AfterDawn: News

FACT trains sniffer dogs to locate DVDs

The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT) is celebrating after successfully training two sniffer dogs, Lucky and Flo, to locate DVDs. The two black Labradors were part of a project supported by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). Eight months after their training commenced, the dogs can now successfully locate DVDs amongst other cargo items. The dogs passed a test at FedEx's UK hub at Stansted Airport where they were successful in identifying packages and parcels containing DVDs.

However, since legitimate pressed DVDs smell pretty much the same as counterfeit DVDs, the DVDs the dogs successfully located were in fact legitimate. In total the dogs identified three packages, which customs officers then opened. Despite the failure of the dogs to locate a single counterfeit DVD, FACT is claiming the initiative as a great success. Usually dogs are used only to find explosive substances or drugs.



"This is the first time dogs have been used anywhere in the world to search for counterfeit DVDs and the results were amazing," said FACT director general Raymond Leinster. "With the cooperation and assistance of FedEx and Customs we were able to properly test the dogs in a real life situation and prove that they can work in a busy airport environment." Mary Callahan of the MPAA also praised the dogs. "Lucky and Flo’s immediate success in locating DVDs in transit offers us a new and highly effective means of detection for counterfeit discs." she said.

Source:
The Register

Written by: James Delahunty @ 11 May 2006 12:41

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• 95 comments

• Jasper44

  WOW...DVD sniffing dogs. How ridiculous is that. I hope they don't forget about the bomb sniffing dogs that could actually save some lives...instead of saving the dumbass MPAA a little money.

  11.5.2006 12:58 #1

• Mik3h

  Jesus, this sounds so ridiculous. Really is it nesscessary? Surely they have better things to do with their time.
  
  -Mike

  11.5.2006 13:15 #2

• flyingv

  What a GREAT idea!!! WOW!!! Just what will they come up with next??? I'm going to train my parrot to fly around the country to watch people load media into their computers and narc them out. WTF??? That sounds like a HUGE waste of money which could have helped disaster relief or homeless families. Now that would be a nice jesture on their, the FACT's, part. They are fighting a loosing battle and will never win. Some people just don't get it. If they would save the money and help bring down the cost of pre-recorded material, this might bring down the "Piracy" issue, a little, but never all of it. LOL and better luck to them next time!!!
  

  Wake up dead!!! Luck to all !!!

  11.5.2006 13:18 #3

• john_jaxs

  Not only is this stupid, but what if you where to ship a DVD of your kid to your mom's and they detect it as a counterfeit DVD, what do they do watch it to make sure (another invasion of privacy by the corporations).

  11.5.2006 13:29 #4

• packman00

  This is VERY stupid, some people have DVD's with pictures, or home made dvd's. It just seems like a HUGE waste of time. People also have BLANK dvds in their home, which they can use to put(the aformentioned)pictures, or HM videos. What's next, making blank dvds illegal to buy, taking them out of stores completely????
  

  
  
  
  

  11.5.2006 13:40 #5

• LCOBRA

  omg, lol. yes, wat a complete waste of money. the bomb sniffing dogs will soon be replaced by these more effective ones. =P now isnt the time to give dogs a hell of a life and watch katrina victims suffer... really though, these damn greedy ass companies are being more and more of an annoyance

  11.5.2006 13:42 #6

• carlosv66

  we need dogs to sniff out the greedy money hungry corporate [removed] that think of these ridiculous ideas. These people are the ones that should be investigated and kept under survaliance.Especially RIAA and MPAA!!! Remember Enron?!?!?!?!

  11.5.2006 14:09 #7

• ktulu14

  Only for the fact this isn't the 1st of April this would be laughable. So this is where all our hard earned money goes when we purchase a DVD??? Give me the drugs anyday..............

  11.5.2006 14:19 #8

• The_Fiend

  That's it, i'm gonna cover all my dvd packaging with dog repellant !! ;)

  11.5.2006 14:56 #9

• actech

  I hope they use my tax $ to train the f@#%#@g dogs. then let a terrorist in while harrassing someone with a dvd. stupid mf. everyone who travels should carry a blank dvd or a dvd with home movies on them to drive the f'n dogs apesh@t. nothin illegal about home movies or a blank

  11.5.2006 15:39 #10

• flyingv

  Maybe we'll have to have our dogs mark our packages before we have them weighed and stamped. Box up some $1 Bargan DVD's, throw in a Milkbone and a dead rodent and watch the dogs go crazy at the airports. This should entertain everybody and help make the FACT feel like they got their moneys' worth. This is the best one i've heard yet when it goes to wasting money. I think I will start a class action lawsuit against the entire DVD industry for invasion of my personal property. If they don't want people to copy DVD's or CD's, maybe they should look into spending more money paying programers to write better encryption methods. Programers have to eat to, this will give them a chance to make a few extra bucks. "Hey big guy, let me hold a dollar!"
  

  Wake up dead!!! Luck to all !!!

