I was a bit surprised to see a public service announcement featuring soccer legend Pelé, sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America. I'm certainly used to seeing him in upbeat Puma commercials, but it was odd to see Pelé in this very sober, "piracy of intellectual property hurts everyone" advertisement. But he's right; piracy can make an impression even at the state-level. The Business Software Alliance, a U.S.-based industry group, reported that an amazing 86 percent of software used in China last year was pirated (see more at Wired News). Beijing-based Kingsoft Corporation had once hoped to be the "Microsoft of China," but software piracy has dramatically changed the company's fortunes. On one side are the street corner hawkers, gangs, and other black market-dependents, and the consumers who choose to get their wares illegally; on the other are the intellectual property owners and, of course, the Chinese government, which has mandated a national shift away from low-tech, bottom-dollar industries towards an "innovation society" outfitted with domestic high-profile brand names and high-tech, money-making companies. Before this shift can come about, perhaps a look at the social context behind the phenomenon of piracy in China is in order.
I was a bit surprised to see a public service announcement featuring soccer legend Pelé, sponsored by the Motion Picture Association of America. I'm certainly used to seeing him in upbeat Puma commercials, but it was odd to see Pelé in this very sober, "piracy of intellectual property hurts everyone" advertisement. But he's right; piracy can make an impression even at the state-level. The Business Software Alliance, a U.S.-based industry group, reported that an amazing 86 percent of software used in China last year was pirated (see more at Wired News). Beijing-based Kingsoft Corporation had once hoped to be the "Microsoft of China," but software piracy has dramatically changed the company's fortunes. On one side are the street corner hawkers, gangs, and other black market-dependents, and the consumers who choose to get their wares illegally; on the other are the intellectual property owners and, of course, the Chinese government, which has mandated a national shift away from low-tech, bottom-dollar industries towards an "innovation society" outfitted with domestic high-profile brand names and high-tech, money-making companies. Before this shift can come about, perhaps a look at the social context behind the phenomenon of piracy in China is in order.
From Matt: The scriptwriters made quite a few changes from the book, but they were all for the best - and booklover though I am I have to admit that its better to see magic than to read about it.
From Mina: I adore this film. Monsieur Hulot’s very modern sister and brother-in-law don’t know what to do with Tati’s charmingly untidy and bungling protagonist, who inhabits a world where meaning is still more important than appearances.
From Carey: A must see Hayao Miyazaki’s anime is Laputa: Castle in the Sky, originally released in 1986. A fantasy film that explores the altruistic and compassionate nature of humans, aspects lost through repeated exposure to power, technology, and the complexities brought by the combination of the two. 
Comments