Lion’s Gate orders YouTube to remove Sicko

Lion’s Gate is maaaaaad!

YouTube has removed clips of Michael Moore’s U.S. health-care expose “Sicko” that appeared on the site during the weekend, two weeks before the film’s June 29 opening.

A 124-minute version of “Sicko” was available on the Google Inc.-owned Web site, posted by at least two users in 14 consecutive video chunks.

But 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?”

You do, Mike.  That’s why the non-watermarked Cannes cut of the film was released “leaked.” ;)

I should make it clear that while I find it amusing that Sicko is so readily available for free, I don’t fault Lion’s Gate for acting to protect their property.  I just think it’s utterly and completely pointless - except as a legal strategy to protect future property - which can’t really be protected, but they have to try because they have to protect their rights for future future properties...and so on and so forth in an infinite loop of battle between pirates and copyright holders.

A Weinstein Co. source said that the company has hired several firms that specialize in dealing with piracy and is taking “a very aggressive approach to protecting the film.”

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.”

Oh please.  It will make between 75 and 100 million after DVD regardless of leaks.  I know it, you know it, they know it.  Also, I saw in at least three Moore-friendly areas of the intertubes that some of your fans are convinced you did it as a publicity ploy or a guarantee that the government can’t “supress” the film.  As if they would even try.

A Weinstein Co. source said that the company has hired several firms that specialize in dealing with piracy and is taking “a very aggressive approach to protecting the film.”

Good luck with that.  It’s already out.  Tens of thousands of copies exist on hard drives all over the world.  It’s a bag minus the cat, fellas.  Plus, what the hell are you gonna do to The Pirate Bay?  Threaten them?  Then try to track down all the various torrent sites hosting a copy of the torrents?  But it’s not the movie, so...under what law will you make a claim?  In what jurisdiction?  All to stop something that literally cannot be stopped?

Do you even know that after a certain critical mass of downloads is reached and with certain technologies, you don’t even need a central torrent tracker to make it work?  You cannot stop it.  You can’t even contain it.  I know you have to fight to protect your rights.  Good luck with that.  Just know that ultimately you will fail.  The pirates have you beat and they know how you watermark.  You’ll never catch the smart ones.  The best you can hope for is this one wasn’t smart.  :)