  11.5.2006 15:48 #11

• Dragan123

  I have a possible solution for this. Before you seal up your package to send to wherever that contains your DVD's just spray a can of Axe or any other body spray in the box.

  11.5.2006 15:59 #12

• lfc4ever

  dvds that the dogs are more likely to find = lassie,eight below,101 dalmations,lady and the tramp,good boy and of course dog day afternoon

  11.5.2006 16:16 #13

• fbj650

  Sniff this Fido !!!!!

  11.5.2006 17:28 #14

• chefsteve

  I think we should start sending dvd's in everything we send. That way it will give the dogs something to sniff. Then maybe we came throw in a stinky sock or something. Let the puppy have a smell of s**t.

  11.5.2006 17:29 #15

• aw614

  what a waste, those dogs can be used to help missing people, etc. Instead the MPAA is doing anything it can on a lost cause. Someone sould train dogs to kill those execs

  11.5.2006 17:33 #16

• Pariah

  Next thing you know there will be huskies in the swiss alps with portable DVD players around their necks to rescue skiers who are dying from video derprivation on the slopes.

  11.5.2006 17:38 #17

• Pariah

  How about employing the blind to find bootlegged "described videos for the visually impaired" or hire an army of mimes to find blank DVDs?

  11.5.2006 17:42 #18

• Dude2099

  if they could sniff out the counterfeits then id be impressed :-)

  11.5.2006 20:46 #19

• riplord

  First, I have to say I'm not using FedEX anymore, ever. What I find really disturbing is that they have the AUDACITY to do something like that. I'm all for letting the MPAA keep their pennies but please, to have to spend money and manhours to train some dogs just means that these organizations really have their priorities out of whack. This is where your 25-35 bucks goes guys.
  <br>
  If anyone that has anything remotely[i/] to do with the MPAA is reading this, all I have to say is: welcome to the future, now adjust accordingly. If piracy is really hurting people like you say, don't just try to scare us. Give people a good reason NOT to do it.

  11.5.2006 22:11 #20

• borhan9

  Man when i read this article i thought it was a joke. Someone pulling my leg...
  
  How weird is this soo the dogs can smell DVD's I did not even realize that DVD's had an paticular smell how strange.
  
  And the most funny part is both types of DVD's smell the same.
  
  Go figure :)

  12.5.2006 00:22 #21

• hot_ice

  Its one invasion privacy after the other. Now, they added dogs to sniffing out dvd's? How do we go from drugs, to bombs......to DVD's!!!
  
  Maybe they should train dogs to help the blind, the needy, for public security, rather than sniff out some trivial dvd that you will watch once or twice in your lifetime and use it as a frisbee.
  
  Greed perverts all things, and the true hypocrite perceives his lies as true sincerity.
  
  

  12.5.2006 01:32 #22

• hot_ice

  Its one invasion privacy after the other. Now, they added dogs to sniffing out dvd's? How do we go from drugs, to bombs......to DVD's!!!
  
  Maybe they should train dogs to help the blind, the needy, for public security, rather than sniff out some trivial dvd that you will watch once or twice in your lifetime and use it as a frisbee.
  
  Greed perverts all things, and the true hypocrite perceives his lies as true sincerity.
  
  

  12.5.2006 01:32 #23

• hot_ice

  sorry double post my bad

  12.5.2006 01:33 #24

• M1ckran

  Dogs are really good at sniffing other dogs. At least, Lassie will be save from the pirates!

  12.5.2006 01:59 #25

• Rob1026

  @ flyingv
  
  LMAO at the parrot thing

  12.5.2006 02:06 #26

• njoldman

  It seems proof positive that they already have more money than they know what to do with. Let's go mouse hunting with an elephant gun! that would make more sense. Money talks, b.s. walks...what a waste!

  12.5.2006 02:36 #27

• flamin3

  better still get some spray that smells like a dvd and spray it on all the luggage you can see at the airport. the dogs will go nuts. there has to be a market for a spay like that.

  12.5.2006 03:08 #28

• sammorris

  How people believe things like this actually help find counterfeit DVDs is laughable. To have every person who carries CDs/DVDs through an airport checked is totally absurd.

  12.5.2006 03:51 #29

• robjungle

  Just wait a few years until all the bomb/drug sniffing dogs have been retrained to sniff out DVDs, then move into drug trafficking and selling WMDs to Al-Quaida. With the money you'll make, ya won't need to use fake DVDs anymore!

  12.5.2006 03:55 #30

• mystic

  This is the funnieest thing Ive heard now you have to rub an old dvd on the rug to throw the dog off the sent ... lol what happens if you use your tieshirt to clean the dvd you rented and now the dog alerts on ya wow how desperate are they ... god the fact they have stooped to using animals as their eye hears and now noses is unconchable . hollywood really has gone to the dogs....
  

