Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff (which by the way, where is he now? still jazzy, somewhere?) said it best: movie theater owners just don’t understand. This story (from the Washington Post, spotted via Slashdot) isn’t surprising, just appalling: a 19-year-old woman in a movie theater takes a 20-second clip of Transformers to show her brother and is promptly arrested for it.
Sejas faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 when she goes to trial this month in the July 17 incident. Arlington police spokesman John Lisle said it was the decision of Regal Cinemas Ballston Common 12 to prosecute the case, a first for Arlington police. “They were the victim in this case, and they felt strongly enough about it,” he said. The general manager of Regal Cinemas declined to comment yesterday.
I could quote more, but the fact is, there is no part of this story that will not make you foam with rage. It’s ridiculous that the people who control the media business, but don’t really understand it, can use ill-conceived legislation to punish those who do understand it. Just more evidence that nerds should control the world even more than we already do.
It’s enough to make you want to move to the bottom of the ocean at the North Pole…d’oh! Damn you, Russia!