Fandom An Unexpected Journey update…"OMG! He is so hot!"

I was hoping to finish off the year and the two and a half years mark by reaching 200 blog posts. I have achieved my goal. I didn’t write as many posts as I did last year. Thank you to all the people who visit my blog every day from a range of countries. Most are from the United States and Canada, but I get people from all places, interested in a range of topics about fandom.  

The last couple of weeks and months have been very exciting following the fans and all the fandom. There was the release of new music from Alan Doyle and his book tour, Sean McCann’s Canadian tour, the premiere of Murray Foster’s movie the Cocksure Lads in Whistler, British Columbia, Russell Crowe’s team won the NRL premiership in Australia, the premiere for his new movie The Water Diviner in Sydney, Australia, then Alan Doyle’s show at O’Reilly’s pub in St. John’s which was streamed live around the world. To top it all off, the final couple of episodes of Republic Doyle and an Alan Doyle new song was screened on CBC Canada. And of course the amazing and beautifully filmed video for Alan Doyle’s So Let’s Go. So it has been a busy time.

The fans shared their beautiful words, stories, pictures and concert videos brilliantly via social media including Twitter, Facebook and on chat lines. Fans travelled from around the world to attend Russell Crowe’s premiere, travelled to see Alan Doyle and Sean McCann in concert, to support Murray Foster and the Cocksure Lads movie and see the results of where they had put their funding. Others enjoyed the documentary on Erin’s pub and meals and drinks at their favourite St. John’s pubs and restaurants. All fans were excited about hearing new music from Alan Doyle and the hits on YouTube flooded in. I have been following the fans thoughts as the events occurred and it has been a very emotional ride for many.

What is clear more than ever, is the distinct difference between the haves and have nots. There are those at the centre of the fandom due to location, access to resources, money and content required to participate. For those who are able to fully participate they have found a wonderful place and great friends. For the have nots it is a different story. For example, social media was abuzz with the final episodes of Republic of Doyle. People from overseas were blocked through no fault of their own and could not participate. I did watch the whole of the final season six pirated on YouTube to gain an understanding of how people who watch piracy feel. Although it was only two or three days later than when the episodes were made available and I watched them the opportunity was gone to engage in discussion on social media. But the biggest joy for watching content has been to buy content legally and watch it soon after the screening of the episode in the US, totally free on my allocated library time.  

The majority of women in the fandoms I follow seem to be mature aged women. My question, why do mature aged women with careers, jobs and families engage with fandoms was answered by two highly respected fandom academics in a journal interview recently. In the interview the two academics share their ideas which I have briefly copied “fandoms can be a wonderful world –friends, community, a sense of belonging…it is a space where one can be one’s self – even if it is a bit geeky, sometimes thoughtful, a bit naughty…it can be liberating being in a fan community in particular for older women…a licence to be a bit silly, free from the constraints and boundaries of everyday expectations…not sure if there are many places for women and older women to find that…it is rare for women to find a place where they can be themselves…express genuine emotions that are not normally acceptable…they can shout from the rooftops…’he is so hot’…creative works can inspire your own creativity…(Clark 2014). It is always a total thrill to read ideas and research about a topic so close to my heart, fandom.

Where to next? I don’t really know. I have diverted a bit from my original goals of this blog being about the fans and fandom, to the work of the actors, singers and musicians by writing posts about what I am interested in for example, using selfies and social media to tell the stories. I have also turned my blog into a kind of collection site for some beautiful images and interesting articles by fans and the professionals. In that way the fandom has been bringing out my creativity. I am still really interested in what the fans have to say on social media, how they share their stories and creative work and work constructively with the artists and musicians involved for example making bootlegged videos in cooperation with Sean McCann. I would really like to go back to Canada and Newfoundland, to see Alan Doyle on his Let’s Go Tour and Sean McCann perform in a small intimate concert.

Thanks for visiting and reading…And not one bad comment. Touch wood. Any suggestions, stories and comments feel free to contact me.  

Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday to all my readers.

Smith Liz

References

Clark, C. N. (2014). SI/E6 Interview with a fan scholar (or two) Pt. 1 Luna Station Quarterly.

The music business...a wonderful quote.

This picture was distributed on Twitter today by Paddy Daly @VOCMOpenline from Newfoundland. I thought this quote was worth its own post, as it is so true of the music business.



PaddyDaly@VOCMOpenline Jack gets it @alanthomasdoyle 18 December 2014

A response to some of Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner interviews…

I have seen the trailer of The Water Diviner. (I needed tissues) I have read some of the reviews and interviews from Australian newspapers. I am reading the book. (Again I needed more tissues)

Over the past week or so, newspapers around Australia and the world have been flooded with interviews by Russell Crowe promoting his new movie The Water Diviner. I have consciously only read the Australian reviews, because well they know the subject matter of Gallipoli within the Australian consciousness the best. Most of the interviews I have read repeated the same kind of information, the story of the film, Russell Crowe’s impressive film career, the beginnings of his role as a director and a few of his comments about the making of the film and interpretations about the Anzacs at Gallipoli. There were two interviews that really stood out for me and offered something a bit different than the others. To the best of my knowledge these interviews are not available online.

The first one “Crowe flies a movie” by Pip Christmass published in The Weekend West ‘Seven Days’ magazine that comes with The West Australian’s weekend edition December 13-19, 2014. The journalist writes “But the Russell Crowe I am speaking to is chatty, expansive, funny and impassioned. Perhaps it’s because I am deliberately not asking him all the usual paparazzi questions: the phone-throwing, the failed musical career, the relationship breakups. And perhaps it’s because he’s talking about his passion project The Water Diviner…” I agree with the journalist in that it is pretty bad form to keep going over events that happened long ago like the phone-throwing thing. But I am kind of confused about the failed music career comment. He has written and performed some great music with a range of people. I love the Crowe and Doyle Songbook 3 songs and I am hoping for more and so do others.

The journalist goes on to talk about the movie, the original idea and briefly what it is about. What I noticed and didn’t know is how much Australian movies of the past influence Russell Crowe. “Crowe says he wanted to hark back to the defining Australian films of the 1970’s – the movies that had such a deep influence on him as a child…”The films of Peter Weir, Bruce Beresford, Fred Schepisi and Gillian Armstrong, those things exploded in me. Because they were the stories of where I was from…those were Australian voices, and it’s always surprised me that we’ve had such ebbs and flows in our business because we’ve created so many great films – directors, actors, cinematographers, costume designers. At this stage, I wouldn’t be interested in going and directing a movie out of LA or whatever. The whole reason for me wanting to direct is to tell stories of the place that I am from, the place I understand”…And this is where we have come full circle back to Crowe’s desire to tell quintessentially Australian stories. “At this point I am not so interested in stories from other places...”