  12.5.2006 07:58 #31

• flyingv

  I can't believe what a stir this Forum created! Serious though, My parrot is now in training. Hopefully the Government will give me a $10,000,000 Grant to help with my funding for training. Parrots have to eat too. My poor parrot almost chipped his beak this morning trying to bite down one one of the blank DVD's!!! I'll keep you all updated. LMAO!!!
  

  "Hey big guy, let me hold a dollar!"
  Wake up dead!!! Luck to all !!!

  12.5.2006 08:26 #32

• halfhere

  This is the most ridiculous, assanine thing that I have read in a long time. I mean c'mon, seriously people. There has to be better more productive things to worry about then spending 9 months training 2 labs to sniff dvd's. Why in the world is this going on, when there is so much other stuff to worry about. Now that people know this that smuggle dvd's, they should be smart enough to now cover up that smell with lets say coffee beans, or "anything". the dvd's that were sniffed out weren't even counterfeit. This is so ridiculous.

  12.5.2006 09:13 #33

• lawndog

  I cal BS on this article. There is no possible way somebody would waste the time and money to do this.
  
  Hay man my dog can do this awsome trick man. He can smell dvds. Cool huh man.
  
  Jesh I think this is a joke. Track the article, just has to be a fake
  LD

  12.5.2006 10:10 #34

• Modurbox

  HAHAHA is that why my carton of blank dvd's smelled of dog saliva and bollox's. FACT really should take a look at some facts like the millions of blanks being shipped daily all round the world. Money wasted, pile of tosser's.
  
  My 2c worth.

  12.5.2006 10:20 #35

• tedder

  If this is progress...God help us...I'm lost for words

  12.5.2006 10:29 #36

• pieman

  must find me a bitch on heat...casually obtain some scent of quim and wipe it on me package.Those dogs will be real fu%$ed!!I wish i could see thier handlers cracking one off when they go mental!

  12.5.2006 10:30 #37

• dogcatch

  When I worked in freight it was easier to look up the manifest to see what was in each consignment. Our killer cat looked after the vermin.

  12.5.2006 10:37 #38

• moviegram

  Mary Callahan of the MPAA also praised the dogs. "Lucky and Flo’s immediate success in locating DVDs in transit offers us a new and highly effective means of detection for counterfeit discs." she said.
  That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard since they cannot tell if it is real or fake. I agree they seem to have too much money if that is what they spend it on. So, now anything sent by Fed Ex can be opened or will it be anything anywhere? Maybe if I send one of my photo dvds through the mail I will get nailed for putting a copyrighted picture on it.
  Dude2099, hot_ice, njoldman, I like your points. OMG, when will it end?

  12.5.2006 11:51 #39

• lcarbutt

  DVDs smell?????

  12.5.2006 13:09 #40

• Nephilim

  This has to be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard.

  12.5.2006 13:44 #41

• M1ckran

  icarbutt:-DVDs smell?????
  
  I've certainly bought some stinkers!

  12.5.2006 13:58 #42

• gjl2002

  Quote:DVD's smell?some of the movies i watched STINK! lol
  
  is it really that big of a problem??? i didnt realise people were having to mail them. surely dvd recorders & blank media are available for purchase all over the world so why would you have to mail it anyway???
  
  what about all the people buying blank discs from online sources. are FACT going to sit there & check every single disc that there K9's sniff out. otherwise how would they know if the disc is legal or illegal?
  
  i have never heard of something so ridiculous
  MR X mails some counterfeit DVDs, MR Y mails 5LBS of cocaine. which is worse?? they should of invested the money they WASTED into drug dogs not DVD dogs!
  
  we should all mail at least one BLANK dvd every week, so they will be so busy sniffing out blanks LOL
  
  BTW - i have seen these dogs being walked, it's a real pain in the butt for the dog walker, as they have to pass 4 movie rental stores on their route, it takes the poor guy 4hrs to walk a 20 minute route
  

  12.5.2006 14:05 #43

• jmaestro

  Two Points:
  1) I wonder what will happen when you buy DVDs off of eBay, since many DVDs are counterfeit (without the buyer's knowledge). Does this mean that they won't arrive? Will the sender get in trouble?
  
  2) I wonder if they will train dogs to detect fake handbags, I wonder what thoughts will be when soccer moms and politician's wives are targeted? It seems just as valid. Hell anything and everything can technically be counterfeited, why just go after the DVDs.
  
  3)Sorry, I know I said two but... the mere possession of a DVD now marks you as a potential criminal, they will need more than that? What of unwarranted searches?

  12.5.2006 14:25 #44

• jmaestro

  Two Points:
  1) I wonder what will happen when you buy DVDs off of eBay, since many DVDs are counterfeit (without the buyer's knowledge). Does this mean that they won't arrive? Will the sender get in trouble?
  
  2) I wonder if they will train dogs to detect fake handbags, I wonder what thoughts will be when soccer moms and politician's wives are targeted? It seems just as valid. Hell anything and everything can technically be counterfeited, why just go after the DVDs.
  
