This is an interesting issue that I’m curious to hear our thoughts on. Should the courts stop a couple of companies from editing objectionable content out of a DVD for viewers who want to see the movies without all the adult (nudity, sex, language, yadda yadda yadda) stuff?
Here is the basic story from Yahoo News:
Editing movies to delete objectionable language, sex and violence is an “illegitimate business” that hurts Hollywood studios and directors who own the movie rights, said U.S. District Judge Richard P. Matsch in a decision released Thursday in Denver.
“Their (studios and directors) objective … is to stop the infringement because of its irreparable injury to the creative artistic expression in the copyrighted movies,” the judge wrote. “There is a public interest in providing such protection.”
Matsch ordered the companies named in the suit, including CleanFlicks, Play It Clean Video and CleanFilms, to stop “producing, manufacturing, creating” and renting edited movies. The businesses also must turn over their inventory to the movie studios within five days of the ruling.
I’ve got to admit, I’m not 100% sure how I feel about this.
On the one hand I was happy when I saw that news. “Hell yeah”, I thought to myself. “Maintain the artistic integrity of the movies!”. And I do believe that.
On the other hand, could this be yet another example of Hollywood alienating parts of its audience? The reason these companies exist is because there is a DEMAND for these movies without the adult natured content in them. They want to watch these stories, just without the T&A.
Wasn’t this a win-win situation? The fans are happy, more DVDs are sold which makes the studios happy, and more people are enjoying the heart of the stories that the directors are telling. How did anyone lose in this situation?
As long as these “editied” dvds weren’t being passed off as the original cut of the films, and people knew what they were renting or buying… then what was the problem?
I honestly do see both sides of the argument on this. So I’m asking you guys what you think.
