‘No excuses’ for illegal downloading

Richard Taylor, senior vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) talks to UD’s resident assistants about the consequences of illegally downloading copyrighted materials.

4:44 p.m., Aug. 24, 2005--As part of the University’s “No Excuses” campaign against pirating, or illegal downloading, of copyrighted materials, Residence Life invited Richard Taylor, senior vice president of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), to talk to UD’s resident assistants (RAs), who are in training this week on issues of importance.

Cynthia Cummings, associate vice president of campus life, spoke about the “No Excuses” campaign, which will be launched this fall with posters, magnets and T-shirts as part of UD’s Code of the Web educational efforts, and introduced Taylor, who has spoken at schools all over the country about violating copyright laws. Taylor and Jim Spertus, then vice president and director of U.S. anti-piracy operations for MPAA, visited UD in May.

As technology has advanced, so has pirating of movies, Taylor said, and it’s a “huge deal” that the motion picture industry takes very seriously. The music and video gaming industries also are targets and part of the mix, he said.

“If you’ve ever visited a sound stage, you know how many people are involved in shooting a 30-second segment,” Taylor said. “Directors, seamstresses, the scenery crew and firemen (the list is long), and these people are all affected by piracy.

"It’s a matter of economics," Taylor said. "The more movies that are pirated, the less that are bought, the less that are made and the fewer people are employed. The types of movies produced also could change due to pirating because producers will tend to invest only in blockbuster movies that are more likely to make lots of money."

Taylor said that kids understand technology better than older members of their families and when they come to college they are tempted to copy material.

What’s the punishment for pirating at UD? he asked. The response was “net jail”: no computer network access for 30 days, a mandatory computer cleaning costing $70 and being referred to UD’s judicial system.

“Is it worth it?” Taylor asked, adding that consequences outside the University are worse--fines of $30,000 per title and $150,000 for willful pirating. “That’s an expensive ticket,” he said. “It’s easy to find offenders, and the motion picture industry is increasingly vigilant. While there may have been a free pass in the past, there will not be one in the future.”

Taylor: “It’s easy to find offenders, and the motion picture industry is increasingly vigilant. While there may have been a free pass in the past, there will not be one in the future.”

Later in his talk, Taylor said that when college students copy material unlawfully, their IP addresses are identified, the campus is notified with a cease-and-desist order, and the next step is court.

“There is no hiding place; you are not anonymous,” Taylor said.

Taylor fielded questions from the audience, including one about bootleg DVDs. Bootleg DVDs are part of organized crime, Taylor said, pointing out that when Spiderman II was released in New York, within three weeks, it was in 20 different countries and in several languages. “Pirated films are more profitable than drugs--a kilo of Spielberg,“ he said. The U.S. government and others support efforts to stop the problem, he said.

Another student asked about RAs’ roles in the campus effort. According to Residence Life staff, RAs should focus on education and awareness, but when students are caught pirating copyrighted material, it should be documented.

“Use your leadership and influence, and you’ll meet the challenge!” Taylor told the RAs.

The presentation ended on an upbeat note with a film of well-known movie clips from Scarlett O’Hara to Shirley Temple, war scenes to dance scenes and famous embraces to famous slaps in the face.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson

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