  3)Sorry, I know I said two but... the mere possession of a DVD now marks you as a potential criminal, they will need more than that? What of unwarranted searches?

  12.5.2006 14:25 #45

• flyingv

  Good point. Where is this going to end? I feel sorry for the poor dogs. I thought they were supposed to be man's best friend!!! My parrot is now able to bite apart the DVD's but dosen't care weather or not if they are "real" or not. He just likes the taste i guess. I'm working out the rest of the details and will keep you all posted!!!

  12.5.2006 14:54 #46

• sisph

  I'm not even sure how this is legal. The only thing a dog can do is smell. Can smell determine the difference between a copy and a legit dvd? If i wrap a real dvd and a copy in paper and put it in front of the dog, does the dog know which is fake or just barks and says : HOLY CRAP I FOUND TWO!
  
  You can't tell the dif. between legits and copies. Does that mean you can subject the public to searches because of it? You can't do that with counterfeit clothes. Do dogs smell for counterfeit clothing in luggage? You might as well train them to sniff out counterfeit money and counterfeit computer parts but that would mean you have to have them stop people who carry computer parts of money. (assuming you can't tell the difference by smell alone)
  

  12.5.2006 15:20 #47

• sisph

  * or money

  12.5.2006 15:21 #48

• hot_ice

  How ridiculous are these people, seriously. That just comes to show that they have too much money, and they just don't know what to do with it.
  
  Simply fallacious.

  12.5.2006 15:53 #49

• STANLY5

  But will they be able to smell Blu-ray or HD?

  12.5.2006 15:59 #50

• Chavo

  Those dogs could have been trained to stop drug trafficking. They should have given those dogs to homeland security. This is ridiculous. raymond and mary should slap themselves.
  

  12.5.2006 16:23 #51

• spiesfan

  this is an incredibly stupid idea

  12.5.2006 17:01 #52

• svtstang

  i'm glad to see my hard earned tax dollars going to go use...dog's that sniff out dvds.....WTF. No kidding Chavo, this is a concern compared to the crazy amount of drugs in the country or anything else important?? Whats gonna b next???

  12.5.2006 17:07 #53

• Cozmicgrl

  Hey, my tax dollars aren't being wasted fast enough...I know! Keep the doggies busy...
  I looooove the idea that Pieman has: get some bitch-in-season scent (but what about the female doggies?)...
  My government keeps concentrating on the WRONG STUFF...spend some of that money on bettering schools, feeding poor kids, fixing some REALLY wrong things...instead of all this big-money/greedy jerks getting special favors?
  (sigh) same old shite.
  GRRRRRRR!!!!!

  12.5.2006 17:14 #54

• Nick600

  Five words...
  
  Are you F***** kidding me!!!
  
  I mean, I usually try to produce rational comments but what they did is so ridiculous, it goes beyond anything I've ever heard on the ridiculousness scheme of things.

  12.5.2006 18:23 #55

• hot_ice

  Paris Hilton is just about as ridiculous as that factoid. loolloll

  12.5.2006 18:39 #56

• duckNrun

  heheh there's an MI-3 movie in this thread.... but wait... if i go BUY the DVD (when it comes out of course! lol) will I be suspected of possibly infringing copyright as the package passes through Fed-Ex's hands....
  
  Come on Dela... is this is really for real?? lol
  
  Of course I wouldn't put it past these idiots to think of something stupid like this.. after all we are talknig about the brainiacs who brought us Bewitched and The Honeymooners remakes....(no offense Nicole you can wiggle it for me anytime) pmsl

  12.5.2006 19:21 #57

• Rotary

  DONT EAT GARLIC before going on holiday - you may be found out
  
  could always rap ya dvd's in coffee grounds...
  
  laugh, i fell off me chair...

  12.5.2006 23:43 #58

• Modurbox

  Genuine Taiyo Yuden smell like peaches.... yes believe have a sniff.
  
  BulkpaQ smell like....crap if your not a believer you haven't used them.
  
  You would have no troubles finding them.
  
  
  

  13.5.2006 00:43 #59

• attar

  Note to Terrorist.Don't put any DVD's in with the Semtex.

  13.5.2006 02:36 #60

• hot_ice

  What if someone invents scent flavoured labels! AHA! The dogs will get confused. All their money and time invested will turn out to be fruitless.
  
  Or put the dvd's in a sealed casing without oxygen, and the dogs can't smell it.

  13.5.2006 03:22 #61

• A_Klingon

  I've got something for both the MPAA and FACT to sniff, but I don't think it's very DVD-related. :-)

  13.5.2006 03:46 #62

• Ethridge3

  WOw. I am so glad that with airline ticket prices skyrocketing; narcotic use becomming more prevalent in many major countries; and contraband smuggling one of the more profitable illicit trades; that someone had the foresight to take 8 months to train 2 friggin dogs to sniff out pieces of harmless plastic. These are the same people that put out commercials insighting that copyright infringment is like buying drugs.
  
