Secrets are well hidden and the truth is subjective.
In short, never believe what you read.......unless you wrote it.
I was planning on giving you an update on a prediction I gave you some time ago, but something odd happened along the way.
I was in the Opening Act Cave, slaving over a hot keyboard for your amusement and information. An article came across my desk about the Film Piracy attitudes of regular Australians, citing "new research".
I read the press release from the Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation (IPAF) and jumped onto their bandwagon, with my flaming torch and pitchfork ready.
As I typed my fingers down to the bone, I thought, "Wonderful! What masterful prose! Just the topic they would be interested in!"
And then, as my third fingernail popped off, due to my ferocious typing, a tiny light bulb flickered in the back of my head.
I hadn't read the actual report, just the press release.
So I started looking for the actual "new research" they were trumpeting.
I clicked on the link provided by the press release. It simply took me back to the IPAF home page.
Odd.
So I looked into the research company. It was conducted by the mysterious Sycamore Research and Marketing (Sycamore R&M).
I Googled them.
Strangely, the only mentions of Sycamore R&M are by news articles quoting the press release or from blogs associated with IPAF.
Manufacturing their own press? Even more curious.
Two names do appear, the mysterious "Mrs and Mrs X" - Linked in Profiles for the Owner, Sycamore R&M and Director, Sycamore R&M.
Dead end there.
And what about the company?
Well, they have a website listed in an obscure motivational e-book, where the Director, Sycamore R&M, is quoted giving her insight into starting out in business. The website for Sycamore R&M is listed as www.sycamore.com.au
I typed in the website address and hit enter. When you go there, however, it simply says "sycamore.com.au is a parked domain". No website.
I was starting to feel like Julia Roberts in 'The Pelican Brief'.
"So what!? You say, they are probably a new company and haven't had time to set up a website!"
EXCEPT, I found a Screen Australia submission that states that Sycamore R&M was commissioned by IPAF in August 2008 to conduct research on Australian Consumer Attitudes to piracy.
It seems EXTRAORDINARILY strange to me, that a Research and Marketing firm, in existence for at least 3 years, does not even have the basics of marketing, i.e. a website.
It is also interesting, given that their research is commissioned by an anti-piracy agency, that Sycamore's research is VERY strongly in favour of similar anti-piracy laws that were enacted in the U.S.A. I even talked about these new laws, involving Internet Service Provider (ISP's) "warning" downloaders, in a previous newsletter: http://openingactfilms.blogspot.com/2011/07/pirate-stole-my-livelihood.html
Is there a perfectly normal explanation to all of this?
Probably. I did eventually find the research.
But it was strange.
And I wonder, how many people writing stories and commenting, read more than the press release.
Everyone has an agenda.
Leave the flaming torch and pitchforks. Do the homework instead.
_____________________
For those who are interested, the piracy attitudes research:
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/images/stories/pdf/IPAF_2011_Research_Summary.pdf
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/images/stories/pdf/2011_09_11_MediaRelease.pdf
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/index.php/the-facts
- - - - - - - - -
GET THIS WHIMSICALLY OPTIMISTIC NEWSLETTER STRAIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL.
http://www.openingactfilms.com/subscribecontact-us.html
In short, never believe what you read.......unless you wrote it.
I was planning on giving you an update on a prediction I gave you some time ago, but something odd happened along the way.
I was in the Opening Act Cave, slaving over a hot keyboard for your amusement and information. An article came across my desk about the Film Piracy attitudes of regular Australians, citing "new research".
I read the press release from the Intellectual Property Awareness Foundation (IPAF) and jumped onto their bandwagon, with my flaming torch and pitchfork ready.
As I typed my fingers down to the bone, I thought, "Wonderful! What masterful prose! Just the topic they would be interested in!"
And then, as my third fingernail popped off, due to my ferocious typing, a tiny light bulb flickered in the back of my head.
I hadn't read the actual report, just the press release.
So I started looking for the actual "new research" they were trumpeting.
I clicked on the link provided by the press release. It simply took me back to the IPAF home page.
Odd.
So I looked into the research company. It was conducted by the mysterious Sycamore Research and Marketing (Sycamore R&M).
I Googled them.
Strangely, the only mentions of Sycamore R&M are by news articles quoting the press release or from blogs associated with IPAF.
Manufacturing their own press? Even more curious.
Two names do appear, the mysterious "Mrs and Mrs X" - Linked in Profiles for the Owner, Sycamore R&M and Director, Sycamore R&M.
Dead end there.
And what about the company?
Well, they have a website listed in an obscure motivational e-book, where the Director, Sycamore R&M, is quoted giving her insight into starting out in business. The website for Sycamore R&M is listed as www.sycamore.com.au
I typed in the website address and hit enter. When you go there, however, it simply says "sycamore.com.au is a parked domain". No website.
I was starting to feel like Julia Roberts in 'The Pelican Brief'.
"So what!? You say, they are probably a new company and haven't had time to set up a website!"
EXCEPT, I found a Screen Australia submission that states that Sycamore R&M was commissioned by IPAF in August 2008 to conduct research on Australian Consumer Attitudes to piracy.
It seems EXTRAORDINARILY strange to me, that a Research and Marketing firm, in existence for at least 3 years, does not even have the basics of marketing, i.e. a website.
It is also interesting, given that their research is commissioned by an anti-piracy agency, that Sycamore's research is VERY strongly in favour of similar anti-piracy laws that were enacted in the U.S.A. I even talked about these new laws, involving Internet Service Provider (ISP's) "warning" downloaders, in a previous newsletter: http://openingactfilms.blogspot.com/2011/07/pirate-stole-my-livelihood.html
Is there a perfectly normal explanation to all of this?
Probably. I did eventually find the research.
But it was strange.
And I wonder, how many people writing stories and commenting, read more than the press release.
Everyone has an agenda.
Leave the flaming torch and pitchforks. Do the homework instead.
_____________________
For those who are interested, the piracy attitudes research:
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/images/stories/pdf/IPAF_2011_Research_Summary.pdf
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/images/stories/pdf/2011_09_11_MediaRelease.pdf
http://www.ipawareness.com.au/index.php/the-facts
- - - - - - - - -
GET THIS WHIMSICALLY OPTIMISTIC NEWSLETTER STRAIGHT TO YOUR EMAIL.
http://www.openingactfilms.com/subscribecontact-us.html