Until now I have always been under the impression Russell Crowe was never really fond of Australia or Australians other than his family and a few friends. Yes, Australia was the place he grew up in and his sanctuary where he could live an ordinary life with his wife and family after he had made it in Hollywood. There is no doubt he definitely appreciated that. However, I have always believed he was never particularly fond of Australia and Australians which was fostered mainly by his use of social media. Maybe it was the way Australia and Australians showed their lack of appreciation for exactly what he had achieved professionally and then there was the citizenship issue.

When it came to his work, making movies and telling stories I believed Russell Crowe genuinely thought everyone did everything better than Australians as he always chose to work someone else even though it meant being away from his family. Then there was the lack of support in sport for any Australian team other than his Rabbitohs. Whether his words about telling Australian stories and making movies about Australian stories remain true we will have to wait and see. Over the past he has shown an interest in some Australian stories including Batavia and the Tim Winton novel Dirt Music. He has also made some interesting documentaries for example, the story of his take over of the South Sydney Rabbitohs with Peter Holmes a Court and another one on the Sydney gang, the Bra boys. So that is true.  

The second article was published in The Weekend Australian Review last weekend (December 13-14) titled “Return to the Fatal Shore” by Michael Brody. The first thing that hits the reader in the face is an absolutely gorgeous photo of a smiling and happy Russell Crowe in a suit and tie that wins over the reader immediately. (He has over the past couple of weeks turned up to do interviews in his trackies which has attracted a great deal of attention on social media) The article opens with some interesting information about the difficulty of financing films in Australia. “Crowe has done more than bring some private investment –Kerry Stoke’s Seven Network and James Packer’s RatPac Entertainment – into an independent Australian film that didn’t put its hand out for government agency funding.”

The journalist goes onto to explain about Russell Crowe, his impressive movies and credits, thoughts on directing, the story of the movie, the crew he selected and his experiences directing. However, in this interview Russell Crowe states an important point about the Turkish Australian and New Zealand relationship “The Turkish experience resonated with Crowe, who can’t forget how accepting the country is of Australians and New Zealanders… “It’s quite an uncomfortable thing to have in common, that we were once at war, but I think it binds us and gives us an incredibly strong bond... “Not everyone sees the Turkish perspective as valid. And that shocks me.”

Australia, New Zealand and Turkey have created a special relationship through a shared history at Gallipoli. Every year around Anzac day, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders flock to Gallipoli to try and understand what happened there decades before, pay their respects and attend a dawn service. Many of them go to find out what happened to relatives who fought and died there long ago. A search that began in the memories, family stories and photographs of loved ones and the archives of national buildings like libraries and war memorials.  Then there is a whole tourism industry around Gallipoli so much so now Australians and New Zealanders need to apply for tickets to attend a service, in particular for next year. That says a lot about the relationship between Turkey, the Australians and New Zealanders.

As 2015 approaches and the 100 th anniversary there has been and will be plenty of debate and events concerning Gallipoli. As a nation we have to understand our own perspective first before those of others. Some Australians are not quite there yet for understanding others in particular those who are the descendants of the Anzacs who fought and died at Gallipoli. To me that is understandable.

Yes, I am an Australian.  

References

Anastasios, A and Wilson-Anastasios, M (2014). The Water Diviner. Sydney: Pan MacMillian Australian.

Derivative works revisited...

I am often left wondering why fans (most often the ones who profess to be the biggest fans of particular content) are not happy with beautifully crafted photographs and videos provided by the content creators for our enjoyment. 

I wonder why these fans need to make derivative works (often of poor quality) that don't offer anything new to the story being told and detract from the quality of the content. If the copyright holders do not want to distribute images then why should we? Approximately a year ago I wrote a post about derivative works circulated from various content in the fandom. The post is copied below. 

So why should we care? Copyright Kids provides an excellent answer…

“As the creator of your work, you should have the right to control what people can and cannot do with your work. In the United States - one of the world's biggest sources of creative works like movies, television shows, books, computer games, etc. -- this right to control your work has actually turned into big business, but that's what allows all the creative people around us to get paid for coming up with all the wonderful songs, shows, books, painting, movies and other great works that we enjoy. Just think of all the cool songs your favorite band wrote, the great books you loved reading, the plays, movies and television shows you love to watch again and again. These talented musicians, authors, illustrators and screenwriters deserve our respect and appreciation - and they deserve to make a living from the hard work they put into their creative works -- otherwise most of them wouldn't be able to produce as many (or any) of the songs, books, plays, movies and TV shows that you like. That's what copyright is all about. It reflects our appreciation for all the hard work that goes into creating "original works of authorship" and respect for the right of the creator of that work to control what people can and cannot do with it.”

@lyndahere and illegal copying of images…why we should care published on 5 November 2013

@lyndahere is illegally copying pictures from Alan Doyle’s Boy on Bridge documentary/DVD and distributing them via Twitter and other social media. She may also be giving a false impression to her followers that some how she has been involved in taking photographs and the making of the documentary/DVD. @lyndahere is giving a false impression that this activity of illegally copying photographs has been approved by CMT and Alan Doyle. If Alan Doyle or CMT wanted to distribute professional images they would have.

This information is from a previous post about @lyndahere and taking pictures in the movies but also can be applied to taking images off documentaries/DVDs.

Taking pictures of a movie projected in a theatre is also illegal under the copyright act. A patron in a movie theatre cannot reproduce a movie, distribute a work, perform the content elsewhere, display a copy of the movies or make derivative works.

A derivative work is defined by Copyright Kids as “a work that is based up one or more pre-existing works. One of the exclusive rights of a copyright owner is to make derivative works. The United States Copyright Act gives many examples of what is a derivative work. One example is a motion picture based upon a book. If you create a derivative work with the permission of the owner of the underlying work, you as the author of the derivative work can obtain a copyright covering the original material you contributed”. A picture taken off a dvd would be a derivative work. There are a whole range of works which are protected under copyright and include musicals, motion pictures, other audio visual sounds and sound recordings.

