The MPAA shows its respect for its customers by pre-accusing them of being criminals.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) writes
better parody than the Onion. Responding to the Wikipedia blackout planned for Wednesday:
It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.
A so-called “blackout” is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals. It is our hope that the White House and the Congress will call on those who intend to stage this “blackout” to stop the hyperbole and PR stunts and engage in meaningful efforts to combat piracy.”
Projection, much?
"Abuse of power"? As in shutting down one's own website? And the non-profit Wikipedia has "corporate interests"? And how about the concern trolling about the "disservice to people who rely on them"? The MPPA might be a more credible spokesperson about servicing customers if it didn't flash that FBI warning before every home video, preemptively accusing its customers of being potential criminals.
But my favorite is this:
It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today.
That's exactly the point of this action. The entire point. Particularly given the near-blackout the issue has received in the corporate media. No surprise, given that MPAA principals Universal (NBC), Walt Disney (ABC), and Fox own three of the top four news networks. Warner Bros, also a MPAA principal, owns CNN.
The internet is a threat to MPAA members precisely because it is a check on the power of the corporate media, preventing it from "intentionally skew[ing] the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests."
Daily Kos will be doing its part tomorrow, as part of an internet-wide day of action against efforts to destroy the freedom of the internet. We won't go totally dark, but we've got a clever "gimmick" up our sleeve!