Copyright Laws DVDs, don't buy them if you don't like them.

Copyright laws. I speak a lot of having a real life and getting a real life and yet no one has asked me to define "real life". As a side note, yes, people to do email me about my articles. Right now the ratio is 90:10. Maybe it is 90% of the people that don't like my articles, maybe it is 10%; in any case I have developed yet another message about getting a real life.

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As we all know, Hollywood movies are protected by copyright laws. What we may or may not know is that there are companies out there that want to give you, the consumer, the option to censor parts of the movie you might find offensive by using filtering software. That way you can watch the movie and not be offended...well that's how it is supposed to work.

Filtering software sounds like, and probably is, a really good idea. I imagine that the concept will make some money for awhile.

Here's the problem. You, the consumer, need to wake up. If you don't want to watch movies that offend you, don't buy them. PERIOD.

Seriously think about the fact that consumers will be buying movies and using a filtering software to avoid being offended. I have said this many times before but society in general (at least in the US) is reactive and not proactive. Filtering software for DVDs is another example that follows my logic.

When you (a very vague and unfair reference to large group of people, but a reference I will use anyway) buy a DVD, Hollywood (ditto to the other parenthesis) makes money. In case you were wondering, making money is the purpose behind making a movie. If you purchase a DVD, you are giving your money to Hollywood. They think, then, that you like the product that you have purchased and so Hollywood modifies their next movie based on which movies they sold the most of.

Confusing? Not really.

If you buy a movie with violence, they make a movie with more violence. If you buy a movie with vulgar language, they make a movie with more language. Once Hollywood finds a good balance they saturate the market with movies using that balance.

How do you stop this cycle? Stop buying movies that offend you. Don't go see them in the theatre, don't buy them on DVD and there won't be a reason to use filtering software. Be proactive and you will find that you will have a real life. Do you think you can't do that? It isn't fair? Maybe you are not as offended as you think you are.

I have heard quite a few sides on this issue. The most prevalent is against Hollywood taking away the rights of individuals by blocking the usage of DVD players with filtering software. Again, why is this Hollywood's fault again? If you get to the root of the problem, it is the people that want the unfiltered versions or else they wouldn't watch Hollywood movies in the first place.

Another argument is for the filtering software. This argument is an unsanitary Band-Aid that is just going to cause more confusion and ultimately lead to people boycotting DVDs not because they are offended by the DVDs' content but because the DVD isn't what they want to watch in the first place. Hollywood won't be able to respond to its clients because their clients may be filtering their feedback that is normally measured in sales.

Eventually, I can see the day when Hollywood buys this filtering software (if it seems to be worth it) or makes their own version and then I will be writing another article about how that has affected the ability of people to get a "real life."

I think that there is something else missing here. We have a rating scale. I admit that I think that the rating system is seriously flawed...but you can pretty much bet that sensitive people will be offended by rated R movies. In a society that doesn't research their doctors', lawyers' or babysitters' background let alone the material their children read and/or watch on TV it is doubtful that they are going to take the time to read about a movie before they go and watch it. Things brings me to another point, maybe people should focus on something a little more important than censoring Hollywood or trying to censor Hollywood in their own homes. The world would be a better place for it.

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