WALL-E: interstellar copyright scofflaw
- July 2nd, 2008
- 7 Comments
Looks like the eponymous bot in Pixar’s acclaimed new movie “WALL-E” is a dirty, dirty pirate. Apparently the robot code doesn’t prohibit you from harming an artist’s livelihood. One astute Canadian watcher notes (names have been X’ed out for plot-protection):
1. WALL-E records audio from his favorite movie, XXXXXXXXXXX, putting in onto his own digital recorder (bypassing the macrovision DRM on the tape). A COPYRIGHT CRIME UNDER C-61
2. WALL-E archives the audio, he doesn’t merely time-shift it. He listens repeatedly! A COPYRIGHT CRIME UNDER C-61
3. WALL-E shares his DRM-broken music with his friend, another robot named XXXXX. A COPYRIGHT CRIME UNDER C-61
This reflects very poorly on Pixar. Shameful! [via BoingBoing]
yoshi (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Yea whatever…this is why I don’t read boing boing anymore.
After 700 years the copyrights who have been expired since there is no one on earth to keep extending them. And Wall*E only uses snippets so one can say it falls under fair-use.
Devin Coldewey (Who am I?)
2 months ago
You’re assuming copyright law doesn’t get even worse! Think about it…
And yeah this is why i only skim BB these days. Every other story is like this one.. but I like WALL-E so this one gets a go. :)
Jonathan Dursi (Who am I?)
2 months ago
After 700 years the copyrights [have expired]
See, that’s the thing, no. The Macrovision DRM on the tape means that under C61 it remains illegal to make the copy because you’re bypassing a copy protection scheme, regardless of whether or not the copyright has expired
MacroNaught (Who am I?)
2 months ago
Yeah, well I work at Macrovision, and Wall-E is going to jail! ;)
Cory
2 months ago
For christ sake its a children’s movie. If Iron man was ripping songs off into his suit thingy it would be one thing, but its wall e. A robot 700 hundred years into the future! However, notice that in this fictional future that everything!!! is owned and or created by a major company! Wall e is part of this company so fair use is assumed… right?
Reply
Peter (Who am I?)
2 months ago
#Cory
well it doesn’t change the fact that a movie studio in 2008 displays what most of us do anyways as something that is OK - while they in courts wants grandmothers and little children to pay huge fines for file sharing.
pillows (Who am I?)
2 months ago
when wall-e looks in the sky he sees freedom!!! FREEDOM AT LAST!!!!
he cant go to jail he’ll just open it up again with that laser thingy of his.
CASE CLOSED !!
TOUCH DOWN !!
GOAL !!
BATMAN WINS !!
SCORE !!
!!!! WALL-E IS FREE !!!!