There are some circumstances in which people can reproduce others work without permission. Copyright Kids describes fair usage “The exclusive rights of the copyright owner are not unlimited. The copyright law establishes some limitations on these rights. One of the most important limitations on the exclusive rights is the doctrine of "Fair Use." The "Fair Use" doctrine allows limited copying of copyrighted works for educational and research purposes. The copyright law provides that reproduction "for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research" is not an infringement of copyright. The law lists the following factors, which courts must consider together in determining whether a particular use of a copyrighted work is a permitted "Fair Use," or is instead an infringement of the copyright”.

It was difficult to find information about taking pictures of movies in a theatre. There is plenty of information on how to take pictures off DVDs using a home computer but not in movie theatres. It is also illegal to copy pictures from DVDs.

So why should we care? Copyright Kids provides an excellent answer…

“As the creator of your work, you should have the right to control what people can and cannot do with your work. In the United States - one of the world's biggest sources of creative works like movies, television shows, books, computer games, etc. -- this right to control your work has actually turned into big business, but that's what allows all the creative people around us to get paid for coming up with all the wonderful songs, shows, books, painting, movies and other great works that we enjoy. Just think of all the cool songs your favorite band wrote, the great books you loved reading, the plays, movies and television shows you love to watch again and again. These talented musicians, authors, illustrators and screenwriters deserve our respect and appreciation - and they deserve to make a living from the hard work they put into their creative works -- otherwise most of them wouldn't be able to produce as many (or any) of the songs, books, plays, movies and TV shows that you like. That's what copyright is all about. It reflects our appreciation for all the hard work that goes into creating "original works of authorship" and respect for the right of the creator of that work to control what people can and cannot do with it.”

Russell, Alan,and Allan in selfies…selfies revisited and reposted…

NOTE: I have just found out the selfies from Scott Grimes seemed to be blocked. As a result I have reposted this post minus his name. Scott Grimes however, seems to have no trouble in distributing bootlegged and pirated videos recorded without permission from the content owners by @lyndahere via social media accounts. No problem Scott Grimes. I will not make any further reference to you or use content with you mentioned. The post had over 60 visits...My previous post on Great Big Sea selfies had over 650 visits.

My statistics from Blogger tell me that one of the most popular posts I wrote was on Great Big Sea and selfies published last year. The Great Big Sea selfies were being taken on the Great Big Sea XX tour last year in various places around America and Canada. The post is continually revisited and I have had over 500 hits. So I decided to revisit the topic of selfies.

This time I have included a collection of selfies from Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, Allan Hawco, Scott Grimes and the events of the past 6 months on Twitter. They include the Indoor Garden Party in Australia, Russell Crowe’s 50 th birthday in Pittsburgh while making a movie (attended by long time friends Alan Doyle, Allan Hawco and Micheal Bluie), Allan Hawco’s trip to South Africa to film A Book of Negroes and even one from Russell Crowe holidaying in the Whitsundays in Australia at the beginning of the year.

It was difficult to pick a favourite as I love them all. However, my favourite for this period goes to Alan Doyle and his beautiful dog Molly. I also loved a selfie of Allan Hawco and Lynda Boyd taken four days ago before the beginning of the filming of the final season of Republic of Doyle. (This photo was not included as I was unable to copy it from Allan Hawco’s Instagram account). Many thanks to the boys for sharing with the fans.

As most of us know, selfie was Oxford Dictionaries 2013 International Word of the Year and as a consequence there were many great articles about this cultural and social phenomena. The Oxford Dictionary online describes a selfie as “A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website”. Wikipedia (2014) adds a bit more to the definition “They are often casual and are typically taken with a camera held at arm’s length or in a mirror”. (A bit more difficult than it seems, for a good one anyway). I imagine our boys do it for the same reason as most people do. Selfies are easy to create and share at a particular time and place, and give them control over how they present themselves to others.

“The Meanings of the Selfie” by James Franco was published on 26 December 2013 in The New York Times. This article was chosen deliberately from a male perspective about his professional and personal use of selfies (as distinct from a female perspective and a feminist analysis and comments). James Franco is an actor, writer and director. He writes in his concluding comments “I am actually turned off when I look at an account and don’t see any selfies, because I want to know whom I’m dealing with. In our age of social networking, the selfie is the new way to look someone right in the eye and say, “Hello, this is me”.



























(no copyright infringement intended for the above photographs taken from the official Twitter accounts of Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle, and Allan Hawco)

Note... the photos by Scott Grimes seem to be blocked.


“The Meanings of the Selfie” by James Franco in The New York Times on 26 December 2013. (no copyright infringement intended)

Selfies are something new to me, but as I have become increasingly addicted to Instagram I have been accused of posting too many of them. I was called out on the “Today” show, and have even been called the selfie king.

Maybe this is so, but only because I’ve learned that the selfie is one of the most popular ways to post — and garner the most likes from followers. The likes spin out of control for selfies of me and my two handsome brothers, especially Dave, the other actor, whose image pulls in its own legion of teenage fans.

I can see which posts don’t get attention or make me lose followers: those with photos of art projects; videos telling the haters to go away (in not so many words); and photos with poems. (Warning: Post your own, and you’ll see how fast people become poetry specialists and offer critiques like “I hate you, you should die.”)

But a well-stocked collection of selfies seems to get attention. And attention seems to be the name of the game when it comes to social networking. In this age of too much information at a click of a button, the power to attract viewers amid the sea of things to read and watch is power indeed. It’s what the movie studios want for their products, it’s what professional writers want for their work, it’s what newspapers want — hell, it’s what everyone wants: attention. Attention is power. And if you are someone people are interested in, then the selfie provides something very powerful, from the most privileged perspective possible.

We speak of the celebrity selfie, which is its own special thing. It has value regardless of the photo’s quality, because it is ostensibly an intimate shot of someone whom the public is curious about. It is the prize shot that the paparazzi would kill for, because they would make good money; it is the shot that the magazines and blogs want, because it will get the readers close to the subject.

And the celebrity selfie is not only a private portrait of a star, but one also usually composed and taken by said star — a double whammy. Look at Justin Bieber’s Instagram account (the reigning king of Instagram?), and you will find mostly selfies. Look at other accounts with millions of followers — like that of Taylor Swift or Ashley Benson (of the TV show “Pretty Little Liars”) — and you’ll find backstage selfies, selfies with friends, selfies with pets.

