Shlockmeister Uwe Boll sues 2,000 "Far Cry" P2P downloaders

Tens of thousands of new lawsuits are targeting BitTorrent movie downloaders, but they aren't coming from Hollywood. Welcome to the world of innovative lawyering, where everyone makes cash from suing P2P users—even director Uwe Boll.

<a href='http://meincmagazine.com/tech-policy/news/2010/03/shlockmeister-uwe-boll-sues-2000-far-cry-p2p-downloaders.ars'>Read the whole story</a>

 

[Jack_o]

As bad as his movies are, he should be happy that anyone wants to watch them and be grateful that someone wants to download the thing to begin with and should be paying them. Now, if there was only a way to sue someone for putting out bad movies......I saw Far Cry and I kept wondering when the cartoon would end and the movie would begin.

 

[ajira99]

If they truly cared about saving cinema, they wouldn't let so-called directors breed outside of captivity. My idea of Utopia doesn't included hacks like Michael Bay, "sooners" like Lucas, or over-hyped technocrats like James Cameron (seriously, 4-armed monkeys and floating rocks and people get depressed/suicidal because it's not "real"?!) -- and I'd have ala carte TV programming that only gave me what I wanted to see.

 

[jsm6746]

this is a risky move by boll... putting his films into the legal spotlight can only bring more attention by the govt on his terrorist activities... talk about the nerve...

 

[Deleted member 129457]

I watched Blood Ryane...after that, anything at all that hurts Uwe Boll is fine with me.

Bloodrayne was an epic masterpiece compared to Bloodrayne: Deliverance.

 

[Crackhead Johny]

This case will go away when they find that the seeding IPs were just government agencies trading the film back and forth so it could be used to interrogate Al Quaeda suspects. And to think about how much people complained about water boarding, when this comes out it'll be a PR disaster "Couldn't you have just done something more merciful like pulled out their fingernails instead?".

 

[Banquo]

Who the hell is Til Schweiger? Is he some kind German version of Wings Hauser or Lorenzo Lamas?

 

[P W]

The bigger news is that there were actually 2,094 people that wanted to see this movie.

This. I'm thinking the 2,094 people deserved to be sued simply on the basis they helped distribute a Uwe Boll movie to an unsuspecting public. The horror.

The Govt should prosecute all 2094 people under the Patriot Act and send them all to Guantanamo Bay..

 

[P W]

They made a Far Cry movie? Was it a direct to DVD release?

Its a Boll movie, its not even a direct to DVD release, its a direct to some cable channel you've never heard of release. or a direct to torrent release, because nobody would pay the .39 cents to press this POS onto a DVD.

 

[PermissionForAINotGiven]

At least finding the 2,094 people will be easy.

Scan the medical records for 2,094 people with inexplicable sudden onset ocular bleeding leading to blindness. For each and every one of them dementia will have been a pre-existing condition.

 

[pappypappy]

Replicant":hgenx7mo]The legal system really needs some work. You shouldn't be able to file John Doe cases like this, and /certainly/ not en masse. They should need to identify every person (with irrefutable evidence that they're filing it against the person who infringed, not just someone who pays for the internet connection or lives in the same house) before filing the suit, and each suit should be filed individually. Oh, and if you think I'm proposing that we make it impossible for them to continue doing this, I most certainly am. They don't need to sue, they don't need to pass new laws -- they need to come up with a business model that actually works and quit blaming everyone else.

Being able to sue enmasse bad. Basicly extortion, bad.

But please stop with the 'find a business model' crap. Nobody can come up with a model which works when people can and do just take stuff without paying. Unless of course you mean 'capitalism' is the model which needs replacing, in which case good luck comrade.

 

[UltimateLemon]

But please stop with the 'find a business model' crap. Nobody can come up with a model which works when people can and do just take stuff without paying. Unless of course you mean 'capitalism' is the model which needs replacing, in which case good luck comrade.

New business model would be either capitalizing on that behaviour or giving incentive not to take stuff without paying.
For example, free-to-play online games capitalize on people not wanting to pay for MMOs and then slam them in the face with "You get massively gimped without paying us $XX for this micro transaction". Sort of like drugs really; "Hey the first one is on me".

 

[scotts13]

I first heard of this director's name in a pejorative sense, as almost a definition of bad. I can easily see looking for somewhere to download a sample, out of curiosity - certainly you'd never PAY for that curiosity. So, he's found a way to extort money out of people who didn't WANT his "product", they just wanted to make fun of it.

