AfterDawn: News

CDs and DVDs to feature a new FBI warning label

Trade groups representing movie, game and music publishers announced today that all new CDs, DVDs and games sold in the United States will shortly feature an FBI warning label warning about serious consequences that unauthorized copying might cause to the person violating copyright laws.

The label will replace the old variety of labels already shown in most of the media products and will also be significantly more visible on the product cover. The new warning says "The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000."



Trade groups behind the initiative were MPAA, RIAA and ESA (Entertainment Software Association that represent video game publishers).

Source: Reuters

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 19 Feb 2004 15:05

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• 23 comments

• Nephilim

  Wow, that ought to stop piracy entirely. Does this mean the stupid warning that plays before the movie will be gone? NOT!

  19.2.2004 15:27 #1

• ingram091

  Oh goodie. Finally, I say. Now we have a sticker on the package that tells us ahead of time that this music cd is not worth buying. That is All we ever wanted. Then see how the music industry like it when NO one BUYS their grabage discs, than will not run on 90% of car stereos cd and 70% of boom box cd-players.
  Now we have a sticker thanks to the FBI that will tell consumers NOT to purchase the product. Thank you FBI. I welcome this movement and hope this sends a message to the industry. CHANGE OR DIE. If no one buys your product what choice will you have? So this is an action message right now. if you see this sticker it is a message NOT to buiy the product as it is not a consumer product. It is only a temporary listening right that may or may not work on your product. Of course you can do what the industry wants and go buy a new cdplayer to play these cds. And hey if you go and do that, well you deserve what you are getting... Total Crud Products that will never mesure up to quality ligitimate products of the past.
  
  Message to the industry. Stop producing garbage and MAYBE people will buy music again. I have not like one thing since the mid 90s, out of you people.
  
  ingram

  19.2.2004 22:08 #2

• ingram091

  BTW sorry for typos, Didn't spell check first cause I thought you can preview first, (not use to this server), But I think you get what I'm saying...

  19.2.2004 22:11 #3

• Ghostdog

  Yeah, but this sticker will be present on all products. Not just those with copy-protection.

  20.2.2004 07:54 #4

• GrayArea

  It's a public education program designed to help people understand what a bunch of dicks the "entertainment" industry execs and their lap dog the FBI are.

  20.2.2004 08:08 #5

• fishhead

  "will also be significantly more visible on the product cover"
  
  What a stupid waste of money. Now the labels are going to make DVD covers look like crap. I collect DVDS and I would like to have the cover consist of artwork pertaining to the movie. It's bad enough i have to wait the 5 seconds for the FBI warning in a movie I purchased.
  
  They might as well just start making DVD covers with
  the lengthy ass warning in HUGE ASS LETTERS with the movie name in small letters. They should also make it so that when i start the movie, there is a LOUD ANNOUNCEMENT saying how "COPYING DVDS IS BAD" with an unchangeable volume setting so my neighbors can hear it.
  
  Lastly, they should just package an FBI agent with each retail and rental DVD/CD. At least that way I could have someone do my laundry while i watch movies or listen to CDs

  20.2.2004 09:13 #6

• pcshateme

  a fucking sticker isnt gonna stop anyone from burning cds and dvds.
  
  also maybe if everytime i stuck a cd in it didnt highjack my pc i might not go on a kazaa spree. (im reffering to the useless "Behind the band" shit that comes up- thats also what makes the cds unplayable in some players)
  
  also im sick of the industry in general- there has been only like 3 movies worth watching in the last few years- and only like 10 worth buying cds.
  
  ITS BULLSHIT- also its obvious that the media is controlled by rich liberals- i mean the no talent lameos get all the record contracts- the independent films(not the popular arty ones flooding the maket) and music albums get shit on every year and kicked out of the grammys and film awards but they GENORATE bullshit american idol and jlo and brittney spears pop GARBAGE and pay off all the stations to play it and pay off the grammys to give it awards meanwhile everyone fucking hates it.
  
  and remember this- the rich RIAA controlls the music by paying radio stations not to play music that they didnt shit out. Also the artists themselves are slaves and when you shell out $19 for a cd- only about a buck goes to the artists THATS A FUCKING SIN.
  
  a fucking sticker isnt going to stop me. and dont let it stop you.

  20.2.2004 13:13 #7

• Jdilla

  Stickers.. hmmm.

  20.2.2004 19:49 #8

• Ghostdog

  I think smaller labels are going to see more action in the future. Hopefully all the good artists will realize that producing music for the big boys who are only in it for the money is bad for the music itself and move to (semi-)independent labels.

  21.2.2004 03:30 #9

• vile1289

  Well, I guess they figure if they make it more visible, its okay for them to invade are privacy and punish us.

  21.2.2004 15:18 #10

• Rodgers

  Stick the label up your ass. That will not supercede the invasion of our Privacy. The FBI, I believe have more important business to attend to these days, rounding up some of these assholes in America that are funding Terrorists. What say you?
  Best to All!
  Rodgers

  23.2.2004 06:06 #11

• vertigo17

  Yeah, it think it's bullshit, too. But face it. We have DVD Shrink for duplicating DVD's and software like BlindeWrite and Elby CloneCD to back up our CD collections. I think mp3's sound terrible. These stickers are not going to be the only ones covering the artwork of DVD's and CD's. Remember the Parental Advisory stickers on explicit CD's. This is going to get worse and worse. Bitching about it won't stop these people from telling us what we can and cannot do after we spend our hard-earned money for the product. We need to take a stand. A revolution has to happen to over-throw the asshole who was to control the entertainment in our lives. TV sucks these days, movies suck these days, music suck these days - all because these "stars" are selling out. It is the all American dollar that these people are chasing. It's "our" American dollars. And they will do anything to get it. Let's do something about it, rather that sit here and bitch and moan and continue to watch this garbage and listen to this shit!