These stars know the power of their image, and how it is enhanced when garnished with privileged material — anything that says, “Here is a bit of my private life.”

I’ve found that Instagram works much like the movie business: You’re safe if you trade “one for them” with “one for yourself,” meaning for every photo of a book, painting or poem, I try to post a selfie with a puppy, a topless selfie or a selfie with Seth Rogen, because these are all things that are generally liked.

Now, while the celebrity selfie is most powerful as a pseudo-personal moment, the noncelebrity selfie is a chance for subjects to glam it up, to show off a special side of themselves — dressing up for a special occasion, or not dressing, which is a kind of preening that says, “There is something important about me that clothes hide, and I don’t want to hide.”

Of course, the self-portrait is an easy target for charges of self-involvement, but, in a visual culture, the selfie quickly and easily shows, not tells, how you’re feeling, where you are, what you’re doing.

And, as our social lives become more electronic, we become more adept at interpreting social media. A texting conversation might fall short of communicating how you are feeling, but a selfie might make everything clear in an instant. Selfies are tools of communication more than marks of vanity (but yes, they can be a little vain).

We all have different reasons for posting them, but, in the end, selfies are avatars: Mini-Me’s that we send out to give others a sense of who we are.

I am actually turned off when I look at an account and don’t see any selfies, because I want to know whom I’m dealing with. In our age of social networking, the selfie is the new way to look someone right in the eye and say, “Hello, this is me.”

Republic of Doyle…#Lastcall…the fans react…

Wow…What an amazing ride it has been for fans over the last week or so?

First, there was the premiere of Murray Foster’s movie the Cocksure Lads in Whistler, British Columbia, then Sean McCann’s show at The Ship in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Russell Crowe’s pop over visit in Gander, Newfoundland and shout out by Canadian politicians in their parliament, then Alan Doyle’s show at O’Reilly’s pub in St. John’s which was streamed live around the world. To top it all off, the final episode ever of Republic Doyle and an Alan Doyle new song was screened on CBC Canada.

And the fans were there every step of the way. Fans shared their stories via social media including Twitter, Facebook and on chat lines. I have been following the fans thoughts as the events occurred and it has been a very emotional ride for many. Fans had travelled from around the world to support Murray Foster and the Cocksure Lads movie and see the results of where they had put their funding. Other fans who shared their Wednesday nights with Republic of Doyle were immediately feeling the loss. Many fans were excited about hearing new music from Alan Doyle and the hits on YouTube flooded in.

I found these two great articles by CBC Canada news about the final episode of Republic of Doyle and how fans reacted to the last call by Republic of Doyle on social media. I love these kinds of stories even though I have yet to watch the final episode as it has not been made available to overseas fans and it contained spoilers. The attached social media feed contained a great collection of tweets. One of the tweets contained my favourite scene from the whole show in which Jake explains to Jimmy (Scott Grimes) about Newfoundlanders and the word b’y. The fact that only Newfoundlanders can say b'y is a really important point. Someone from Twitter has created this wonderful little four framed photo/ tweet from the episode. 

Chalupa Batman@bigeanman So true "@kerrimacd #doyletweets #LastCall @allanhawco @scottgrimes" (no copyright infringement intended)

I was already pretty peeved I had not gone to St. John’s around this time to join in the celebrations. Firstly, I missed both the Sean McCann show at The Ship and the Alan Doyle show at O’Reilly’s pub. Then the final episodes of Republic of Doyle. Now I am even a bit more peeved after I read the following article by CBC Canada news that there is going to be a massive garage sale of Republic of Doyle set memorabilia. What a thrill it would be for a fan to be able to buy something from the set? I would have loved a Rose Doyle handbag. All proceeds will go to local charities. However, as fans know, the show has not ended completely. Some of the sets and props will be kept for the Republic of Doyle television movie. Yes, we can’t wait for the Republic of Doyle television movie.

Jake Doyle's last ride: Social media reacts to Republic of Doyle finale: The end of Newfoundland and Labrador's favourite crime show By Geoff Bartlett, CBC News Posted: Dec 11, 2014 7:45 AM NT Last Updated: Dec 11, 2014 11:20 AM NT (No copyright infringement intended)

SPOILER ALERT!

If you didn't catch last night's episode of Republic of Doyle, do not read!

After six successful seasons, Repubic of Doyle’s final two-hour episode aired Wednesday night.

The episode saw Jake and Leslie battling it out with the Chevaliers and corrupt politicians one last time.

The first of the two final chapters began with Jake on trial for murder, which was a big part of the promotion leading up to the finale.

Many viewers were perhaps surprised when Jake was found guilty. However, it turned out that the judge, played by Andy Jones, was being blackmailed.

Jones wasn't the only familiar face in the episode, with Rick Mercer and Mary Walsh joining in for the grand finale as well.

With the cops hot on his tail, Jake had to deal with death threats against his family, stab wounds and the constant threat of jail time.

Last call

Along with the usual sleuthing and action, the conclusion of the show had many dramatic and emotional moments as well.

The relationship between Des and Tinny finally reached a climax, as did that of Jake and Leslie.

When the show closed out on Wednesday night, viewers were brought two years into the future.

As Des and Tinny were getting married in the final moments, Leslie held two children which presumably belong to Jake. Mal then turns to Jake and asks him if he is happy.

Doyle replies: "I wish this moment would never end."

A collective "me either" could almost be heard from the many fans of the St. John's-based show who tuned in on Wednesday night.

Viewers took to social media, as they always did, throughout the final two episodes. The #doyletweets hashtag had become a tradition for those watching the show, allowing them to share their thoughts and opinions in real time.

Many lamented the end, while others simply expressed their thanks to the cast and crew for six years of entertainment.

Kaitlin Payne, from Labrador City, wrote: "Sad to see the show ended, but loved the ending."

"What will we do on Wednesdays now?"

Those sentiments were repeated over and over, by viewers in and outside Newfoundland and Labrador.

A song by Alan Doyle closed out the final episode.

One of the lines in the song was "this is the moment that we've been waiting for."

Long time fans of the show may have been sad to see it end on Wednesday, but for a province that embraced Republic of Doyle for six great seasons, they'll likely be waiting a long time to see something like it again.

