The Big Picture | Phony Moral Debate and P2P, part II

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Phony Moral Debate and P2P, part II

Tuesday, April 26, 2005 | 06:06 AM

We previously looked at the absurdity of the Recording Industry or the RIAA making moral arguments about consumer behavior. Lest you think I am leaving out the MPAA -- Here's a charming example of their "delightful" morality and respect for the law:

POLICE PAYOFF PROBE

Two NYPD veterans are being investigated by Internal Affairs for allegedly accepting payoffs from the motion-picture industry to arrest vendors of pirated DVDs, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

One officer, a sergeant on the force since 1992, has been transferred from the Staten Island Task Force to the 122nd Precinct pending the internal investigation. The other, a cop for five years, still works on the task force.

As members of the unit, the officers, ages 36 and 32, would arrest the sellers of illegal DVDs and confiscate their stock. Often they would act on tips from investigators with the Motion Picture Association of America, many of whom are former cops, sources said.

There is nothing improper about that practice. But on at least four occasions in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island, the task force officers arrested the vendors, confiscated the illegal movies and then allegedly received gratuities of several hundred dollars from the MPAA itself or its investigators, the source said. The MPAA strongly denied that the payoffs came from the trade organization.

Note that the MPAA does not deny a payment was made -- just that they didn't make (Perhaps an agent did on their behalf).

As we noted previously, its more than a little offensive to have a group of corrupt and amoral cretins lecture you on ethics . . .

Source:
POLICE PAYOFF PROBE
Jamie Schram
NY Post, April 21, 2005
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/23341.htm