Any Michael Moore fans living outside the U.S. or Canada were frustrated when they went through official routes to download Slacker Uprising, Moore's latest film that he made intentionally available for free download online. But it didn't take long for the movie to show up in less legal venues, like Bit Torrent, and that was when the lawyers less thrilled with Moore's copyright plan got involved.
Moore talked to Torrent Freak and admitted that he pretty much planned for the movie to be available all over the Internet, for viewers all over the world, even though the movie's copyright holder has sent lawyers marching all over to cease and desist downloading. "I only own the US and Canadian rights. So my hands are tied. But this is the 21st century. What are ‘geographical rights’?”
He repeatedly told Torrent Freak that he wishes someone would figure out what he's up to, though it seems pretty clear they get it-- Moore did what he could to get the movie out there, and is now forced to stand back as the viewers in Brazil, Denmark or wherever get slammed with copyright infringement. I guess it was done with good intention, and I doubt any of the downloaders will actually be prosecuted, but couldn't he have done a better job of sorting out this legal mess before making the movie available for download? It seems he knew this would happen, but will let a few viewers get in legal trouble for the sake of having his movie more widely seen. His movie that is about American politics. Yeah, something about this isn't as "heal the world" as Moore wants it to seem.
