andygates

Going into the local Vue to watch Tony Stark kick more arse: "Can i just check your bag?"

Um, wot?

"Do you have any cameras in there?"

About three, probably.

"I'll just take your bag"

Why?

"We think everyone is a criminal despite crappy camcordered movies making up none of profit-hitting piray, which is all industry leaks.  Give it up, dirtbag."

Well, grumble, but sure, gimme a ticket, where's the bag check?

*shrug*  "We'll just put it in the Manager's office."   (now, at this point the usual reaction is fine British Don't-Make-A-Fuss acquiescence but there's nothing like ditzy painkiller head for going into full Old Lady Wearing Purple civlib mode)

What, no bag check?  I'm supposed to just hand over all my stuff to a spotty oik and trust that he's telling the truth, not going to pilfer the data, not going to root through the images and have a giggle or send 'em to the press and not going to flog my stuff on Ebay?  And that none of his obviously tempy, minimum-wagey co-workers will either? 

Apparently it is unreasonable for me to think they're criminals when it's just fine for them to think that I am.  Well, balls to that. 

Grink will be forthcoming.

How to resolve this?  I could calm down, acquiesce and then have my shit stolen.  Don't think so.  I could stop taking ZOMG CONTRABAND to cinemas?  You know what?  They're not that special, they're not the boss of me: they can bite me.  They could do proper bag checks - tag on the bag, in a locker, hand over a ticket, it's not hard.  But if they did that, they'd have to frisk every customer because these days you can fit an HD camcorder in a goddamn lipstick: and that would reveal the draconian stupidity of this bit of copyright theatre for what it really is. 

So, short of the Vue management backing down, it ain't going to happen.

I'll be spending my money at the local independent from now on. 

There's a Canadian government report on BoingBoing which seems to prove what I've been saying all along:

• Music sharers buy more music than average ("one additional P2P download per month increases music purchasing by 0.44 CDs per year").
• Home ripping is not killing music ("no direct evidence to suggest that the net effect of P2P file sharing on CD purchasing is either positive or negative").

In other words, the people who are ripping and sharing stuff are actually the good guys, and even if they weren't, their transgressions have no impact at all on the overall market.  Music industry, please take note and back the hell off.  We love music.  We buy music.  We share it with our friends.  Now rein in the attack dogs and get back to finding some cool artists.