  Somewhere, there is a skiier buried under 6 feet of snow, hoping that the rescuers get to him in time. Unfortunately at the funeral, the rescue agency will have to admit they didn't have adaquet dog support because one of them was busy sniffing out 'illegal' copies of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" that some dad backed up so his kids didn't ruin the origional overpriced disc.
  The lawsuits with this one will be amazing.
  

  13.5.2006 05:17 #63

• tuctree

  Ok, Here's my question: who is paying for this measure? Because as a tax payer, I don't want to spend one cent for something like this.
  
  What's next, dogs that can smell paper, so we that can 'detect' illegal photocopies?
  
  

  13.5.2006 06:30 #64

• flyingv

  The people that are paying for it are the ones you buy the products from. Unfortunately, I shop at Home Depot and Lowes And ship stuff thru FEDEX. They spend their money on other things which are just as bad, if not worse in some cases. Anytime you see a person in sports or a car all dressed up with different company logos, that is what they call sponsorship and that is where a large part of their money goes and it kills me to see all that money wasted on such stupid stuff. But this is one way companys have learned to advertise their products. Godforbid this to be the only way tobacco companys can legally advertise now. Sorry all, went off on a rant!!! Someone should give this story to Dennis Miller, I think he would fill in all the blanks for us!!!
  

  Wake up dead!!!
  "Hey big guy, let me hold a dollar!"
  Luck to all !!!

  13.5.2006 07:32 #65

• theonejrs

  A_Klingon,
  
  qoute:I've got something for both the MPAA and FACT to sniff, but I don't think it's very DVD-related. :-)
  
  Hey, it does have a slot!!!
  
  theonejrs

  13.5.2006 10:00 #66

• hot_ice

  LOlll Klingon, that's a pretty good one.

  13.5.2006 11:17 #67

• Xian

  My take on it, don't use FedEx. Federal law prohibits mail tampering but FedEx doesn't have to abide by the same law that the Post Office does. Since there is no way to tell legitimate dvds from counterfeit by smell I don't see where this would stand up in court, unlike a drug sniffing dog where there would be a much smaller chance of mistake. Besides, even if the dogs could detect the difference in a pressed DVD and a DVD-R, I ship home movies of my children to their grandparents frequently, Hollywood isn't the only content creator these days as much as they would like to keep that monopoly.

  13.5.2006 17:19 #68

• gjl2002

  i dont know about DVD's but i am told if you send certain illegal things via USPS it is a felony, if you send the same things via fed ex it's not.
  

  13.5.2006 17:32 #69

• z9999

  Has anyone ever given any thought as to why there are so many poor in the world? Take a minute to think if there is X amount of currency in a population equal to Y and 10% of Y controls 80% of X what is left for the remaining 90% of Y? Greed is the worlds major problem and no one faces that fact nor will the situation improve. What is a fair share among a growing world population? Is the MPAA complaining because they are not profitable OR because they are not making every last cent they would like to? They obviously see the population (Y) as their consumer base and expect an income to be produced by each of them, including those who financially are least able to afford the price of their products. Just how much is enough? We have minimum wage laws, how about a maximum wage law? I'm resolved to the fact that the rich will just get richer and the poor will just get poorer. Think about it.

  14.5.2006 00:53 #70

• Cinnjerm

  I'll tell you the reason i think no ones doing anything, and that's because if everyone in the world achieved the quote "American Dream", everyone would be broke. Some are probably saying "huh" right now, but think about it. If everyone is a godzillionair and drives a BMW, and eats at fancy restaurants everyday, whose the one whose gonna work at the restaurant so everyone can go their. Whose gonna work any of these quote "Blue collar" just-above-minimum wage jobs if everyone is out being a rich slob. My point, the American Dream is BS because the truth is that everyone can't achieve the american dream because one person's wealth is contingent on a great many more people's poverty.

  14.5.2006 06:20 #71

• Chris1000

  First off all, most of the people in these blue-collar just-above-minimum wage jobs are working illegally because they are illegal aliens. That is the ONE thing that I hate about immigrants, they work for PEANUTS and drag down regular people's wages.
  
  Second, the American Dream is not BS. EVERYONE in the WORLD could make 100,000 dollars a year at their jobs, and we would STILL have BILLIONS of dollars for the super rich.
  That is how much the economy of the world has grown in recent years. The multi-billionaires and Republicans are just getting too greedy for their own good.
  
  Third, these dogs should have been given to Homeland Security, and trained as bomb-sniffing dogs, not drug dogs.
  Frankly, legalize drugs and ALL the murders, robberies and other bullshit connected to prohibition against them will go away, just like the crime connected to alcohol went away when they were made legal.

