One terrifying circumcision ad (f. Wolverine)

As shared on Twitter by @AccordionGuy. Origin unknown.

From the Philippines, where foreskins are apparently as disposable as copyright laws.

I really have nothing else to say, except thanks to @MikeGormanHFX for the tip (so to speak).

This Disney Princess vibrator isn't just a violation of copyright

As if Disney Princesses weren't already problematic enough, childhood fantasies are sexualized in the name of irony.

From The Daily Dot:

The girly, delicate “Love Discovery Mini Vibrator” looks like your standard $68 sex toy, except that it’s being marketed as the clitoral stimulator of choice of Disney Princesses Ariel and Jasmine, with the caption “Yas gurl all princesses do it.” Nothing says “you should buy this sex toy!” like an endorsement from a mermaid.

Not funny, shopjeen. I doubt Disney's lawyers will be amused either.

New app lets you surgically birth "Frozen" Anna's baby

Remember that bizarre "Plastic Surgery Barbie" App that came out last year? Well, here's another opportunity for girls to learn about the magical worlds of surgery and copyright violation.

Buzzfeed's Daniel Kibblesmith talks readers through the game, which shows Frozen's 18-year-old  Princess Anna ready to give birth to Kristoff's baby (after they get married, of course!)

The app guides the user through a sanitized Caesarian birth, apparently not clarifying whether Anna is suffering from a complication that prevents vaginal delivery, or whether she's just "too posh to push." (It also implies that a woman is put under a general anaesthetic for the procedure, which is not typical.)

I'll leave the WTFing to Jezebel's Rebecca Rose:

Sure, maybe games or apps that talk about pregnancy can be a good teaching tool for parents who want to get their kids familiar with various aspects of childbirth. But unless you are a being on the planet Mikloap Alpha 7, there is no purple glowing orb that magically emerges from your womb because someone waves a special sparkle wand over it. No. Despite what they are trying to teach in Texas high school's sex education classes, this is not what happens during childbirth. 

After the baby is born, you have to use the scalpel to cut the umbilical cord (SO MUCH GODDAMN NOPE HERE) and weigh the baby.

Not exactly a welcome addition to the world of childbirth apps.

BitTorrent guerilla campaign nipped by pro-copyright movement

Before (via BI)

After (via BI)

You've probably already seen pictures of the mystery billboards that popped up recently in New York and California, which were soon revealed as a "free the internet" campaign for BitTorrent, "a decentralized, artist-owned publishing platform: a zero-cost alternative for media distribution."

Some people took issue with BitTorrent's claim to be a "a secure, distributed response to the challenge of data surveillance: a way to sync and store information, free from the cloud". One of them was American musician David Lowery.

In a rant published on The Trichordist, Mr. Lowery — a self-described "Luddite Artist" — included "the IP addresses, ports  and some sample Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven songs being hosted and illegally torrented by 33 Bit Torrent users".

 This is using one of the vast number of tools available to snoop on Bit Torrent traffic–think the NSA doesn’t use this for jihadi communications???? 

And to the folks illegally sharing my music?   You might want to ask what other naughty stuff I can see on your computer? 

Seriously, if I could figure this out in 20 minutes how hard is it for the NSA? FBI? Local PD? Hacker? 

Apparently BitTorrent doesn’t even understand how it’s own product works. Luddites.

On Tuesday, rightthemusic.com, an anonymous organization claiming to represent pro-copyright artists, has placed spoof banner ads on Rollingstone.com, The Drudge Report, Mashable, FileHippo, GrooveShark, MediaFire and more:

Here's one on Rolling Stone:

It sounds like the copyright battle is coming soon to some ads near you.

(Thanks to an anonymous reader for the tip.)

Grumpy Cat meme hijacked for anti-teen-drinking billboard

Add caption

According to AdFreak's Rebecca Cullers, this ad is up in Elizabeth, Pennsylvania:

The ad is one of a kind and was paid for by Elizabeth Forward High School, which held a design competition for students and chose four winning boards. JT DeMarco, a junior, created the Grumpy Cat design with some great concepting and a poor grasp of copyright law. 

Grumpy Cat, AKA Tardar Sauce, is a bona-fide internet celebrity with a permanent frown "due to feline dwarfism and an under bite". No word yet as to whether the school has been asked to take the board down.

Thou shalt not steal gay porn to protest equal marriage

This digital mailer, paid for by the "Committee to Save the Erie County Republican Party," is an attack on a Republican New York state senator who was the decisive vote in the state's gay marriage legislation.

The rest of it reads, "Sometimes they're political whore$. Make sure your Son says, 'Thank you, Mark Grisanti'." Buzzfeed IDs the "committee" as Matthew Ricchiazzi, a Cornell University graduate who ran a failed campaign for Buffalo mayor.