 

[bjartur]

+1 I can believe 2,094 people clicked the wrong link. I just can't believe anyone was seeding it.

I guess it only takes one seeder to spread the virus, himself. And then some people looking for the game.

Didn't know he existed though, isn't this just more publicity for him? Or are they really so bad that anyone who's ever watched film by him will boycott him?

 

[AOletsgo]

Being able to sue en masse with little evidence = good. Re en masse, if these cases were filed separately they'd all be consolidated anyway, it would just waste judicial resources sorting out the mess. Faster to get them all together from the beginning. Re bringing suit without having all the facts (called notice pleading), if you don't like that, maybe you'd like to return to the days when it was impossible to sue (say, a tobacco company, or a car company) without already having gathered all the evidence (in the possession only of the party you're suing).

The legal system is not the problem. Now, people agreeing to pay these shysters one cent simply because because they filed a law suit = a real shame.

And watching Far Cry... that's worse.

 

[EchtoGammut]

If he ever wants to silence his critics in a boxing ring again, I am willing to fly to Germany and give him some brain damage. My guess is they wouldn't let me in the ring with him, although I think he has a few pounds on me.

I can't believe he made a Far Cry movie. I always thought that game would make a good movie and had wondered why no one had done it... now I know.

From the description it sound like this law firm may be seeding these movies themselves, in which case wouldn't this make the download legitimate? I think someone needs to analyze what these guys are doing, because it sounds a bit fishy to me.

 

[Staticstarter]

you would think Uwe would be happy that some people actually showed enough interest to even bother downloading any of his films- let alone watch them.

 

[gorehound]

2000 stupid people actually downloaded a piece of cinema trash history.

 

[Ars of Ares]

But please stop with the 'find a business model' crap. Nobody can come up with a model which works when people can and do just take stuff without paying. Unless of course you mean 'capitalism' is the model which needs replacing, in which case good luck comrade.

New business model would be either capitalizing on that behaviour or giving incentive not to take stuff without paying. For example, free-to-play online games capitalize on people not wanting to pay for MMOs and then slam them in the face with "You get massively gimped without paying us $XX for this micro transaction". Sort of like drugs really; "Hey the first one is on me".

So.. This is the best alternative you can think of?

 

[PermissionForAINotGiven]

So.. This is the best alternative you can think of?

Perhaps business models need to be combinations of things, as opposed to one single thing. They could go the Ars Technica route: free, but you are obliged to put up with advertisements, (streaming would be the logical choice, but perhaps some form of difficult-to-muck-with file format could be born.) The other alternative is pay the fee and get it ad free.

Of course, regardless of the business model life + 70 is just a ridiculous term for copyright. I personally favour 20 years. Regardless of length though, intellectual property law (trademarks, patents and copyright) need to be completely revisited. The content creators’ needs and the citizens’ needs need to be considered and weighed, and a fair and balanced solution created. Absolutely zero concern should be given to corporate interests in all of this; the corporations can adapt to the new balanced and fair set of laws, or die.

Pirating content is bad. But so is trying to milk it forever.

 

[Dystopia]

I think Boll does realize how awful is movies are, he just does not care. For him, he is not so much as making a film as he is spending other people's money in order to make money for himself. He would never be able to produce a film independently if it was required to actually get viewers. As many have mentioned he has taken big advantage of tax credits in order to finance his films, but that does not stop there. Fact is the worst of the worst films can always find financing simply because there is enough rich morons out there that will finance these films just for the ego (and chance to hang out with the actresses wink wink).

Hasn't Germany adjusted those laws? Hence why we're not seeing several new Boll films per year.

Yes, but the problem is Boll is precisely the sort of person who was intended to get the credits. They just clamped down on foreigners abusing a system meant for German film makers.

 

[Dystopia]

If he ever wants to silence his critics in a boxing ring again, I am willing to fly to Germany and give him some brain damage. My guess is they wouldn't let me in the ring with him, although I think he has a few pounds on me.

Correct, if you look like you know how to box, he won't fight you. I remember back when boxing Boll was a fad, he only accepted challenges from flyweights with no boxing experience.

 

[SurfingMonkey]

This is incredible! The last movie I ever rented was In the Name of the King. It is the reason I stopped renting movies forever. Because of Uwe Boll I stopped going to video stores, true story! And now he is suing! It's like a terrorist organization that sells security devices.

