Anti-Piracy Lawyers Vandalize Wikipedia Page

This week, Jeffrey Weaver, a lawyer for U.S. Copyright Group, proudly announced that the company would be bringing the mass-litigation model against alleged BitTorrent users to the United States.
“We’re creating a revenue stream and monetizing the equivalent of an alternative distribution channel,” he unashamedly confirmed.
This business model has been running ahead at full-steam in Germany and the UK for some time now. As they do most of the work and are seen to do most of the perceived bullying of individuals ill-equipped to defend themselves, the lawyers operating these schemes have been singled out for most of the criticism.
Tilly Bailey & Irvine (TBI), the lawyers who have just made their first steps into this business model in the UK, had a very stormy entrance. Within weeks their activities had been noted negatively by the Government and had their traditional 170 year-old company publicly connected with their porn-industry customers.
Of course, the antics of TBI haven’t gone unnoticed by the tech-savvy, who have been adding details of their involvement in these schemes to the company’s Wikipedia page, as detailed below:

Volume litigation
On 1 March 2010, Lord Clement-Jones criticised TBI Solicitors along with firm ACS:Law for tactics that they employed when accusing people of copyright infringement.[11] He called TBI Solicitors “new entrants to the hall of infamy”[11] and their activities “an embarrassment to the rest of the creative rights industry”.[11]
On 3 March, UK consumer rights website Which? reported complaints by people who had received letters from TBI Solicitors accusing them of illegally sharing files of pornographic material that belongs to Golden Eye (International).[12] TBI Solicitors threatened legal action against the letters’ recipients unless they paid ?700 compensation within fourteen days of the date of the letter.[12] On 9 March, Which? reported an undertaking by Lord Young that the government would keep watch on ACS:Law and TBI Solicitors.[13]

In an attempt to remove this embarrassing information, a staff member at Tilly Bailey & Irvine took direct action – by deleting the entire section ten days after TorrentFreak broke the news of their entrance to this business.
So, how do we know it was TBI doing the editing? Because they were smart enough to edit it from 195.153.132.204, the IP address registered to their company.
“Please do not remove sourced content from Wikipedia, as you did with TBI Solicitors — this is vandalism,” wrote a Wikipedia admin to Tilly Bailey & Irvine.
“Furthermore, your IP address geolocates to ‘TILLY BAILEY & IRVINE’ which suggests that you have a conflict of interest in removing criticism of the firm from Wikipedia. I suggest that you familiarise yourself with that policy before editing this particular article any further,” added the award-winning user, Rlandmann.
The final embarrassment on the TBI ‘talk’ page prompted another comment by Rlandmann.

Copyright problem
I’ve also removed a large chunk of text from the TBI Solicitors article that was copied-and-pasted from the thisishartlepool website. This creates a potential copyright problem for Wikipedia.

TorrentFreak has learned that Tilly Bailey & Irvine has already dropped some cases against alleged infringers after they denied their accusations. We’re not sure if the editing of their Wikipedia page means that they intend to move out of this business altogether, since thus far they have refused to answer any of our questions, but it would be a welcome move.

Amitabh Bachchan-birthday special

To the many that came with wishes ; that came with a desire to meet and greet, that had through great pain and perseverance kept vigil and then lost out on an opportunity to wish me. To the hundreds that thronged the three locations, Prateeksha, Jalsa and Janak and bore the pushing and shoving of the police and the security, to them I give my gratitude and thanks for taking the trouble to show your affection and love. Words shall always fail me when I shall be asked to describe this phenomena, but all that one can say is that I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity of so much love and affection from others. It is the greatest debt that I shall carry to my grave and one that I shall never be able to pay back.
Yes it was rough from the early hours of the morning, meeting and receiving the love and affection of the hundreds that were at the gates. Moving out and driving in to our own houses was a mini riot. But the faces that slammed against the walls of the car were happy ones, excited ones and ones that merely wanted to express love. Poems and flowers and several cakes and interviews later I was able to be with the family and spend a quiet afternoon and day with them.
Shweta kept PINGING us to watch particular channels as they broadcast the events of the day and my movements diligently. Many of the electronic had structured special programs and bulletins on my career. The many important papers had full front page tributes to me and the first print add., for ‘PAA’. Many of the print carried interviews and articles acknowledging my presence in the Indian Film Industry and they made very interesting reading. Friends and relatives called in and 1207 sms’s jammed the mobile.
To those from the extended family that sent their wishes, may I simply say that replying individually to you has been impossible due to the pressure of the work load, but I do appreciate the effort made by all in connecting to me. My apologies for not being able to reply per person, but an attempt to reply to all shall be put into practice and maybe before the end of the year or 2 years we shall have a response to all that matter !!
Thank you Lord for bringing me into this world, for giving me the parents that you did, for the affection of all those that expressed their love to me over 40 years of my life. I could never have asked for more. I respect and honor all those that have remained with me and for whom god willing I shall continue to work to entertain them.
Give me the strength, my Lord. Give me the power of work. Give me resilience and divine intervention and then allow me to come over and shake the hands that have waved at me for so long.
Happy Birthday all …. you have been such a delight in my life.
Amitabh Bachchan