  14.5.2006 15:06 #72

• Cinnjerm

  "EVERYONE in the WORLD could make 100,000 dollars a year at their jobs, and we would STILL have BILLIONS of dollars for the super rich."-
  
  You need to get ya fax straight. FIRST OFF, there 6.5 billion+ people in the world, give them all 10o thousand dollars and it comes out to like 650 trillion dollars. Unless your Dr. Evil, that much money does not exist. Infact the US alone isnt even worth a 10th of that figure. Dont believe me, go to the CIA's website. The worlds worth is close to 60 trillion. So if i take your BS figure, taken into acount this info, everyone would have close to 9000 dollars, but hey there's plenty of room for billionaires concidering this.
  
  Bottomline- technology is one thing, but dont come at me trying to kick knowledge about people without doing your homework, son.

  14.5.2006 17:44 #73

• Cinnjerm

  Im sorry, that got me mad now. Cause i can tell you exactly where you stand. Your white, probably racist( not to say all whites are racist, just more than i care to think of; atleast in the US), if not your on that white-man's burden bullshit, you live in the US, your a C- student, you worst subject is history, you live in the south, youve never left the country, and you never watch the news.
  
  - how close am i-
  
  To add to what i was saying before, outside of the G-8 nations the average person lives on two dollars a day, which couldnt buy a pot to piss in in the US. You think cause you live in candyland( the US), like me, that that's a reflection of how the whole world lives, when really its a distortion. You need to spend some serious time realizing that things is this world arent all like people would want you to think. Sort of how they say theres equal opportunity for education but then the government spends millions more on the upkeep of suburban schools than the ones in the inner city. They also say racism is dead, but then a year ago i saw an episode of dateline talking about how some companies were telling their employment officer to pick whiter sounding names. On the episode they tested this theory by having a black woman fill out like a dozen application under her real name and then a fake one(white one), and wuoldnt you know it, the black one got none and the white one got atleast 5 or6 intervues. Who woulda thunk it? So open your eyes, cause Jesus wasnt white, Christmas was originally a paegan holiday, and the government REALLY IS LYING about 9/11.

  14.5.2006 18:02 #74

• gjl2002

  this forum has nothing to do with race, this is about sniffer dogs being used to find dvd's.
  

  

  14.5.2006 21:07 #75

• Cinnjerm

  "this forum has nothing to do with race, this is about sniffer dogs being used to find dvd's."-
  
  Nope, but when someone singles out a race like that Ima call it the way i see it( a biggot).
  
  "most of the people in these blue-collar just-above-minimum wage jobs are working illegally because they are illegal aliens."-
  
  Just thought youd like to know that according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2004 there were 1,681,000 whites working at or below minimum wage, compared to 250,000 Hispanics/latinos- or as Chris1000 proabably knows them boarder hoppers.
  
  Bottomline- Getcha fax straight.

  14.5.2006 21:59 #76

• svtstang

  no kidding, how the hell did we get to discussing race or if Jesus was white????? i thought this was bout a waste of my hard earned tax dollars and the fact that DOGS R TRAINED TO SMELL DVDS!!!! Maybe Im wrong?
  
  Oh, and Chris1000, wtf r u talking bout, ya legalizing crack and murder WILL DEFINITELY make the world a better place....R U F@$KING CRAZY???? I guess ignorance is bliss.

  14.5.2006 22:02 #77

• sammorris

  Racism isn't what AD's for, we're here to shout at FACT in disgust.

  15.5.2006 03:21 #78

• poeg

  They forgot to include that dogs are able to smell the extruded plastic case not the DVD inside the case. So a statement like this one "Lucky and Flo’s immediate success in locating DVDs in transit offers us a new and highly effective means of detection for counterfeit discs." comes very close to eeking out damned near anything said by George W.
  
  They trained 2 dogs to identify a very stinky plastic... sheesh. Now training them to identify and eat a Uwe Bohl dvd in transit could be a real public service!

  15.5.2006 06:34 #79

• sammorris

  And the worst bit about this is it's pretty much right on my doorstep, Stansted's under an hour from where I am, and chances are I'll be flying out from it, with CDs on my person. No DVDs though, so the dogs can kiss my ass. Well, dogs are cool, but the people who trained them can kiss both my ass and the dog's ballbags.

  15.5.2006 08:50 #80

• flyingv

  My parrot got tired of all of the testing I put him thru and flew away on Sunday!!! If anyone sees an African Grey flying around out there, please let me know. No joke!!! This forum has gotten way out of control and everyone needs to kick back and laugh at the facts at hand. What a waste of money and resources!!! This blows me away. How can a dog distinguish the difference between the CD's and DVD's? Better luck to them next time for I see this going nowhere and I personally think they are a huge joke!!! LMAO!!! LOL!!!

  15.5.2006 14:26 #81

• Chavo

  fact and MPAA made an unwise decision to train Lucky and Flo to locate DVD's. Lucky and Flo would have a better life stopping drug trafficking. I feel sorry for MPAA, fact,raymond leinster and mary callahan. I didn't capitalize their names because they are lifeless bodies.

