You know what’s awesome? Punishing your paying customers for buying instead of pirating material.
We’ve seen it before with intrusive DRM, and now DVD buyers are getting another dose.
The US Government is mandating that two unskippable anti-piracy warnings appear at the start of movies. These warnings will stay on-screen for 10 seconds each.
Why’s This A So Dumb You Ask?
Because if someone is ripping the movie, they can edit these stupid warnings out! Never-mind if the warning makes sense… The people who are supposed to receive the message won’t (and if they did, they still wouldn’t care). While those of us who do buy DVDs will now be subject to a 20 second threat that doesn’t pertain to us.
I feel like I’m back in elementary school, and the teacher is scolding the whole class for something that a few of my classmates did.
To hell with Hollywood. It’s bad business to make it hard for people to buy your product, and it’s pathetic to punish, chastise, and threaten your paying customers.
(Via Ars Technica)
The Geek Whisperer 
Very good point!
I was discussing these piracy warnings just the other day, and I agree completely with you. I feel the same thing every time I’m at the cinema, and that anti-piracy trailer comes on to tell the audience off like naughty children. We are not paying for this! Emphasis on the paying part! It’s frustrating how redundant the whole campaign is. And don’t get me started on the “You wouldn’t steal a handbag. You wouldn’t steal a film. STEALING. IS. A. CRIME.” trailer that some DVDs won’t even let you skip…
To my knowledge we don’t have those in the States. That’s really obnoxious.
Two things I like the name of your blog and those warnings are asinine.
Thank you, and those warnings really are a total waste. It blows me away that tax dollars were spent to develop them.