Garage sale of epic proportions for Republic of Doyle props CBC News Posted: Nov 20, 2014 5:26 PM NT Last Updated: Nov 20, 2014 5:26 PM NT (no copyright infringement intended)

If you're one of the fans who's going to miss CBC's Republic of Doyle, you'll have a chance to take home a piece of the show this weekend.

The show has wrapped up filming of its sixth and final season, and will be selling props, sets and wardrobe pieces at a garage sale in St. John's on Saturday.

Ross Leslie, production manager, said just about everything is up for grabs — including the kitchen sink.

"We have to get rid of it all because it is a tonne of stuff, and to pay for storage for it, until we do the movie, would be much too long keeping it and paying for storage. And we don't have it [the movie] written yet," said Leslie.

"So, how much is going to take place in The Duke?  We don't know. If it's only a day, we'll probably just go to The Duke and film it rather than build it all over again."

Some of the more iconic show pieces, including Jake Doyle's leather jacket and the GTO, are being saved for use in the movie.

The sale is going ahead on Saturday at the old Torbay Recreation Centre, where the show was filmed, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Proceeds from the sale of items will be donated to charities in the St. John's area, as a gesture of thanks from the show to the city.

Alan Doyle, O'Reilly's pub and live streaming...

O’Reilly’s Pub@oreillys_pub It’s the worst kept secret in town. @alanthomasdoyle is onstage at @oreillys_pub 7pm! You can watch live…11 December 2014

Technology never ceases to amaze me. It is about 6.30 a.m and a tweet has been circulated that Alan Doyle will be performing live at O’Reilly’s pub in St John’s in about half an hour. It’s early morning and I am sitting at my computer in Australia eating my breakfast watching and listening to some great music and the good people of St. John’s having a great time dancing, singing and drinking the night away. Even though I was in Australia, the vantage point of the camera made me feel included in this small intimate show. I of course would have rather been there, but as I can’t this was the next best thing. The band was on fire singing some Alan Doyle Band and Great Big songs. Alan Doyle always the storyteller told the story of how he met his band members Cory and Kendal.

I also love the way the good people of St. John's and Newfoundland were not shy about getting up on stage and singing a song for us. Many thanks to Alan Doyle, his band, O’Reilly’s pub and the good people of St. John’s for allowing us, the world and Australia to party with them on this Wednesday night, via technology. It was a grand night (well morning here) indeed.

O'Reilly's Pub Now this is something special. Fergus O'Byrne, Mannying 77 and more joining Alanthomasdoyle onstage at O'Reilly's_pub 10 December 2014 (from Twitter no copyright infringement intended).

Copyright revisited...

Copyright and fair usage revisited…

“Demonstrating respect for intellectual property is legally and ethically the right thing to do…” Copyright Clearance Centre YouTube Video

I am kind of surprised at how many people don’t understand, nor really care about copyright and fair usage when viewing video materials online. Yet they claim to be some of the biggest lovers of the work created around. So I went looking on YouTube for some videos that tell the story of copyright and fair usage in an interesting way and a way that written material doesn’t. I found some fun and interesting videos made by credible organisations. I was also surprised at how many people are interested in copyright and doing the right thing by the number of hits on each video.  

Obviously each social media site has its own rules and regulations concerning copyright on content and as users it is our responsibility to find out about how it will affect the content we use, create and display. I began by watching copyright videos made by YouTube, including YouTube Copyright Basics (Global), YouTube Copyright Basics and YouTube Copyright School. The videos created by YouTube state to me YouTube doesn’t take copyright seriously. Nor are they interested in explaining copyright to its users, nor do they have a clear perception of what copyright and fair usage is. To me, YouTube seems to treat copyright as a bit of a joke and a boring topic and as a consequence perpetuate ignorance and bad digital citizenship among it’s users. I therefore understand how YouTube users can have problems with the content they watch and distribute even though their hearts may be in the right places when it comes to using, creating and distributing content.

@Lyndahere is a career  bootlegger and pirate who copies other people’s creative work and content without their permission, changes content, makes derivative works and distributes content whether the legal content owners want it or not. @Lyndahere has frequently complained on Twitter and Facebook about people using ‘her work’. A couple of days ago she wrote a response to a comment made by mic.com about Facebook and copyright “That Facebook ‘Copyright Protection’ Message is Garbage so ‘Stop Posting It’. She responded by writing “Put succinctly, FB is a big dickhead who can use your info and what you post whether you want to or not. And the only way to keep FB from doing that is not to be on FB.”  On the one hand it seems alright for her do what she wants in regard to other people’s content, but not alright for other people to take her content and use it how they want.  

On the 6 November, 2014 @Lyndahere recorded and distributed links to a pirated copy of a CBC Canada segment via Facebook and Twitter.  Despite the fact she knew there was a legal copy immediately after, she let the post remain and has continued to collect hits for her YouTube site Between the Rock. She collected over 3000 hits that technically belonged to CBC Canada for content she did not create nor had permission to distribute. @Lyndahere knew the comments on her Facebook page that said the video could not be seen legally outside of Canada were not true. She acknowledged this on Twitter and circulated a legal copy. She did nothing to edit them, remove them or the pirated report. Nor has she distributed a link to the legal content on Facebook. In these circumstances she used Facebook in to her own advantage.

On her Facebook page she wrote on the 6 November 2014 “Alan post this link for an online clip and Rick Mercer’s Petty Harbour fishing (and eating and singing) trip for CBC’s Rick Mercer Report.

It’s gorgeous…and only can be seen inside Canada (and provided the link).  

Slightly less gorgeous – but considerably more accessible to all – is this recorded-from-the- broadcast (sorry, non-HD) version (and provided the link).

Canadians – Be smart (an as Alan’s Mom would say Be Good) and watch the CBC clip Alan shared. Not only is the quality better, the website traffic should go to CBC from the people CBC is letting see the clip”.

I hope some of these videos on YouTube help people understand copyright and fair usage.

In a video Copyright Basics (a link is provided below) created by the Copyright Clearance Center in the United States explain how copyright is automatic when a work is captured in a fix format either written down or recorded and are protected by copyright law. The copyright holders have the exclusive right to perform, display, copy, distribute and create derivative works.

