EFF's reply to cease-&-desist letter – “Virtual Coachella” parody video

https://www.eff.org/ar/document/eff-letter-re-virtual-coachella-video

by Magicstatic • 5 years ago

230 35 5 years ago

My favorite part of this response is in the footnote on page two, which states:

If your client sincerely fears that this depiction is too realistic to be perceived as parody, Krazam’s video should be the least of its reputational concerns.

Followed by screenshots from the video showing the DocuSign "Docustage" and Meme Center (Sponsored by GE). At the end of the video itself, the Coachella participant is banned from the event because their "vibes are not compliant with the Coachella policy".

Glad EFF stepped in here to protect small creators such as this one.

monksy3• 5 years ago

Something that really blew my mind was that one of my favorite bands: Metallica's comment on how people are to interact with their performances. "Where here to provide the party, if they don't like how we do it, that's on them."

It says a lot on the ego of the producer of the product. [Also that they're treating it as a product.. yes metallica corporate I see you] It completely disreguards of how the individual relates to it and is more focused on control on how they want things.

That whole philosophy you should expect in dictatorships, not in cultures that embrace free expression.

NoOneNew• 5 years ago

To be fair, wouldnt you set ground rules for your guests if you threw a house party? If those guests dont abide by your rules, you're just going to embrace them to keep doing it?

Ragging on them simply because they want to put ground rules down, so everyone can have fun, is pretty immature. Yes concerts need rules. The venue can be held liable for certain things drunk/high dumbasses are going to do. You need to be specific about what rules are so dictatorish or you just sound like a 15 year old pissed off with their parents.

DivisionSol• 5 years ago

For context, it looks like this is the original tweet from one of the video creators: https://twitter.com/shivakilaru/status/1372941623609282561

Cease and Desist over Instagram.

dylan604• 5 years ago

Is that even recoginizable in court as legit?

pkilgore• 5 years ago

For most actual legal doctrines possibly classified as standing in for "legit", yes.

Actual notice ("I sent it, you acknowledge you got it") suffices for most notice requirement, regardless of circumstances of sending and receiving.

Some statues/rules are more specific, but it's impossible to answer that without a more specific question.

casefields• 5 years ago

Here's the DNC serving Wikileaks over Twitter: https://twitter.com/ProcessServiceC/status/10279609725044572...

50uth• 5 years ago

How many people are now aware of Krazam LLC that weren't before.

Backfire!

CaliLonghair• 5 years ago

The Streisand Effect strikes again!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streisand_effect

aejnsn• 5 years ago

You beat me to it.

“Woo woo woo woo woo woo woo - Barbra Streisand.”

thaumasiotes• 5 years ago

Eh, I don't really see that Coachella cares one way or the other if people are aware of Krazam LLC.

kreeben• 5 years ago

They cared enough to send a cease & desist letter.

rozab• 5 years ago

Here's the actual video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67sfZfreOrU

These guys have a lot of relevant content for HN types, they're really funny.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o7qjN3KF8U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8OnoxKotPQ

grenoire• 5 years ago

The goddam microservices video is an absolute masterpiece.

cbkeller• 5 years ago

I think that video may have legitimately improved my understanding of the potential pitfalls of microservices

prepend• 5 years ago

Great video. I’m going to use this the next time I want to communicate how clever names aren’t as clever as I think they are.

dominotw• 5 years ago

It should be required periodic viewing at most software shops. Def keeps me grounded.

ccvannorman2• 5 years ago

it's.. it's literally like they were there, at my 8 months stint as a corporate developer .. I FEEL SEEN!

beaconstudios• 5 years ago

I knew I recognised the name KRAZAM from somewhere These guys are hilarious.

darioush• 5 years ago

finally, someone funny on the internet. haven't seen that since early 2000's

headbee• 5 years ago

I knew I recognized that name. Glad EFF is sticking up for them, they're not a huge channel.

craftinator• 5 years ago

This brings me back to Snowcrash and Altered Carbon so hard...

seppin• 5 years ago

Topic aside that is an excellent comedy video. If SNL made this as a "digital short" it would be the best thing they'd had done all year.

monksy3• 5 years ago

ROBINHOOD IN 2021?!!

Also he forgot .. stocks only go up.

pjfin123• 5 years ago

These are awesome

yellowapple• 5 years ago

"Senior Engineer" is what I aspire to be someday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSqexFg74F8

kderbyma• 5 years ago

they sad they didn't think of those ideas first....or they did for this year lol. stupid corporate frisking for comedians. its so pathetic

ineedasername• 5 years ago

Perhaps Coachella believes the parody is too close to the truth, and therefore no longer parody. Looks like the EFF response actually took that into account!

I don't always like the way EFF portrays a given cause in their website/blog postings: They often seem over-simplified and lacking the detail necessary to understand the specifics of the issue in the interest of soliciting donations. Their legal filings, on the other hand, are pretty universally fantastic & skewering of the opposition.

nceqs3• 5 years ago

Krazam's MAKRO MICROSOFT EXCEL video is also hilarious

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xubbVvKbUfY

dekhn• 5 years ago

I read a lot of lawyer letters and I notice they often fall within a very specific range of communication styles. It feels very.... assertive, even aggressive, in a way that tries to eliminate lawsuits through psychology rather than facts.

For example the Texas AG wrote this in a letter to Austin when he decided to sue them for overriding the state mask rescinding: https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/087ed6e3bf8591d7...

"We have already taken you to court under similar circumstances. You lost. If you continue to flout the law in this manner, we’ll take you to court again and you will lose again. "

(a part of the lawsuit was just thrown out a few hours ago)

monkellipse• 5 years ago

Same energy: https://www.openculture.com/2014/09/monty-python-and-the-hol...

ccvannorman2• 5 years ago

This was fucking epic and I never would have seen it, for the Streisand effect bringing it to HN. Faith in humanity -- restored.

The youtube link still laughing!! .. the link is IN THE CODIFIED REPLY.. to the cease and desist.. I can't.. this is too funny

EFF's reply to cease-&-desist letter – “Virtual Coachella” parody video

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