The menace that is "ClearPlay"

[Paragon]

On the bright side, this should make "Passion of The Christ" pretty short. - Paragon :eyes:

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/04/07/BUGLL61GFQ1.DTL

Wal-Mart and Kmart, two of the nation's biggest retailers, are planning to sell a new DVD player that includes a technology that has riled Hollywood -- a controversial program that can automatically skip sexual content, graphically violent scenes and language deemed offensive.

The new DVD player, manufactured under the RCA brand by Thomson Inc., comes as public debate is heating up over whether the media have pushed the limits of decency, especially after too much of singer Janet Jackson was bared during this year's Super Bowl halftime show.

RCA plans to start shipping the DVD player in the next few weeks. It is scheduled to be on shelves at Wal-Mart and Kmart in the next two months at a suggested price of $79, said Dave Arland, Thomson's vice president of U.S. corporate communications and government relations. Wal-Mart's version will be black while Kmart's will be silver....

"I think the American public is concerned and is looking for a solution, '' said Bill Aho, chief executive officer of ClearPlay Inc., the Salt Lake City firm that is one of several companies battling a lawsuit filed by the biggest movie studios and major directors like Steven Soderbergh, John Landis and Steven Spielberg. The suit claims that filtering technology such as ClearPlay's produces an unauthorized and illegal version of their artistic work...

http://www.clearplay.com/what.asp

...Will I notice the impact of ClearPlay on the viewing?
Yes, due to the story nature of some movies, and because ClearPlay only uses legal methods to control the DVD decoding, you will notice some of the ClearPlay skips and mutes. However, most subscribers quickly become accustomed to them and find them much less interruptive than the language, nudity or graphic violence that has been removed...

[malatesta1137]

1. Great!

At least Bush's State of the Union address will only last about 30 seconds.

[Paragon]

2. Two horrifying thoughts:

1. That Chimp has ever engaged in "sexual conduct"
2. That some pathetic sadsack would ever rip a Bush speech onto DVD

[rpannier]

6. I agree

If it eliminates language deemed offensive... the shrubbers speech will be real short.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

3. Gerk??

Sorry, I mean huh?

What's wrong with that? I understand if this were required tech for all new CD players. That would be creepy and menacing. Otherwise it's just a consumer choice issue.

Have I missed the point??

[Paragon]

4. You've got to be kidding.

Films are collective works of art. Cutting them up without the permission of the director and/or the studio is not just illegal -- it's equivalent to Ashcroft draping neud statues he might get caught in a picture with.

You support that, too? :eyes:

[Wonco_the_Sane]

11. I cut stuff out of my life now

I don't buy hard core anti-gay music or anti-women stuff etc.. I could see using the technology to show my (future) children an important political play/movie/music without violence or sex they might not yet be ready for.

It's about choice.

As long as it isn't required, I guess I could care less. I'm sorry I just don't see it as some kind of menace or danger.

IMO some art/music is only about shock and awe and we all know what a bunch of crap that is.

I can't see any of my Dylan albums being harmed. :)

[Paragon]

13. You were right the first time.

You are missing the point. Never mind.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

15. Are you saying...(???)

that the DU monitors are a menace here?? LOL

What have you got against parents exorcising a choice for their kids? When they are ready they will see and listen to the "whole" film/album or whatever else they want to.

[Sandpiper]

14. It is about choice

And you are completely free to choose not to buy any art/music/film that has material that you find personally offensive.

[maggrwaggr]

17. tell me what percentage of Hollywood films qualify as "art"

go ahead.

Let's see what's playing at my local theaters ......

"Hellboy"
"Starsky and Hutch"
"Dawn of the Dead"
"Scooby Doo Two"
"The Prince and Me"
"The Secret Window"
"Jersey Girl"
"The Ladykillers".

and so on.

Any of these qualify as "art?"

[Paragon]

21. That's the thing about art

It's subjective. You'd feel pretty upset if something you liked (or even moreso, created) got cut up.

By the way, I saw Starsky & Hutch and The Ladykillers, and they were both skillfully done. Sorry you're such a cynic about your own occupation.

Oh, wait - you're a realist. Sorry. :eyes:

[maggrwaggr]

23. but the people are CHOOSING this

that's the point that seems to be missed here.

How is it different than fast-forwarding through a section you don't like, or closing your eyes for the gory parts?

It's not.

If they were making copies of the DVD's that they'd edited, then SELLING THEM, that would be a different story.

[democracyindanger]

26. ClearPlay is MAKING MONEY off this n/t

[maggrwaggr]

30. why not? They're providing a service

that apparently there's a demand for.

If there was a newsstand that sold copies of Playboy with the nude pictures ripped out, and people wanted to buy them, why shouldn't the newsstand owner be allowed to do that?

As long as everybody knew what was going on.

[democracyindanger]

32. If a bookstore

could get people to buy "Native Son" without all the dirty words or "Huckleberry Finn" with Jim speaking perfect English--without receiving permission from the authors' estates--it's pretty clear what's wrong with that.

The subjective quality of an intellectual property shouldn't determine the legal protections it is entitled to. And just because there is a demand doesn't entitle third parties to assume control over a property.

Further (I know this applies to trademarks, and probably applies to intellectual property), if the owner of the property allows others to alter that property through inaction, it becomes fair game. Which means if Scorsese knows about a "Taxi Driver" edit that he didn't give permission for, and doesn't seek to prevent it, then he's giving defacto permission for anybody to do anything to it. In essence, he relinquishes his ownership.

edited for more blathering

[Wonco_the_Sane]

33. good points but that is not happening

The products are only altered after purchase. If I buy the Mona Lisa and add a black bar over the cleavage I have every right to do so. (sure it's dumb, but at that point the painting belongs to me)

If I blank out curse words in my copy of "Catcher in the Rye" that is my prerogative. (Great book BTW)

[Paragon]

34. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

No one's telling you what you can do with something after you've legitimately purchased it. Jesus!