Copyright Is...: http://youtu.be/8J7styDOUwY

Copyright Basics: http://youtu.be/Uiq42O6rhW4

 

In certain circumstances people do not require the copyright holder’s permission to use the work. People can use the work for parody, news reporting, commentary, scholarly research, and education. Under fair usage there are four factors which need to be taken into consideration when using a work. These are

·         the purpose and character of the use,

·         the nature of the copyrighted work,

·         the amount and substantial of the   work and

·         the effect of the use on the marketability of the work. 

The Copyright Clearance Centre argues most people do not intentionally violate copyright and do it as they go about their daily activities. Copyright does matter because it is the law and it is unlawful to infringe on the copyright holders rights, it’s ethical to demonstrate respect for the copyright holder’s rights and is the right thing to do and the royalties we pay enable more work to be created.  

The Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Videos by the Centre For Media and Social Input at the School of Communication at the American University in Washington DC is an interesting video that explains fair usage in a video remix culture and creativity.

Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Vid…: http://youtu.be/N-jsOrOVzG4

There are situations where fair usage for online video users and outlines them in online usage. They provide situations where fair usage is acceptable. They are

·         comment and critiquing on copyrighted material,

·         using copyrighted material for illustration and example,

·         copying copyrighted material incidentally or accidentally,

·         reproducing, reposting, or quoting in order to memorialize, preserve, or rescue an experience, an event, or a cultural phenomenon, 

·         copying, restoring, and recirculating a work or part of a work for purposes of launching a discussion 

·         quoting in order to recombine elements to make a new work that depends for its meaning on (often unlikely) relationships between the elements.

What was interesting about reading the categories of fair usage was their limitations. The authors of the video state “this code of practice is not a blank check for copyright. To be within copyright, the work needs to be transformative, the amount that is copied is used in proportion to the purpose and always give credit to your sources”.

References

Center For Media and Social Impact (2008). Code of Best Practices in Fair Use For Online Video. at hhtp://ww.cmsimpact.org

Copyright Clearance Center (2010) Copyright Basics at http://youtu.be/Uiq4206rhW4

Copyright Clearance Centre (2012) Copyright is… http://youtu.be/8J7styDOUwy

YouTube Copyright Basics (Global) (2013) available on YouTube

"I love Newfoundland...Just sayin' . " Russell Crowe

“I love Newfoundland…Just sayin’ .Wish I could be here longer. ” Russell Crowe on Twitter.

I have got to love a slow news day in Canada and Newfoundland when journalists resort to Twitter to write stories about our boys Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco.

Today as many fans who follow Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco on Twitter know, Russell made a very brief stopover in Gander, Newfoundland on his way back from London, England. He made a point of telling us he was disappointed his friends didn’t rush up to meet him. If Russell really wanted to meet up with his friends, he could have taken a direct flight from London to St John’s and then on to where ever he was going next. It is also expensive to fly to Gander.

This stop over has made the news in Canada and their banter trended on Twitter. Today CBC in Newfoundland tweeted that this was the most- read article yesterday. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is an Indoor Garden Party announced soon, somewhere in America for the boys and fans to catch up.

The tweets from the official accounts of Russell Crowe, Alan Doyle and Allan Hawco were removed from the article. They are available on their accounts.

"Can't believe  @alanthomasdoyle and @allanhawco  didn't drive 4 hours to meet me in Gander. Guess" I'm partying alone Dec 7 (from Russell Crowe's official Twitter account. No copyright infringement intended)

Actor Russell Crowe stood up in Gander by Newfoundland friends.

CBC News Posted: Dec 07, 2014 2:45 PM NT Last Updated: Dec 07, 2014 9:40 PM NT (no copyright infringement intended)

While on his way back from Europe actor Russell Crowe made a stop in Gander Sunday, and according to him, he gave his Newfoundland friends Allan Hawco and Alan Doyle ample warning that he was coming.

Crowe told his more than 1.6-million followers on Twitter that his duo of Al(l)an friends stood him up, and because of that Crowe had to "party" in Gander alone.

"Following the example of @alanthomasdoyle on his book tour, I shall be making a personal appearance in Gander, Newfoundland, at 7 a.m.," Crowe tweeted.

Crowe was flying over Newfoundland on his way back from London, England.

Crowe landed at Gander International Airport at about 7 a.m. Sunday, and to his disappointment neither Hawco nor Doyle were waiting.

Crowe posted a very lonesome-looking selfie with the sarcastic tweet, "Battling through the crowds for my public appearance in Gander, Newfoundland."

He followed that up with another selfie and tweet reading, "Guess I'm partying alone."

Though it wasn't long after—perhaps when Doyle and Hawco were waking up—​that they began to realize the party they were missing out on.

Alan Doyle tweeted back "@russellcrowe @allanhawco hawk...fire up the GTO. We've got fish cakes to deliver."

The exchange between Crowe, Hawco and Doyle was liked and retweeted thousands of times. So much so that it was trending on social media for some time.

And even though the back-and-forth between the three got quite the hype in the Twittersphere, that wasn't enough for Crowe, who likely missed out on a few beers with some old friends, and instead had to settle for a cup of coffee.

Crowe was in Gander, partying by himself, for all of 43 minutes.

"I love Newfoundland... just sayin'. Wish I could be here longer," and "Leaving Gander. Thanks for everything," were his parting tweets.

Let's make a movie. Murray Foster and The Cocksure Lads movie...

During the Great Big Sea hiatus band member Murray Foster made a movie called The Cocksure Lads. When Murray Foster announced on social media he needed the fan’s help to make his movie happen, many Great Big Sea fans jumped on board for the ride.

Tonight is the world premiere of The Cocksure Lads at the Whistler Film Festival. I am sure there are a lot of excited fans who wish Murray all the best with the movie. We look forward to seeing it soon. Watching the making of this movie on social media, from the initial call for fans assistance for financing, through to fan's meet and greets, the filming on the streets of Toronto with the stars, to the final editing definitely has been a labour of love for Murray, his cast and crew and the fans alike. It is inspiring to see creative ideas turn into reality. If we really do have a dream to do something, then we should go for it. The movie was funded with assistance from the Kickstarter program.

So what is The Cocksure Lads movie about for those fans who don’t already know ? The IMDb 2014 provides an overview of the film and those involved “The Cocksure Lads arrive in Toronto on the morning of their first American tour. They head to the venue, get into a fist fight and breakup within 10 minutes. The four Lads scatter and spend the rest of the day wandering around town getting into misadventure –drinking, fighting, meeting women, taking baths, getting thrown out of pubs, having sex and falling in love. Through the course of this misadventure they discover what it means to be in a band. But can they patch things up before the big show?”(IMDb 2014). There are guest appearances by Canadian musicians Alan Doyle and Kendal Carson. 