  15.5.2006 15:31 #82

• Ballpyhon

  Hoe much $$ did those overpaid Greedy Basterds pay to train these dogs? Wouldnt the $$ be better spent feeding a small country in Africa, or helping underprivledged children who rely on welfare to put food on the dinner table at night? it makes me sick to know that people like myself have to burn rented movies in order to have a semi decent dvd collection cause i cant afford to go out and buy dvds on a regular basis and play them on a high def tv cause im one of the countless "working poor" in the U.S.

  15.5.2006 21:57 #83

• sammorris

  Too damn right...

  16.5.2006 01:38 #84

• hot_ice

  I think the real question is, what happens to us, the consummer, after that momentus breakthrough...ya right..
  
  Will they rob us of our privacy?

  16.5.2006 02:57 #85

• sammorris

  The legit customer ALWAYS suffers the most.
  

  
  
  
  3000+, MS-6775, WD2500x2, DM+8, Muse 5.1 DVD, G90F+, T3000 2.1, MC-70, 751B, Silverline, X800Pro, Type-R 480W, GSA-4163B, SF-464T2-S

  16.5.2006 04:41 #86

• gerbs

  Good Rants! Politics are us! Get Involved! Get Angry! Make Change Happen! Love to All!

  16.5.2006 06:42 #87

• flyingv

  Parrot came down out of tree. Guess he decided DVD's taste better than tree bark!!! Back to the training!!! Sprinkle Chille powder in your packages. Cool hand luke... he has it figured out!!! LOL!!!
  

  Wake up dead!!!
  "Just another brick in the wall" -Pink Floyd.
  Please, don't become another "Brick!!!"
  If you have a brain, think -use it!!!
  Luck to all !!!
  
  
  

  16.5.2006 14:40 #88

• z9999

  I believe it was my post on May 14th that created the divergence of this thread to various other subjects, and it confirms my theory that we live in a divide and conquor world. As we (the not in power people) discuss a subject, any subject, related to an imposition on our way of life we begin to diverge from one another based on the rhetoric. In order for change to come about requires a massive amount of support to converge. For the masses to gain some control over their governments and the actions of their governments requires the masses to combine into a united, not divided forces. Race, religion, and other variations between us, (the masses), are irrelevant. We should focus on the laws that are being made which have effect on each of us no matter what our differences are otherwise.
  
  The MPAA and the sniffer dogs are the subject of a much larger and very complex situation which was my original intent to point out. Laws are passed primarily to protect the wealthy, and in this case action is taking place which only insure the wealthy are able to increase their wealth.
  
  I live in a third world country and until recently found it very easy to live on the equivalent of $1 per day. Currently we, (2 adults and 2 children) live on the equivalent of about $6 a day, half of which goes to having an internet connection and half for lifes necessities. Most of my friends and neighbors live on about $2 a day, and pay no taxes, own their property and houses, and are for the most part debt free. They cannot however afford to purchase legal CD's or DVD's and with the cost of CD-R and DVD-R media being just cents and not dollars opt for the cheaper version. Microsoft and other companies have created versions of their products which are some what limited in features to be sold at a reduced price here, and even at that price you're talking of several months of income to purchase.
  
  In summing up, the problem is profit. Businesses look at how they can increase their profits. Unlike oil, where prices vary based on supply and demand, many products can be produced well above what is necessary to meet demand. So the bottom line is what is an acceptable profit? The MPAA has no limit on what they consider to be an acceptable profit. If they were making a profit selling 1 million units at $20 each, and the demand went to 20 million they might quickly increase production to 20 million and raise the price to $25 seeing an easy increase in profit possible.
  
  What is the answer? Limit wealth accumulation, and tax accordingly. In the developed world just eliminate taxes on those who earn less than the average or maybe even the median income.
  
  Perhaps a thread should be created elsewhere to continue this subject as it relates to not only the MPAA but many if not most of the problems faced by the worlds masses. One thing I would like to point out is that we should divide in to but 2 camps, those in control and those under control. In each camp there are many differences between us, race, religion, education, ethnicity, etc. but those differences should not be allowed to become a part of the discussion. The real problem to be solved is how to improve everyones lot in life, before a small number of the worlds inhabitants gain control of everything.

  16.5.2006 23:41 #89

• sammorris

  $90/month for internet? I assume that's because you're including computer costs and electricity in that.
  But I totally understand that viewpoint, and I rarely pay for what I don't feel is worth the money in these terms.

  17.5.2006 01:37 #90

• flyingv

  z9999
  
  Good point!!! Everyone should read your post and learn from it. I think evreyone should learn something from this posting and come to realize the points that you have brought about!!!
  

  "...Just another brick in the wall" -Pink Floyd.
  Please, don't become another "Brick!!!"
  If you have a brain, think -use it!!!
  ...and justice for all!
  
  
  

  17.5.2006 09:21 #91

• flyingv

  People seem to be looking way outside the box on this one!!!
  

  "...Just another brick in the wall" -Pink Floyd.
  Please, don't become another "Brick!!!"
  If you have a brain, think -use it!!!
  ...and justice for all!
  
