Smoper Fried Movie

Walking down my street, I do see some sites that constantly remind me I'm in Korea. The lettering, the large numbers of Korean people. (It's like they live  here.) However, my favorite reminder are the shop signs. There's a Papa Smurf all in green body paint and and a sign proclaiming Smoper Chicken. I lurve Korean pronunciation, I lurve associating Smurfs with Fried Chicken and I love this sign. I want to make sweet smoper to that smoper and smoper the hell out of anyone smopering my smopering.

As  an ELT teacher, I am awed and frightened by the ability to substitute any adverb, adjective, verb, noun at will with 'Smurf'. Well done, you cheeky little Avatars.

Walking down the street, I see bars called BMW, Porsche Volkswagen and a motel called Volvo. Apparently, after drinking has been recklessly associated with driving, you want to get your head down somewhere safe. 1980s Soccer Mom safe.  Did South Korea forget about copyright law, or am I missing something?

Ah, that's what I want to think about when I get sleepy. Sidenote, 1980s mothers were awesome see.here.

I could devote the entire post to the glory of these store signs. I am very tempted. I am so Smopering tempted, I really am. However, as an ELT ex pat teacher in South Korea, I think we should talk about the real issues.  After all, if we don't talk about it, how can we improve the situation? So, illegal downloading for a thousand please, Alex.

"I'm assuming it will involve a joke about your mother, Trebek."

In 2010, a very limited sample size of 8,500 people from 13 countries ( this sounds like its pathetic, no joke, I know more people than that in Daegu) showed South Korea was n0.2 in people who admit to downloading music for free. 60% of respondents went 'Yep, I totally did not pay for this.' The argument is they may have been listening to only snippets of songs so it's totally allowable under Korean Law. Um, what's that now?

30 seconds to a minute is just the tip of illegal downloading.

Ask people about downloading illegally in South Korea and you'll likely hear something like, "dude, it's fine. Just go toblahblahblah.com. Korea doesn't care." I thought that too. Then I read this back issue of The Economist. It states South Korea has THE TOUGHEST ANTI-PIRACY LAWS IN THE WORLD.
 

Say it with Brian Blessed's voice. Hell, say everything  in Brian Blessed's voice. Swoon.

So, what the hell, Korea? You are one of the most wired countries in the world. You have anti piracy laws but everyone (apparently) is downloading for free.

"
The dominant perception among many Koreans is that any downloading activities without the copyright owner’s permission is considered “illegal.” In fact though the Copyright Act of South Korea recognizes that reproduction of copyrighted works for private use is regarded as “fair use” under Article 30 of the Copyright of Act. Article 30 the Copyright Act states:

“A user may reproduce by himself a work already made public for the purpose of his personal, family, or other similar uses within a limited circle, not for profit purposes: provided that this shall not apply to reproduction by a photocopier set up for public use.”

Examples of reproduction for private use could include: recording TV drama to watch later, copying part of a textbook and converting a CD to MP3 for personal use. Downloading a movie from the Internet for private viewing is also protected under Article 30."


That little snippet is from free government info. If that's the case, then enjoy.

By the way, I am not condoning video piracy. I believe people should get paid for working and the Movie Industry are getting stiffed, which has all sorts of economic implications for the viewing public. This moment is not about that. I just want to know two things. One, is it illegal to download something in one country when it is made in another country where it is illegal? Two, If it is legal, why the hell do individual countries continue to exist when the Internet  connects everyone and circumvents national statutes?

I don't have all the answers. But I am adorable.

I guess it comes down to no follow through. If you break the law, there should be a punishment. When American laws fail to get the RIAA a final court settlement after Years of hounding Ms. Thomas-Rassett, it can assumed that it becomes prohibitive to pursue an individual downloading for their own perusal and pleasure. I can only imagine this situation will change in the future but, for now at least, illegal downlaoding will continue. As the vagueness of the Korean Government and Film Industry intentions and policies proceeds. let me leave you with this. Just Smoper it.

Korea, you glorious bastard.

P.S. I get I used these images and videos illegally. I get the irony.<----Am I using that word right?