For more information about the movie and screenings visit the Cocksure Lads webpage at www.thecocksurelads.com. 

Below is an interview Murray did recently with the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

A 20 –year labour of love, The Cocksure Lads blindsided by scandal by Marsha Leederman Whistler, B.C – The Globe and Mail published on Dec 05, 2014. (no copyright infringement intended).

Imagine that you’ve been chasing an artistic dream for nearly 25 years; that you’re weeks away from realizing it with the world premiere of your film.

It’s a labour of love that started as a joke – a couple of lines of lyric scribbled down back in 1990 that evolved into a collection of songs and even the creation of a fake band around the idea – and now this, your first feature.

Now imagine that as you’re nearing completion of the project, you’re dragged from the editing room by an explosive scandal involving your very old friend and former band mate.

“I lost a week of productivity. I couldn’t focus on anything else,” says Murray Foster, who started his first band with Jian Ghomeshi when they were in Grade 7; the two were later part of the popular satirical band Moxy Fruvous. “I was too upset and too disturbed, too fixated. It was a very busy time in postproduction and I couldn’t afford to miss a week. But I did.”

Foster is telling the story of The Cocksure Lads Movie over breakfast in Whistler, B.C., where his film is having its world premiere Saturday at the Whistler Film Festival.

It’s mostly a great story: the creation of a fake British Invasion-type band, and actual songs to go with it – a loving send-up.

It was in Moxy Fruvous’s first year that Foster came up with those jokey lyrics (“When your best girl says she loves you; when your hair looks like it should”), leading to a years-long writing project with band mate Mike Ford.

“Eventually we had all these songs [and thought], ‘Is there a band that plays these songs? Whose songs are these?’ That became the Cocksure Lads.” Satisfying their own curiosity about who the lads were, Foster and Ford developed a back story – their rise and fall in the 1960s through to the scandalous collapse of lead singer Dusty’s political career in the 1990s.

By 2010 they had about 25 songs, but energy for the project was waning. “I realized that if we did nothing, it would just sort of float away,” Foster says. “So I said let’s go into the studio and record some of these songs, even if this CD just turns out to be a gravestone marking this amazing idea. We kind of owe it to the Cocksure Lads to record these songs; this 20-year love affair we’ve had with this fake band.”

That recording – The Greatest Hits of the Cocksure Lads (1963-1968) – reinvigorated the project and sparked the idea for a feature film à la A Hard Day’s Night.

The Cocksure Lads Movie – with four brilliantly cast actors you’ve never heard of as the lads and nary a fake accent in sight (they’re all British or British-born) – was shot last spring. Set in the present day, it’s the madcap story of the lads’ North American debut in Toronto, which begins to go sideways from nearly the moment they lay eyes on the CN Tower.

As the film neared completion, Foster was sidelined by the Ghomeshi scandal. (Incidentally Ghomeshi is credited on two songs used in the film.)

“All I did for a week was sit at my laptop and read, like I think everyone else in Canada did; I was as engrossed as everyone else. And then that kind of lifted after about a week. But it was quite hard, for sure. I talked to people who were crying all the time – my friends, and my band mates,” Foster says.

The fog has cleared and Foster is proud of his film. He’s also working on turning the concept into a TV series.

As for Ghomeshi, Foster says he and the band were “stunned” and had “absolutely no inkling” prior to the allegations being made public.

“I still love Moxy Fruvous and I always will, but there is an element of this tinting the memories a little bit. And that’s sad,” Foster says. “But it was still a magical time for me and I think for the other guys as well.”

The Cocksure Lads Movie has its world premiere at the Whistler Film Festive on Dec. 6 at 7 p.m.

“War film suitable for kids says Crowe”…a response…

Russell Crowe has been promoting his new film The Water Diviner in Australia. Recently Russell has come out and said that the film is suitable for children. In an article by new.com.au titled “War film suitable for kids” Russell Crowe discusses how children should not be ‘spared the brutal truths of war’. As a parent he has allowed his children Tennyson and Charlie aged around 8 and 10 years old to see the film and attend the world premiere in Sydney tonight.

In Australia children learn about the ANZAC tradition from a very early age. Most schools in Australia are involved in some form of ANZAC service around April 25 to remember the sacrifice made by Australian soldiers and others in all wars. Thousands of families and their children attend services on April 25 including Russell Crowe and his children. Australia at war, Gallipoli, the ANZAC traditions and the sacrifices the soldiers and others have made in all wars is embedded into the Australian Curriculum and taught to children in primary and high school in a way that is appropriate to their age and development. There are lots of resources about Gallipoli produced to help parents and teachers to help children learn about conflicts and wars like this one.

As a parent it is Russell Crowe’s right (in consultation with their mother Danielle) to choose what television and movie content is appropriate for their children. However, Russell Crowe did not mention the Australian film classification board have chosen to label the film M for mature audiences. The M for mature audiences is one of three unrestricted classifications. The other two are G for general admission and PG for parental guidance needed.

The Australian film classification board states about M film classification “Films and computer games classified M (for mature) contain content of  moderate impact and are recommended for children 15 years and over…children 15 years and under can legally access this material because it is an advisory category. However, M classification films and computer games may include moderate impact that is not recommended for children under 15 years. Parents and guardians need to find out more about the film’s specific content, before deciding whether the material is suitable for their child .”

And therefore the decision as to whether children should see this film should be ultimately left up to parents.

(from panmacmillian.com.au No copyright infringement intended)

“War film suitable for kids” Crowe at news.com.au published on 2 December 2014.

CHILDREN should not be spared from the brutal truths of war, according to Russell Crowe, who is taking his two young sons to the world premiere of his directorial debut in Sydney on Tuesday night.

The Water Diviner which tells the story of a father (Crowe) who travels to Gallipoli after the war to properly bury his three sons, includes a number of graphic battlefield flashbacks.

“It’s definitely a film that you take your kids to,” said Crowe who won a Best Actor for his role in Gladitor, on Monday.

“Yeah, it’s heavy. Grief is going to be emotionally heavy. But sex wise there is no nudity and there is no swearing.

