Jump to content

Movie Discussion Thread


HundredProofSam
 Share

Recommended Posts

U.S. copyright waived in tiny nation

 

BRUSSELS?-- The Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has won the right to waive U.S. copyrights in films, television and music under an unusual ruling by the World Trade Organization. The landmark decision by the Geneva-based trade watchdog means that the tiny islands are able to violate intellectual property protection worth up to $21 million as part of a dispute between the countries over online gambling.

 

The ruling ends a legal battle lasting nearly five years, which ended in the WTO finding that Washington had wrongly blocked online gambling operators on the island from the American market at the same time it allowed online wagering on horse racing.

 

The award is significantly lower than the damages of $3.44 billion a year Antigua and Barbuda had claimed, but higher than the $500,000 offered by the U.S. The Office of the US Trade Representative nevertheless welcomed the outcome, saying Antigua's claim, at three times the size of its economy, had been "patently excessive."

 

The WTO often takes decisions awarding trade compensation in cases where one nation's policies are found to break its rules. But this is only the second time the compensation lets one country violate intellectual property laws. In this case, Antigua will -- in theory -- be allowed to distribute copies of American DVDs, CDs and games and software with impunity.

 

"That has only been done once before and is, I believe, a very potent weapon," Antigua's lawyer Mark Mendel said. "I hope that the United States government will now see the wisdom in reaching some accommodation with Antigua over this dispute."

 

However, the ruling paves the way for further conflicts as the copyright holders concerned are expected to argue with the Antigua government over the actual value of the individual rights that are waived. The USTR has also warned that that the award was strictly limited to Antigua, and that even with respect to Antigua, "it would establish a harmful precedent for a WTO Member to affirmatively authorize what would otherwise be considered acts of piracy, counterfeiting, or other forms of IPR infringement."

 

The five-year WTO battle concerned the U.S. block on foreign online gambling operators from the American market at the same time it allowed online wagering on horse racing. Antigua, with a population of about 70,000, is a center for offshore Internet gaming operations and attracts large numbers of U.S. residents to its online casino-style games and betting services.

 

The European Union, India, Canada, Australia and other WTO signatories aligned themselves alongside the Antiguan case. However, separate deals were agreed with these economies, including U.S. trade concessions to the EU in mail services and warehousing as compensation.

 

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/conten...0e1758ae1d39cca

Link to comment
Share on other sites

boy.. u guys talking about Takashi's movies and me miss it.... darn.. that man is a genius... i think it takes a strong heart to watch his twisted movies as he shoots the worst of humanity in his movies.... i always wonder how in world he comes out with those themes... i mean even if Visitor Q seems horrifically twisted, still it has a plot.. still it says something... in the end, the visitor brings the family together... tht abstract stranger who doesnt even speak a single dialog in the movie ties the whole plot.... if thats not genius, then what is it? i love his creativity... its like admiring Marlyn Manson or Rammstein... or NIN... and i do...

 

i just love that scene in visitor q where he smashes the head of the father with a stone while he is sitting in the rail coach... and remember when he is having sex with dead body, the dead body shits... damnit... and the milk cascade by the mother.... but the best thing in the movie was the song that plays in the end... if i remember it well its "Bubbles"... amazing song.

 

i also enjoyed Audition.. which is pretty low on gore and dead or Alive is simply hilarious with all those weird expressions. BTW Takashii did a cameo in Hostel... he was the guy who meets the hero of the movie in front of the torture house and upon asked how was the show replies "be careful in there, you might end up spending lots of money"..

 

i saw Depp's The Ninth Gate yesterday... crap.. cant believe Roman Polinski can make such stupid movie... till the end i kept expecting that it will end amazingly... but no fate

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^ It's pretty gross... and not in a violent way. There's stuff like incest, lactation etc. It's one of the most depraved films of all time. I liked Takashi Miike's other movies like Ichi The Killer, Audition and even Dead Or Alive (not to be confused with the American flick based on the DOA game).

 

I would avoid Visitor Q if I were you.

 

thanks for the headsup, so its a no-no ! By incest, u mean like in oldboy ? Anyway, if its a Takeshi Miike's movie, I'm better off from seeing it !

 

In oldboy, more than the incest concept, I found the final scene where desu begs for mercy, cuts his own tongue and the other guy keeps laughing uncontrollably ! Man - thats chilling and quite repulsive :) Anyway, regarding oldboy, its made in such a way that you feel sorry for everyone involved....there're no good or bad ppl....everyone is just crzy with revenge and u feel pity for everyone !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Smallville's Kristin Kreuk to play Chun Li in new Street Fighter flick

 

From Joystiq

_________________________________________________________

 

kirstinkreukchunli.jpg

 

Remember that Street Fighter film we heard about a while back? Remember how we thought Jessica Biel might be playing the lead role of Chun Li? Well, it turns out it's Kristin Kreuk instead, everybody's favorite Lana Lang.

 

ComingSoon.net reports that the Smallville star has signed on to star in Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li, the live-action adaptation of Capcom's classic fighting franchise. Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak, 20th Century Fox will be distributing the film, which begins filming in Thailand next March. Will Kreuk be able to fill Chun-Li's tiny shoes? And, more importantly, does she know how to perform the Hyakuretsu Kyaku? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

_________________________________________________________

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lost Planet star signed to G.I. Joe film

 

From Joystiq

_________________________________________________________

 

wayne-lee-shadow-490.jpg

 

Korean actor Byun-hung Lee, whose likeness was used for the protagonist Wayne Holden in Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, has been casted in the upcoming G.I. Joe film to play Storm Shadow, according to the official Capcom blog. The film is expected for release in 2009.

 

On a related note, has anyone ever noticed the alternate text when highlighting your mouse over Capcom blog links? We particularly laughed at the text for the link related to the G.I. Joe movie: "Directed by the guy who directed Van Helsing? Danger!" We laughed. The screenplay for G.I. Joe was written by Stuart Beattie, who is penning the film adaptation for Gears of War.

_________________________________________________________

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also Ray Park (Darth Maul from SW:Ep1 and Toad from X-Men) will be playing Snake Eyes!

 

 

Can't wait for the G.I.Joe flick! I practically grew up with G.I.Joe!!

Edited by Tyler
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lost Planet star signed to G.I. Joe film

 

From Joystiq

_________________________________________________________

 

wayne-lee-shadow-490.jpg

 

Korean actor Byun-hung Lee, whose likeness was used for the protagonist Wayne Holden in Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, has been casted in the upcoming G.I. Joe film to play Storm Shadow, according to the official Capcom blog. The film is expected for release in 2009.

 

On a related note, has anyone ever noticed the alternate text when highlighting your mouse over Capcom blog links? We particularly laughed at the text for the link related to the G.I. Joe movie: "Directed by the guy who directed Van Helsing? Danger!" We laughed. The screenplay for G.I. Joe was written by Stuart Beattie, who is penning the film adaptation for Gears of War.

_________________________________________________________

 

ahem....if only i was japanese i wuld hav been casted there.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cheers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...