4%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_the_ ... iege_tale/

 

[UltimateLemon]

But please stop with the 'find a business model' crap. Nobody can come up with a model which works when people can and do just take stuff without paying. Unless of course you mean 'capitalism' is the model which needs replacing, in which case good luck comrade.

New business model would be either capitalizing on that behaviour or giving incentive not to take stuff without paying. For example, free-to-play online games capitalize on people not wanting to pay for MMOs and then slam them in the face with "You get massively gimped without paying us $XX for this micro transaction". Sort of like drugs really; "Hey the first one is on me".

So.. This is the best alternative you can think of?

Yes. But I'm not exactly a business analyst or economist.

To my credit, that what a lot of Chinese game market has moved into in recent time because of massive piracy rate.

 

[Biggiesized]

At least finding the 2,094 people will be easy.

Scan the medical records for 2,094 people with inexplicable sudden onset ocular bleeding leading to blindness. For each and every one of them dementia will have been a pre-existing condition.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Seriously, watch BloodRayne and Zombie Nation back-to-back. Then mutilate your genitals.

 

[snarfbot]

ps, this movie is on netlix watch it now, if anyone is interested in seeing the movie.

im watching it now, its actually kinda funny.

reminds me of a sci-fi original, just with recognizable actors delivering the bad dialog.

 

[2late2die]

Woah! There's a Far Cry movie starring Til Schweiger, with Udo Kier AND Emmanuelle Vaugier?!? I gots to get me some of that action right now... off to download it on the 'rents...
Don't nobody tell Uwe though.

 

[taltamir]

The bigger news is that there were actually 2,094 people that wanted to see this movie.

Maybe they thought it was a copy of the game?

I have to agree... the only possible conclusion is that they searched "far cry" on their favorite tracker and just started the download without realizing it was a movie by uwe rather than the game.

 

[apostleofzion]

The bigger news is that there were actually 2,094 people that wanted to see this movie.

Maybe they thought it was a copy of the game?

LOL , amazingly thought out reply buddy. but its quite possible!

 

[zrennk]

APRIL FOOL !

 

[Magic Man]

Why do the game companies sell him their rights?

Actually, with regards this, where would someone stand if their defense was that they thought it was the game rather than the movie?

 

[Uncompetative]

I've seen Far Cry. My Friends and I are making a challenge of watching as many bad movies as possible. This one isn't the /worst/ but, LOL anyway...
Uwe Boll..YOU FAIL

I've also seen Far Cry on Satellite television. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Uwe Boll did a lot with a low budget.

I don't understand all the hate. Any of you would be openly aggrieved if your brain child got pimped on the black market and you didn't see a red cent.

 

[PermissionForAINotGiven]

I've seen Far Cry. My Friends and I are making a challenge of watching as many bad movies as possible. This one isn't the /worst/ but, LOL anyway...
Uwe Boll..YOU FAIL

I've also seen Far Cry on Satellite television. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Uwe Boll did a lot with a low budget.

I don't understand all the hate. Any of you would be openly aggrieved if your brain child got pimped on the black market and you didn't see a red cent.

GET BACK UNDER YOUR BRIDGE

!!111!!!!!!111oneoneone

 

[toby]

These guys are brilliant. Just think how many of those people are going to be desperate to settle just to keep the fact that they watched an Uwe Boll movie quiet.

 

[da80m8]

They made a Far Cry movie? Was it a direct to DVD release?

Direct to landfill, iirc.

 

[Doubter]

Say what you will, Tunnel Rats was actually a good Boll film.

Bollshit. Tunnel Rats was horrible. Bad enough almost to claim that Boll was *deliberately* being offensive to anyone who fought in Vietnam, on either side, and more so to their families.

But of course nothing that the Boll does is deliberate. He just stumbles witlessly along.

You can glorify or criticize war (or just make a damn good action film) *without* saying "fuck you" to everyone who has ever worn a uniform.

 

[morticia]

Well, I am one of those 'grannys' he sued. I am a professional web designer, using my computer for design. And, I will use all means to clear myself, because I had not seen, let alone downloaded/uploaded anything remotely resembling the trash that Uwe Boll produces.

I will use social media, and write to representatives in government to see if there aren't laws in this country to curtail greedy, ruthless money-grubbing Boll-weevils "spam_igation", from law-abiding citizens who have no interest in any Boll AG product.