:argh:

[Wonco_the_Sane]

36. It's only an option

I enjoy unedited movies books etc. No one is being FORCED to buy clearplay junk but clearly some want it.

[democracyindanger]

38. Altered by a third party

without permission and for profit. You are the end consumer, which means you have different rights and restrictions. And note that with ClearPlay, you aren't making the editing choices. That is done by ClearPlay. Plus, remember that you aren't buying "Star Wars," strictly speaking. You buy and own an *authorized copy* of it.

Look, I have a few different feelings about this.

On a cynical, detached level, I think, "If people are really that lazy and uptight, go ahead and do it because they're cheating themselves."

But as a creative professional, I think, "That's horseshit. A lot of work and emotion goes into a movie. If I spend months agonizing, trying to create something that exists solely because of my creative efforts, where do these people get off screwing with my stuff without my permission? Not to mention make a profit off it?"

And as a business professional, I think, "If I don't protect my property, I could relinquish any and all future possible earnings."

My professional sense trumps my cynicism. Which is remarkable, but that's a whole 'nother thread.

[Paragon]

28. Thank God that's not happening:

http://www.cleanfilms.com/

http://www.cleanflicks.com/index.php

Oops. That slope sure is slippery.

[Wonco_the_Sane]

35. What slope??

The only danger is censoring material before it is released.

YOUR copy of a book/album/movie/art is your own.

I like stuff in the artist original form so cleanflicks/cleanfilms is not for me, but that is my choice.

I can edit or scratch or tape over or karaoke anything I want too.

The point is no harm is being done. In fact a service is provided and if anything darnit, I wish I thought of it first. :)

[Paragon]

37. Nonsense.

"Boy, that's one of my favorite movies -- except for the graphic violence, sex, and language. If only someone could edit that out so as to make the movie incoherent..."

I give up. Later.

[democracyindanger]

22. how about we look at some movies on the ClearPlay list?

Amistad
Apollo 13
Band of Brothers
Blade Runner
Bottle Rocket
Bull Durham
Chinatown
Dances with Wolves
Glory
The Insider
Last of the Mohicans
The Natural
O Brother, Where Art Thou?

and so on.

You can argue whether or not you think they're "art," but they're all unequivocally fine films. Why not give the director the right to decide if and how he wants to edit them?

[maggrwaggr]

25. but .... the director's already HAD that opportunity

If a person watching his films wants to skip parts of them, the director can't do a damn thing about it.

What if I get up and go to the bathroom during one of these films. Is that "editing" the "director's vision?"

[democracyindanger]

27. see #26

You're not making a profit when your going to the bathroom. Unless there's some new economic model I'm unaware of ;)

[maggrwaggr]

5. I agree, what's so menacing?

if people want sanitized versions of "Gangs of New York", well, why not?

If it pisses off Scorsese, well, who cares?

[Paragon]

7. I hope YOU'RE kidding.

If not, then...Jesus *bleeping* Christ.

[Sandpiper]

8. Well simple

Gangs of New York is the work of Martin Scorsese, and if he wanted it to be sanitized into a children's movie, he'd release an edited version of it himself.

[maggrwaggr]

16. who gives a shit?

If people want to bleep out scenes that might offend them, who cares?

If people want to watch movies with their grandma, without worrying if a naked ass or somebody being disembowled is suddenly going to pop up on the screen, I say fine.

I work in the film business, so maybe I'm cynical, but I really don't see anything wrong with it.

Most movies aren't works of "art". They're products, and the people in the business call them that. Products. For the pipeline.

[Sandpiper]

18. It's called copyright law

n/t

[maggrwaggr]

24. so if I set my TV to show just B&W for a color movie, I'm violating

copyright law?

If I leave the room while a part of the movie I'm playing that I don't like is on, I'm violating copyright law?

What if I skip the opening credits?

[Sandpiper]

29. Don't be daft

Copyright law protects content, which means, it is unlawful for you to alter the content of someone else's copyrighted work in any way without their express consent.

[Paragon]

31. Good grief.

What if I miss a line while I'm picking my nose? What if my VCR eats the tape while I'm fast-forwarding through something?

One of the most ridiculous arguments I've ever heard. Thanks for spamming, though.

[democracyindanger]

20. Then rent the Goonies

Show a little respect for the effort put into movies that are works of art.

[democracyindanger]

9. Lazy ass parents

What really gets me is that the parents who are so worried about the evils of TV don't take the time to screen stuff, or--here's an idea--DON'T LET YOUR KIDS WATCH IT.

And then this:

"Aho responded, 'The guys doing this are movie guys who have a passion for movies like nothing I'd ever seen. We think it's presumptive of the directors to want to follow movies into the home.'"

The guys doing it are undoubtedly hacks who can't cut it in the big leagues. If they weren't working for ClearPlay, they'd be shooting weddings on VHS at 50 bucks a pop.

The funny thing is, 'aho' is a curse word in Japanese. I don't know what it means, but my cousin loved calling me it and his mom would spank him for doing so.

[Sandpiper]

10. Well there's a novel idea

DON'T LET YOUR KIDS WATCH IT.

Isn't that the whole reason they came up with the ratings system? :eyes:

[democracyindanger]

12. Ayyyyy-men. n/t

[Wonco_the_Sane]

19. I'm a "menace"

I keep turning wonderful Hollywood art films into drinking games. tee hee

[Paragon]

39. 9 to 5 kick

:)