Hollywood Whines about Filtering Technology

Last week, President Bush annoyed Hollywood (which probably won't keep him up at night) by signing a bill that provides legal protection to the content filtering industry. What this means is small companies that sell hardware or software that cuts out sex, violence or naughty words from films won't get sued into oblivion for copyright infringement. The film industry, as the movie making business likes to call itself, maintains its protesting is about artistic integrity. But of course, it's really about money.

While it is still a violation of copyright laws to edit out the odd exposed bottom or gore-filled pretend death and then sell the video, critics say the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act specifically helps ClearPlay Inc. of Utah (naturally) which sells filters for films for $4.95 a month. Hollywood says it should get a slice of that for changing the content of the film.

Now, copyright is a very valuable tool in defending intellectual property rights, and the Kensington Review won't pretend that the copyright symbol down at the bottom of this article isn't there. But it seems a bit silly to complain that by changing a few frames, something has happened that means Hollywood should get paid again. After all, Campbell's Soup didn't ask Andy Warhol for a piece of the action.

The artistic integrity argument would hold more water if the movie makers didn't put their films on broadcast TV with the naughty words bleeped out. Far more damaging artistically is to stop the action to advertise laundry liquid, beer or natural male enhancement pills. And of course, why is it necessary to offer "Director's Cut" versions of films on video if the artistic integrity of the project was preserved in the studio's final release? (Hint: because it wasn't -- Hollywood movies are released based on marketing not artistic considerations.)

Frankly, a filter that gets rid of sex, violence and bad words should be seen as a prototype only. While it will take a great deal of effort, one can envision a day when there is a filtering technology that gets rid of bad writing, poor acting and lousy camera work. Of course, that won't leave much of the latest Hollywood blockbusters to watch.


© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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