  23.2.2004 08:15 #12

• coldasice

  Wow, that'll make me think twice. The FBI are a bunch of morons. They didn't stop piracy with a small sticker or a warning at the beginning of tapes/dvds in the past, what makes them think they'll stop it with an extra large sticker? It'll look more like a stupid decoration. They can never stop piracy. It's inevitable. They can arrest the ones who have the knowlegde to do it (if they're lucky) but more people will always learn. If a protection can be written it can be erased just as easy. All it takes is time and know-how. Alot of people have the know-how as well. All it takes is for one *joe* to buy a brandnew album/movie, copy it, then take it back and say their parents don't want them to have that crap. Then that's it. It's converted to MP3, DIVX, VCD and so on for the world to download and share, then re-download and share over and over again. Everyone converting it back to it's original format. With high speed internet there is no stoping it. Whether a ticker or in-media protection, it won't stop it. It inspires it. As what was said before; let's just watch them, and not complain.

  23.2.2004 13:10 #13

• DaJoker

  You mean you guys don't think this stick will stop you from copying stuff???
  Wow! I thought things like this, and those signs saying that bombs aren't allowed on airplanes worked like magic and people just obeyed the orders like robots.

  24.2.2004 14:38 #14

• DaJoker

  You mean you guys don't think this stick will stop you from copying stuff???
  Wow! I thought things like this, and those signs saying that bombs aren't allowed on airplanes worked like magic and people just obeyed the orders like robots.

  24.2.2004 14:38 #15

• ViRaL1

  This is just their way of saying 'you knew' if you get caught pirating. Does 'I didn't know it was wrong' REALLY get anybody off the hook anymore? It does raise a question though, just what IS 'unauthorized reproduction or distribution'? Fair use has been so fuzzy lately. My big question is if I'm paying for a 'license' or buying the right to listen to the music indefinitely, why doesn't the RIAA owe me a new CD when mine wears out?

  24.2.2004 14:44 #16

• dbminter

  The definition of unathorized reproduction or distribution is a fair issue. After all, would it suddenly be illegal to memorize a movie on DVD, line for line of dialogue, and then go out and speak it in public as users go by? While it may be a definition for mental illness :) it surely shouldn't be unauthorized distribution... unless the RIAA could make money on such a lawsuit, then, suddenly, you'd find a judge agrees. :)

  25.2.2004 20:22 #17

• Bigiboi

  they cannot stop piracy, just as they can't stop polution.
  if you look at the majority that is copying dvds and cd's here, than it's nothing what is happening in asia, where you already can get full copies of the last samurai and paycheck for only $1 usd.
  don't forget they are the last region to get these movies, but it looks like they get it first.
  this sticker is hopeless if they can't even protect the movie before it's on dvd legally.
  
  Bigiboi
  

  Can't rip it?
  Ask some1 who does !

  26.2.2004 04:29 #18

• ascheri

  well i guess that opens the door to arrest and/or fine 99.99% of the free world. Pass a law and make it so. sorta like every halloween the politicians would vote on a law to increase their saleries (which is unanimusly voted yea) trick or treat

  26.2.2004 20:36 #19

• jonss

  Does ANYONE bother buying CD's anymore? I gotta say that 99.9% of the music I've heard lately is'nt worth the price. The copy protection on CD's will merely challenge hackers to crack it and anyone with half a brain can figure out how to copy the music from speaker outlets and such. This affront will only make us all more determined to thwart their feeble attempts at 'Thought Control'. It might be a different story if the RIAA and FBI commanded any respect but most people spit on their names. Back on the subject of music. I believe we'll see a huge change over the next few years where Artists themselves will market their own music through different websites and sidestep the RIAA completely. The music will be cheaper and the profits will go to the Artists directly. When that happens, I will give it my support but the way the Industry is at present, it's much more fun to feed the RIAA's ire.

  27.2.2004 06:39 #20

• Rodgers

  I have decided that I will support the Artists directly, when and if that option becomes available. I will not presently purchase music or video under any circumstances.
  Regards to All!
  Rodgers

  27.2.2004 07:47 #21

• Ghostdog

  Quote:Does ANYONE bother buying CD's anymore? I gotta say that 99.9% of the music I've heard lately is'nt worth the price. Yes, I occasionally buy a CD. Just recently I bought Monster Magnet´s new album.
  
  I think most people just look for music in the wrong places. If you only listen to the radio or watch MTV than you´re likely to hear a lot of bullshit. You´ll either reject it completely and you won´t know what to do next or you´ll start to addapt to it. Radio especially is infested with big corporation cash cows.
  
  The mainstream music-scene of today is primerally about making as much money as you can and that´s pretty sad. Music is so much more than that

  27.2.2004 09:43 #22

• pcshateme

  if you want to support the artist- BURN the cds- BUY concert tickets- that way the BAND actualy makes money.
  

  check out my site http://www.backupguides.vze.com for free software and illustrated guides on copying DVDs to DVD, to CD, and other copying stuff.

  27.2.2004 10:00 #23