I was more curious about where the committee got the image. It dosen't look like stock photography, and it is unlikely they did a photo shoot. So I put our a query on my social media networks.

Liam Quin, a follower on Google+ , cropped the image and did a Google similar-image search. Bingo.

The image is from a gay porn movie called Zeb Fucks Wayne (warning: porn link). The photo is from the still on that site. ("I have not actually watched the movie, I'm afraid," Liam adds.)

Stealing is mentioned in the 10 commandments. Same-sex marriage is not. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

"Watch the games here" poster is an exercise in brand fascism

First, the horribly-designed poster:

What a logo pizza!

This poster is provided for pubs and restaurants in the UK that might want to promote the fact that they are screening the BBC feed of Olympic Games inside.

Want to use it? Get your reading glasses on....

London 2012 Brand Protection: Screening the Games 

LOCOG is aware that pubs, bars, hotel lounges and social or sports clubs may wish to show the Games live on TV screens in their establishments for their customers (subject to licensing laws). 

We see this as one of the ways in which everyone across the nation will be joining in the fun and excitement of the Games, and so long as a few simple rules are followed there is no reason why this should not be part of the way the United Kingdom enjoys the Games, much as it has been for other major sporting events. 

However, it is essential that the unique and exclusive rights of our official Games sponsors, who are our Partners in putting on the Games, are protected. The Partners contribute very significantly to the staging of the Games through the provision of funding, goods and services. Without them the Games could not happen. 

So our rules for screening the Games are designed to ensure that the way in which a business refers to the fact that it is showing the Games does not create an association with the Games. The ability to associate with the Games is a very valuable right which belongs to our Partners, and it cannot be exploited for free. 

The rules allow businesses to download two posters we have created (one for the Olympic Games and one for the Paralympic Games). We are licensing the use of these posters, which are the only ways in which businesses may advertise the screenings, for use by pubs, bars, hotel lounges and social and sports clubs which want to show the Games in their establishments, Please click here to view the terms of use and download the posters. 

These posters are not for use by restaurants (and by that we mean establishments primarily serving food) and are not available to establishments which are part of a chain/franchise business which has multiple locations identified under the same name/brand. 

Our approach to screening the Games reflects the key principles we apply to carrying out our obligations to protect the rights of our Partners. Although we have no desire to dampen public enthusiasm and we always seek to act in a proportionate and sensible way, we are tough on commercial abuse and will not hesitate to take action to address ambush and infringement. Our previous guidance has consistently followed these principles. We take this opportunity to point out that of course none of our guidance should be read as condoning the use of Games references (whether factual or not) in advertising by restaurants or other businesses in sectors directly competitive to our partners, to promote unauthorised association with the Games for commercial advantage. 

Terms of download 

By downloading the London 2012 “Watch the Games Here” posters for the Olympic Games and/or the Paralympic Games for pubs, bars hotel lounges and social and sports clubs (the “Posters”), you agree on behalf of the business or entity you represent (together “You”), to the following terms: 

1. The Posters may only be used as follows:a. Posters may only be used in public houses, bars, hotel lounges and social or sports clubs where it is usual for events to be shown on television for their clientele, whose primary purpose is not as a restaurant, and which are not part of a chain or franchise business which has multiple locations identified under the same name/brand. By downloading a Poster You confirm that Your establishment meets these criteria;b. Posters may only be displayed in establishments in which the London 2012 Olympic Games and/or the Paralympic Games (together the “Games”) will be shown for free public screenings and Posters must we removed from display within 24 hours of the last screening of the Games;c. Only one Poster may be displayed per public entrance to the premises at any one time;d. The Posters may be printed in colour or black and white but must not be edited, cropped, or amended in any way, nor may you superimpose or place any other messages or branding etc on top of, surrounding or immediately adjacent to the Posters when they are displayed, save that, if you will only be screening the Games at certain times, you may place a notice adjacent to the Poster which solely states the dates and times You are showing the Games;e. The maximum size for printing the posters is A3. f. Other than the Posters, we do not authorise promotion of the viewing of the Games at your establishment in any other advertising, including TV, newspaper, print, websites or other media. 

2. The license granted to You by LOCOG to use the digital copy of the Posters is limited to such use and copying as is required for you to be able to display the Posters in accordance with point 1 above. You may not provide copies of the Poster (whether digitally or in hardcopy) to anyone else or authorise others to copy or reproduce the Posters. You agree not to sell the Poster. 

3. You agree to comply with any conditions of public broadcasts imposed by the broadcasters of the Games (BBC and Channel 4 respectively) and in particular you shall not charge a fee for people to view the Games or enter areas of your premises where the Games are being screened, nor shall You impose any other condition of entry (other than restrictions required by law, e.g., relating to age, and for the avoidance of doubt, taking reservations will not be deemed to be a condition of entry unless a fee or deposit is taken to secure the reservation). 

