Dogs trained to sniff out fake DVDs

[elvisbear]

http://www.netscape.co.uk/technology/5.html?DOGS%20TRAINED%20TO%20SNIFF%20OUT%20FAKE%20DVDS

Two black Labradors have become the world's first dogs to be trained to search for counterfeit DVDs, a trade organisation have said.

Fact has joined forces with express delivery company FedEx and HM Revenue & Customs to crack down on DVD piracy. As part of a project promoted by the Motion Picture Association, Fact organised for the dogs to undergo training with a world expert in the field.

A Fact spokesman said the dogs had been taught to identify DVDs that might be located in boxes, envelopes or other packaging, as well as discs concealed amongst other goods which would then be sold illegally in the UK.

[CatholicEdHead]

1. What smell would give it away?

[RoyGBiv]

11. The chemical dyes ...

Commercially produced CD/DVDs are pressed with a glass master that physically implants the image via pitted holes on the disc that reflect back the read laser.

Burned CD/DVDs have a chemical dye that is affected by a red burning laser to reproduce the effect of the pressed holes.

Anyway, it's certainly conceivable a dog could be trained to smell the difference. The problem, as someone mentioned elsewhere in the thread, is there is no way to tell the difference between a burned DVD containing an illegally copied movie and a DVD with personal data.

[TroglodyteScholar]

13. Cyanine/Phthalocyanine dyes?

Smelly.

[LostinVA]

23. That's also what I thought

You could have burned CD with anything on it -- your resume, photographs of your vacation, your presentation, etc.

[LostinVA]

2. This has to be a joke

How the heck does a "real" dvd smell different than a "fake" dvd disc????

[hyphenate]

3. The only thing I can think of

is some sort of coating on the authentic ones that has an odor. Dogs have been able to sniff out cancerous cells in their owners without training, so there has to be some truth to this. I suspect that "finished" DVDs might have sort of a sealant on them (to prevent copying over) that would not be present on + or - DVD-R disks.

That's about all I can think off. I would also imagine, the dogs aren't able to smell out single disks, but massive quantities like some groups distribute illegally. The scent would likely only arouse their senses if it was on a larger scale.

[Kutjara]

8. Even so...

...just because a DVD has been burned by an individual doesn't make it 'counterfeit.' Many people burn family photographs and videos onto DVDs, or use them as back up disks for important information on their PCs. If the dogs can smell differences between privately burned and mass produced DVDs, it will mean that all private DVDs will be under suspicion.

This is like saying that the government has the right to read every document you possess that isn't published by a recognized publishing company. If it's written on your word processer, it's automatically suspicious.

[Der Blaue Engel]

4. I think it's that they smell a DVD where it isn't supposed to be

not that a pirate DVD smells different from a legit one. I still don't know what a DVD would smell like, but then I'm not a dog. :)

[Ms. Toad]

7. As I read the article

they're not searching for fake DVDs so much as DVDs in cargo which should not contain DVDs. E.g. boxes labeled cloth goods which really contain DVDs.

There's fairly good border cooperation to catch counterfeit stuff which is shipped in the open (or opened for inspection). Given how few sealed boxes are actually opened for inspection, listing your counterfeit DVDs as something else on the cargo manifest may well get them through customs - the dogs are used to alert customs to the presence of DVDs. If the cargo manifest doesn't indicate the container should contain DVDs it can be inspected to determine whether the DVDs are legitimate or counterfeit.

[Up2Late]

9. Even though this does sound stupid, it might be possible.

I recently noticed an odd smell that I hadn't noticed before, when I ejected a DVD I had just burned.

And since dogs have a sense of smell that is so much better than that of a human, they probably could train a dog to find that smell.

[LiberalFighter]

14. Response already provided by other readers

[Kutjara]

5. Another brick in the wall.

The article tells us that these dogs are able to sniff out 'counterfeit' DVDs (the implication being that legitimate ones wouldn't cause Rover's nose to even twitch). Well, excuse me if I haven't read the latest issue of Animal Psychology, but how the holy hell would a dog know whether a DVD was counterfeit or not? Who are these mutts, Lassie and Scooby Doo?

No, as it says later in the article, these dogs have been taught to locate any and all DVDs (even those hidden in other packaging). So, what at first appears to be a means of thwarting pirates is actually a just another way for FACT, Customs & Immigration and the Treasury Department to snoop on private communications. Now, every time parents send granny and grandpa a DVD of junior taking his first steps, they'll also be sending it to any number of governmental and quasigovernmental busybodies, who will have a good look to be sure that the little tyke isn't doing something illegal.

Under the flimsy guide of looking for pirated DVDs, the snoops will have access to a large amount of private information, from accounting records and business plans to personal photographs and videos. The dogs will sniff out all DVDs, and it will be up to humans to have a good look to see if there's anything useful or incriminating on them.

[noel adamson]

6. Like the recruiting video United is being paid to show?

Maybe they mean DVDs that are full of BS peopaganda. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2269085

Sorry, couldn't resist...

[adriennui]

10. it is very important to spot those fake DVSs and guccis

we must protect those corporations and their rights to profit from the stupidity of a status seeking public.

[brentspeak]

12. If it's a shipment of DVDs coming from the Far East (except from Japan)

There's no need to bring in the dogs; you already know they're pirated goods.

[sarcasmo]

15. Will they be going house to house? I have burned quite a few which to me

is the same thing as in the 80's when we used to copy tape to tape.

[onehandle]

16. Uh...ok. nt

[meow2u3]

17. We should train dogs to sniff out fake Christians

Send them into repuke areas, sniff out the fake Christians, and attack -- and hold on -- on command. :evilgrin:

[hedgehog]

18. Can they sniff out bad movies?

I've rented one or two real stinkers and it's a pain to get twenty minutes into one and realize it's only going to get worse and the evening is already shot.

[darkism]

19. Perhaps they should be concerning themselves with finding...

DANGEROUS contraband instead of - god forbid! - DVDs.

[poverlay]

20. I need to train my dog how to sniff out bull$#%@! n/t

[CPMaz]

21. Now they need to train dogs to find

crappy, overpriced DVDs. BEFORE we pay good money to find out the hard way.

[Jack_DeLeon]

22. Hooray, we "supposidly" have to worry about terrorists...

and bombs, chemical, nuclear, and biological weapons, and yet plenty of resources get wasted on shit like this and on finding drugs.

I wonder how much longer it will be till we get a full blown "War on Piracy" going and it will end up just as much a failure as the war on drugs is.