Amitabh Bachchan's b'day special-1

I just had to write. Even at this unearthly hour. The thought of all the extended family waiting in anticipation of the post, is far more important than the much required sleep. A sleep which has been deprived for some time ..
The day has been one of a million interviews, back to back and non stop. It is the birthday season, the BB3 occasion, the completion of 40 years season and it would not have been proper to not give each media an opportunity. They have been kind and generous and celebratory ; each channel bringing their own cake and candles and their version of the birthday song to fill me with wishes and to fill my staff with tons of cake !! With each couple of interviews I have changed dress and location within the office just to give the media the benefit that it was not all done in one swift moment. And after it was all over the day ended up with the official release of the look of the film ‘RANN’ at the PVR theatre just behind the house.
This was some moment. A trailor of the film was projected on the screen and after its duration of 2 mins was over there was a thunderous applause from the media. This is unusual. They then asked for the trailor to be played again. Another unusual occurrence. Finally when it was all over we went down to the front to talk to the media, give our impressions of what the film was all about and take a few questions. But before that there was a surprise for me - another cake !! Only this time around it was presented by about 20 gentlemen, dressed in the character costumes of the various films I had worked in, but wearing masks of my face from particular film. It is always embarrassing to be confronted in situations like this and I do not know how I was able to keep my composure. The Q&A that followed was  I believe one of the finest interactions that I may ever have had. And surprisingly, there was applause on the answers of the questions they asked.
It has been a wrong belief that ‘RANN’ is Ram Gopal Varma’s retaliation on media. It is nothing of the sort. Instead it is a most pro media story; one that takes up their cause in as stark a manner as possible. Its a delicate balance between business and conscience. Does the media compromise with their conscience to get the business right, or does it compromise with the business to get the conscience right. Will the media ever accept the fact that this is a story that prevails in every office of the fourth estate. No, not the story of ‘RANN’, but the very idea of making compromises with ones conscience. For this is where the truth that involves us all, prevails.
Many sms’s later I was back in Jalsa to receive the newly weds, well almost, driving down from near Nashik and then bringing in the birthday. A small group of family members and the like, sat over dinner discussing perhaps the mode of the publicity that should be attempted for PAA, should be attempted for other films on the anvil and to leave the rest to the way the fourth estate, would react. Two prominent scenes from ‘RANN’ were seen by me and inadvertently drew attention and debate. Enlightening !!
In the failing hours of dawn my mind functions at speeds that need to be pushed to move. And I do not have any desire to move or push. So let me retire with the thought that those that have given me their love and affection today has not gone waste. I reciprocate it by extending my most gracious wishes to all those that have taken the trouble of extending theirs to me. Tomorrow is another day another life that I may have the honor of living in and believing and I shall extend my time to meet them  at whatever hour they may arrive. If it does not get out of control then there shall be occasion to meet those that shall come by. Those few that shall have made delicate gifts from delicate moments spent with me, or moments they imagined they have, will be an absolute joy to meet and a moment that shall not jeopardize the day of the moment, or vice versa.
It now rings close to 4:30 AM and it rings a bell to turn in for the night ..
Shubh Ratri ….
Amitabh Bachchan

AAMIR KHAN'S ARTICLES-S Redemption

 AAMIR KHAN ARTICLES

Just saw Shawshank Redemption. Had heard so much about this film. It seems to be on a lot of ‘must see’ lists. Really enjoyed it and loved Robbins’ performance and the way his character was written.

Gosh there are so many films to see, and books to read. One life time is not enough. Books, I read, but films I never get down to seeing. Strange, since, I love cinema so much. It’s not as if I don’t enjoying watching films, I really do, in fact when I watch a film I forget to blink and my eyes start hurting after a while. And I am an ideal audience, always ready to be manupilated, (listening Mira?). But for someone who is so steeped in films I have watched pathetically few films in all these years. Have I said all this before? Can’t remember. Anyway, lot of catching up to do I guess.

So Kiran and I are away from home, in one very quiet spot, just lying in and resting. Reading, going for walks, watching films.

Vinod and Raju tell me that the post production on 3 Idiots is progressing well, so by the time I get back the cut will be ready. Which means I can confirm to all those of you who have been repeatedly asking... yes 3i will be releasing on Christmas this year. I’ll see the cut once I get back. Will keep y’all posted.

AAMIR KHAN'S ARTICLES-FUNNY MOVIE

 AAMIR KHAN'S ARTICLES

Kiran and I saw what we thought was one of the funniest films we have seen in our lives. Its called Withnail And I. It is the most wacked out and bizarrely funny film I have ever seen.

Warning. I’m not sure I should recommend it though. I am not sure how many people will find this kind of humour appealing. I believe it wasn’t very successful at the box office when it released, so judging by that not many in the public liked it. But for those who want to experiment with very unusual humour in cinema, go for it.

Its a story about these 2 out of work actors and their mad, funny and tragic lives. Exceedingly well written, brilliantly performed and superbly executed. Its a huge cult success. Written and directed by Bruce Robinson. British.

Watching Withnail And I reminded me of one of my favourite books, A Confederacy Of Dunces, written by John Kennedy Toole. Again a piece of work that I find supremely funny and tragic. Absolutely brilliant. A must read, but again I don’t know how many of you will like it. Have read the book twice and plan to read it once every couple years.

The book was actually published after the death of the author and he did not live to see the huge success that it became. In fact the book would never have been published had it not been for Toole’s mother who found a carbon copy of the manuscript left in the house following Toole’s suicide in 1969 at the young age of 31. Toole’s mother took this manuscript to various publishers in attempt to get it published without any success until she took it to Walker Percy, an author, and literally forced him to read it. Percy explains in his foreword that he started the manuscript with great reservation but got sucked into the book and loved it. The book was published in 1980, 11 years after Toole’s death, and became a cult classic, and then later a mainstream success.

So much brilliance in this world. So inspiring.

What fun.