The Stout Republican

I received the link from a friend of mine who occasionally posts on this site for the movie “Sicko”…I shouldn’t say link as much as “youtube” style embedded movie. But…in the interest of self preservation, I’ve decided to not post it. Rob at Say Anything seems to struggle with the Moore back track as well. Over the last few weeks we’ve heard:

“I don’t agree with the copyright laws and I don’t have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people,” said Moore when asked about pirating. “I make these books and movies and TV shows because I want things to change, so the more people that get to see them the better, so I’m happy when that happens. I think information and art, ideas should be shared.”

So what does he say now?

…for Moore, even piracy has its limits, especially when it comes to the timing, quality and source of the bootleg.

“Every filmmaker intends for his film to be seen on the big screen,” Moore said. “This wasn’t a guy taking a video camera into a theater. This was an inside job, a copy made from a high-quality master and could potentially impact the opening weekend boxoffice. Who do you think benefits from that?”

When asked about accusations that he may have leaked the film himself for publicity purposes, Moore scoffed at the notion:

“Oh no. The (Weinstein) brothers are devastated.”

…

“Every DVD screener that comes from the Weinstein Co. is watermarked and traceable,” Weinstein Co. general counsel Peter Hurwitz said. We are actively investigating those who illegally uploaded ‘Sicko’ to the Internet, and we will take the strongest possible legal action,” Hurwitz said. The company declined comment about whether it will seek legal action against YouTube for allowing the uploads.

…

Hurwitz said that “we at the Weinstein Co. are outraged by illegal piracy. Protecting our product and the creative artists involved is our highest priority.”

…

“I think the music industry’s response to Napster was misguided … and for me, it’s about getting people to see the movie and that’s what I want, so they will talk about it,” Moore recently told Brandweek magazine. “… I would never want to prosecute anybody who would download (his film).”

So now he seems to not necessarily be recanting his previous stance, as much as hiding behind the skirt legs of the studio. The “it’s not me…it’s them” defense is going to be used if we see a big studio push and a lawsuit against those that leaked the film.

Personally, I don’t see rich white man Michael Moore doing anything to stop the studios from steam rolling over those that only practice what Moore preaches…he’ll be able to throw his hands in the air with a faux “Mea Culpa”, and “it’s the studios, not me”, then he’ll go back to his rich gated neighborhood, enjoy the fruit of his capitalist lifestyle, and bitch about the “right”. None of which I would have any problem with if he didn’t complain about other who want to enjoy the same lifestyle Moore has been blessed enough to enjoy. Read the books linked below. I own them and it’s pretty enlightening…

Moonbats