4. You acknowledge that the Games are made possible by the investment of sponsors and that the protection of the intellectual property of the Games is therefore vital. As such, You agree to respect the laws which protect the London 2012, Olympic and Paralympic brands and shall not participate in or facilitate any ambush marketing of the London 2012 Games. You agree that ambush marketing shall include the implementation of any marketing or promotional campaign for You, Your premises or any other brand in connection with Your screenings of the Games.  

5. LOCOG may withdraw this licence at any time upon notification to You, whereupon You agree to cease all use of the Poster.

Are you feeling the Olympic Spirit™yet?

 Thanks to Neil for the tip.

What a brilliant (stolen) concept!

I just saw this campaign in Ads of the World:

Really awesome concept. But not an original one. The ads immediately sent me searching through my blog archives to find the originals, in an art photography series by Argentinian photographer Irina Werning:

The ad version is by an agency called Propeg in Salvador, Brazil. The creative team is Ana Luisa Almeida and Emerson Braga (CDs) and Edson Rosa (AD).

So here is my question for photographers and ad creatives alike: Is it right to rip off someone's personal art project for ad glory and profit? Is it "inspiration" or outright theft?

An Ottawa radio station is currently running ads that use the Sleeveface meme. But that's a collaborative and tongue-in-cheek project that uses already copyrighted work. This, on the other hand, is a clear ripoff in concept, style and content — with only the addition of a product placement — Irina's Back to the Future and Back to the Future 2. Is it even legal?

Opinions welcome. I have e-mailed Irina as well.

A modest proposal to rebrand Ohio's "Heart Beat Bill"

Jezebel shared this irritating ad from Ohio ProLife Action about the State's controversial Heart Beat Bill :



It's not just the low production values, awful script, and nasally voiceover that I find irksome. It's the missed opportunity.

If you want people to visualize a "busload of children" being killed every day the anti-abortion bill (which bans termination at about about 6 weeks from conception) is delayed, you need to do more than show a bunch of home movie shots. You need to move people.

After all, just getting people to see a 6-week-old human embryo as a child can be a bit of a stretch:

Especially since up to a third of conceptions miscarry—80% of them within the first 12 weeks. So even Mother Nature isn't onboard with your mission to "protect all innocent human life".

No, if we're going to get people to back this bill we need to give them something to get their hearts and fists pumping. Don't just show the busload of kids. Show them at the mercy of a psychopath bent on their destruction. And don't just promote a bill, give the thing some personality and have it kick psycho ass and literally save the day.

You know what I'm getting at here? This story has been told before. You know who else saved a whole busload of embryos — I mean, children — in a single day?

Dirty Goddamn Harry, that's who.

Here (new window) is how that PSA should have gone down.

You can call it the "Dirty Harry Bill". Or the "Do you feel a heartbeat, punk?" ... umm, Bill.

It's got everything the religious right likes:

• Clear-cut good and evil (okay, Harry's a racist and sexist who wants all criminals dead, but those are virtues in some circles).
• Guns. They love their guns.
• Awesome funky soundtrack. (Just tell them it's a new kind of "Baptist Gospel")
• Innocent victims.
• Clint. (Although he is no longer a Republican, he was then.)

I really think they should consider buying up this footage. Either that, or mitigate high abortion rates by providing youth with harm reduction based sex education and really easy access to contraceptives, as well as by addressing the fundamental socioeconomic problems behind unwanted pregnancy.

Nah, definitely Dirty Harry.

Tip via Jezebel.

Remix is okay — as long as you're just in it for the attention

Caught a cool viral video made by Students at l'Université du Québec à Montréal:



Great stuff. User-generated, relevant to its generation, and it shows off their campus, fellowship and school pride. It's too bad we couldn't do this for our clients, though, because they could never afford the rights to a Black Eyed Peas song.

And there you have one of the biggest challenges to viral marketers: We're answerable to actors' unions, record labels, and in some cases the Queen herself. While individuals can, and often do, get away with violating copyright on their personal projects on YouTube and wherever. And so they should. The beauty of the we have today is that creative expression has never been as democratic, and media has never been such a meritocracy.

Where many copyright owners miss the boat, in my opinion, is strictly policing their content. If they complain to YouTube, for example, they can get the video or audio portion deleted.

As a Creative myself, I believe in an author's moral rights to preserve the integrity of his or her work. But I also think it's time to say that, as long as the original work is out there somewhere, "remix is okay":



The thing is, letting go can really spread your material in an organic way without really costing you a cent, while nuking every unauthorized use of your material just seems small-minded these days. I understand not wanting to let some adman make money off your work. But what could harm can a bunch of attention-seeking kids do?

So, will the Peas' record label kill one of the best — free — promo campaigns the band has ever had? Stay tuned.