums.

As for trailers, I'm not sure that it is illegal. I'll go ahead and say that I'm not going to mess with it. You nor I should be responsible for knowing which trailers have been released to the general population or to which specific websites. That is the one and only concession I will allow for ignorance. Only trailers. Nothing else.
But as I said, if you're not sure of the line nobody is forcing you to say anything.

**KyleKyle Bensen** · May 13th, 2009, 11:16 AM

Apparently, even saying you saw a CLIP of a movie that MAY have been pirated will get you banned. Trust me, I am still patching my pride back up. I merely used the adjective "pirated" and I was banned for nothing else. I guess it is left up to the mod and Hobo has made his stand, which is good to hear. I have been told that "viewing a movie that is not in distribution, ie in theaters, is illegal". I do not think that is accurate, but like Hobo said: Choose your wording carefully and never worry about this stupid (albeit necessary) rule again.

**Singin Hobo** · May 13th, 2009, 11:34 AM

It's a fast decline from "I saw an illegal movie" to "How did you do that? Where can I find it?"
The main reasoning is that we don't allow discussion of drug use or underage drinking on the forum... saying, "I downloaded a movie illegally" is the legal equivalent to "I love smoking spot"

**Woozie** · May 13th, 2009, 06:22 PM

Pot is decriminalized in a few states, so that wouldn't work :/

Shooting up heroin is still illegal everywhere.

**Beha** · May 16th, 2009, 07:15 PM

This is way too f*cking fine of a line. South Park ideology needs to be applied here.

Either everything is ok, or nothing's ok. Not this wishy washy, "maybe this, but not that, but maybe in this case that's fine, but in that case this is not fine..."

Come down on a goddamn side of the line for good.

**Singin Hobo** · May 16th, 2009, 09:17 PM

Really the only thing that's unclear at this point is how one would define "fair use." Since my personal livelihood depends on people not going around copying my work without paying for it I tend to be quite an a-hole on the topic.

And since no two courts/judges/governing bodies can seem to come down on the same side of the line I don't see why you expect me to be particularly lenient or specific.
I've given fair opportunity to everyone by suggesting that if you don't understand the rules then don't play the game.
Nobody is saying that if you come into the movie forum that you have to post links to material that doesn't belong to you or you have to admit to doing anything illegal. Ideally everybody would come into this forum to talk about their opinions on the favorite movies, actors, genres, etc. and not be complete retards about it.

**KyleKyle Bensen** · May 16th, 2009, 11:46 PM

Too be simple, leave any terms regarding "piracy" or anything that could be remotely discussed as illegal out of this forum. If you download a movie, then just say that you saw it. No one wants to know or will be impressed by saying that you stole/downloaded it.

DeGenerate10 · May 17th, 2009, 11:15 PM

I'm not saying I've done it or anything but if I read if you watch a bootleg movie without downloading it then it's not illegal. But it is illegal to upload it and or download it. Say you find a website that's kind of like Youtube where you don't download anything then that's not illegal. But I'm not a lawyer or anything so I don't know how true this is.

**KyleKyle Bensen** · May 17th, 2009, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeGenerate10

I'm not saying I've done it or anything but if I read if you watch a bootleg movie without downloading it then it's not illegal. But it is illegal to upload it and or download it. Say you find a website that's kind of like Youtube where you don't download anything then that's not illegal. But I'm not a lawyer or anything so I don't know how true this is.

I got temp banned for saying that I did this. Fact is, does anyone really know the laws regarding this? Can anyone be for sure? They are all convoluted and twisting, so simply omit the movie's origin from the discussion.

**Beha** · May 18th, 2009, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KyleKyle Bensen

I got temp banned for saying that I did this. Fact is, does anyone really know the laws regarding this? Can anyone be for sure? They are all convoluted and twisting, so simply omit the movie's origin from the discussion.

For youtube uploading?

I think only if the studio has brought a suit against youtube is it really illegal, but I'm sure I am mistaken. That's just my best guess.

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