Pirates! They’re everywhere, huh? On the high seas, in the theatres, on the Internet. The ocean-dwelling ones better watch out though, pun totally intended, because a new non-lethal laser weapon aims to blind them into thinking twice about that booty.
Remember that Star Wars cantina iPhone app? Barrr is the Android version for pirates – sea-faring pirates, that is. Even though it was created by a couple of students, the gameplay’s superb and doesn’t cost a single piece of eight.
It’s tough being a record label or a movie studio these days. People are stealing your content, all because they want to be Jack Sparrow. No, seriously: they think the problem is that “piracy” is too sexy a word.
Heck, if it works in Europe, why not Australia? I received a press release from the Australian Pirate Party yesterday, boldly stating that they are planning to register as an official Australian political party and calling for 500 founding members to pony up a $20 donation each so they can become official.
Michael Fricklas is Viacom’s general counsel, the company’s top lawyer. I can’t tell if he actually felt bad when he said the above at a recent meeting with Yale Law students. I kind of feel an evil, dark smile inside.
We’ve been here before, so no long post necessary, but it’s worth mentioning, again, that illegal downloaders, the alleged scourge of the music industry, are really the ones who buy the most music.
Seven Somali pirates who may have played a role in the kidnapping of liveblogging couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler, are currently in the custody of the European Union. Their involvement is still unproven and the Chandlers remain missing.