  
  

  17.5.2006 09:32 #92

• z9999

  sammorris - Well, it's actually slightly over $100/month for internet access now due to exchange rate changes and that doesn't include anything else. I'm on a 2way satellite connection which is all that is available where I live.
  
  On FACT and the MPAA - We narrow our view too often while the issues we face are much more complex. We need to try and focus on the root problem and by doing so we will find that many problems which seem unrelated to each other have an identical root cause. In simple terms that is money, or in the case of the MPAA and FACT, profits. Neither of these groups are facing financial ruin or bankruptcy, and although I have no data or facts to back up my supposition, I would expect to find that the music, movie, and all entertainment industries are quite profitable. The problem is they see that they could possible reap even greater profits if they were to force more people to shift their purchasing power from necessities of life such as food, housing, clothing, and medical care to their products instead. So you might say the basic problem facing us in todays world is increasing greed. Personally, when I was young I had dreams of becoming a millionaire and living an easy life. As I grew older I found that as just a common worker I was not going to achieve such a dream, and more so I found that unlike many of my co-workers I was not interested in accumulating all I possible could until the point of death. I found that life was not just working and accumulating and I retired early. After 9 years of retirement I feel I made the correct decision and although I am not wealthy by any means, I live comfortably and can acquire all the necessities of life. Many friends continued to work and many will work until death I'm sure as they have no limit as to what is sufficient when it comes to money. Why do we have inflation? Why do currencies change value in relation to each other? Why do governments have to increase their budgets anually?
  The dogs trained for sniffing, as I understand, was not a tax dollar expense, but instead funded by profits earned. Taxes are one example of how money is misused, and we might see that profits are another. Not only are consumers taxed by their governments, but indirectly by businesses who pass their expenses on to the consumers. A multi-million dollar advertising campaign is not absorbed by the business owners, but added to the cost of the product being advertised, and often to the price of several unrelated products as well. If you purchase products based on a celebrity sponsered commercial you are supporting cost inflation of that businesses product(s). With a growing world population you might think that because the consumer base is growing companies could begin to reduce their prices to account for increased sales, but in many if not most cases the opposite occurs, especially if the demand will bear the price maintenance or even an increase. Does that mean that the workers producing the product will all see large or related salary and wage increases? Not usually, as the largest distributions go to the upper levels and a small portion sometimes gets distributed to the lower levels.
  So although taxes didn't fund the dog sniffing training, it was funded by consumers who legally purchased the products the dogs were trained to sniff out.
  How does a business lose money? When a product is produced there is a cost of production, which is the combined cost of materials and expenses directly related to producing the product, labor, machinery, slectricity, etc. On top of that is unrelated production expenses, the salaries and benefits of the executives, directors, and so on. A business sets a product price which covers all those costs based on the consumer base purchasing the product. In nearly every case the bulk of the profits from sales go towards covering the salaries of the executives, and more profits benefit those at the top more greatly than those producing the labor. One way of reducing costs id downsizing the workforce, but how often do you see downsizing of the executives? A business fails when it can no longer produce a profit great enough to offset it's expenses. It might be that if the executive salaries were eliminated the sales would show a large profit, but the burden is placed on those at the bottom and seldom will you see the top make sizeable concessions in order to keep the company afloat.
  As for the music industry, do away with the recording companies and let bands propogate their works over the internet freely as a means of advertising, much like the radio and MTV is used. They could then give concerts to earn their living and at the same time put many executives out of work.
  The American dream should be discarded as it is only a means of accomplishing disaster. How many could achieve the American dream, especially now that it has become a limitless accumulation of wealth? Would it not make more sense to have a world of nearly equals as far a wealth is concerned? Such would mostly eliminate the need for welfare, and foreign aid. Prices could then be controlled more easily, and inflation would be less a problem. And most of all, the poor dogs could begin to live their lives as just normal dogs again.
  
  A couple of questions:
  Is crime more prevalent in a society of equals or in a society with great variation of wealth?
  Why are not exorbitant pricing, or salaries and bonuses considered crimes? (Yes I know, because we foolishly spend our money.)

  19.5.2006 01:31 #93

• sammorris

  Yes, the profits are from stealing from others through court cases. And the more they get to do with the profits, the more profits they source.
  

  
  
  
  3000+, MS-6775, WD2500x2, DM+8, Muse 5.1 DVD, G90F+, T3000 2.1, MC-70, 751B, Silverline, X800Pro, Type-R 480W, GSA-4163B, SF-464T2-S

  19.5.2006 01:34 #94

• cameraguy

  Unlike oil, where prices vary based on supply and demand,??? Hey z9999 wake up and smell the coffee. The oil companies totally control prices. You think there's no collusion? Well, my friend, the oil companies intermingle their product in a way that Texaco gas could actually be Conoco, Mobil might be BP,etc.,etc.,etc. If they are co-mingling their product, how can they NOT be price-fixing? (Just some food for thought).

  27.5.2006 06:59 #95