“So you have got the space within that to allow them to learn something a little bit.”

Crowe’s youngest son, eight-year-old Tennyson, has already had a private viewing of the film, which stars former Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney(Terminator: Genisys), Ryan Corr, Jacqueline McKenzie and Turkish actor Yılmaz Erdoğan, all of whom are scheduled to attend Tuesday night’s State Theatre premiere.

“You might think it’s a tough lesson but he had a very romantic view point about war,’’ says Crowe, who describes The Water Diviner as “unashamedly anti-war”.

On Tuesday night, Tennyson will see the film again, this time accompanied by brother Charles, who has only seen excerpts.

“So often, we romanticise what things mean. We take big words like sacrifice and we have no real detail,’’ says Crowe.

“There’s a moment in the film where the two brothers are lying in the battlefield. The camera descends down to where they are and you can hear hundreds of voices in that no man’s land between the two trenches calling out for their mother, for water, for God.

“That’s the reality.”

After screening the film in Melbourne on Wednesday night in another red-carpet premiere, Crowe and Kurylenko, who plays a Turkish widow, and Erdogan will travel to Turkey to introduce the film there.

On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the battle of Gallipoli, Crowe felt it was important to canvas both sides of the story.

“To me the level of respect the Turkish have shown us far outweighs what we have reciprocated with,’’ he said.

“Our boys still lie in their soil, in marked graves, in an area that they have decided is a national park.”

 For Crowe, it’s important to redress the imbalance, even in small ways.

“Small things can have great resonance. We should be teaching our children that when we say Gallipoli, the Turks say Canakkale, for instance.

“Those two words should be completely connected. It’s not a big thing but but it’s the beginning of a reciprocation of respect.”

Catching up with Republic of Doyle on YouTube…

I am not feeling too sympathetic towards CBC Canada at the moment. I am an overseas fan of their show Republic of Doyle. We are in the final season. Fair enough I didn’t expect to see the up and coming episode titled ‘When The Whistle Blows’ with Alan Doyle and Scott Grimes returning as Wolf and Jimmy when shown and is blocked in my country. Republic of Doyle isn’t on Google Play, my preferred methods of buying digital content (due to the absence of country barriers) and only available it seems on ITunes. (I am not sure if the content is available in my country as Season Five is being shown on pay TV). So I went looking for the Republic of Doyle on YouTube to play catch up and see what I could find.

And there Republic of Doyle was in full seasons and episodes diligently recorded by loving pirates available for viewing, in direct competition to ITunes, other pay television content and even a site that looks like the official Republic of Doyle social media sites. What is a fan to do? Buy or watch for free? Even the latest Season Six had been recorded week by week and there was not a DCMA copyright notice in sight. So I am not feeling too much sympathy or the love for CBC Canada right now when they choose to block viewers watching content overseas on their site and then allow pirates to record content and go unchecked. Why should I do the right thing and pay for television content when CBC Canada doesn’t care?

I love Republic of Doyle. I love the amazingly talented, creative and very proud Newfoundlander Allan Hawco. I love the Republic of Doyle’s brilliant and talented cast. I love how the television show presents the exquisite city of St John’s, Newfoundland. I am continually amazed at how many beautiful sunny days they found in St John’s and Newfoundland to film. After six successful seasons I certainly can understand why someone like Allan Hawco and perhaps the cast and crew would want to move onto other projects. Of course all their fans thank them for the hours of enjoyment they have brought to our lives and wish them well.

Being a fan of a television show like Republic of Doyle in another country other than Canada provides viewing difficulties. The preferable place to watch content is on the CBC Republic of Doyle webpage episodes where hits count for something and let the organisation know many people love this show, even in it’s last season. The second choice is to buy legal content on places like ITunes and pretty soon after the episode is watched in its country of origin. I didn’t know until recently the content was available from ITunes including, the most recent episodes, but I am still not sure if this content is available overseas in my country.

The next stop is YouTube. Pirates who film illegal content like television shows and place it on YouTube themselves make content difficult to find by failing to label their illegal recordings properly. Many pirates who illegally record television shows quickly have DCMA notices slapped on them by the legal copyright holders and brought down. Pirates have posted advertisements on YouTube sites stating the content has been moved to webpages which allow interested viewers to download and watch content and pirates to collect revenue from advertising. Alternatively pirates escape the DCMA notices by only recording part of the program, mixing it up with other series content.

Then there are people who advertise content that contain within it a catch in that they direct people to online streaming through Fox2hd television giving them 14 days free trial. They require fans not only to log onto sites, but also to give details such as credit cards even though they wont be charged. Why take credit card details when customers might not like the service offered? Sounds like a right out scam to me when customers have to give over their personal details for something for free. It has taken a couple of days, but finally this episode is being loaded up onto YouTube. There are the opportunistic pirates who record content and load it up. Then there are the diligent pirates who record the show week after week and  have their loyal subscribers. These latest episodes seem to have attracted advertising. 

I have just found a recent copy loaded up onto YouTube about an hour ago as I researched this post. There is a site on YouTube called Republic of Doyle and is consistent with the official social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. The site was created at the beginning of the Season Six on October 15 2014. It has recorded all the episodes for this season. While it is great for a site to put content up so quickly, if it is an official site, it was particularly annoying to watch the episode in a smaller screen and the words Republic of Doyle written across the top of the screen. It is kind of insulting that someone who designed this site doesn’t think I can remember the name of the television show I am watching. Perhaps, it is there to make fans feel so annoyed and uncomfortable when watching that they would go to the official Republic of Doyle site at CBC Canada. I originally chose this site on YouTube to watch this one episode, giving them the benefit of doubt.

After this discovery I am left wondering three things. The first one is why isn’t CBC Canada more vigilant when hunting pirates of its content to the same extend some US television shows are? And the second reason is why should I care about their content if they don’t? The third reason is why are they not regularly searching for pirates on YouTube when television shows like Republic of Doyle are still being sold to pay television syndicates in places like Australia and the United Kingdom for programming. So I am left thinking if television shows are going to compete with pirates at their own game and collect any kind of revenue they can in places like YouTube they should set up then own official sites or pirates will.

The Jimmy and Wolf episodes are my favourites. Wolf is looking really hot with the long hair, full on beard and a thick Newfoundlander accent. Jake Doyle was gorgeous too, as the man who found out he was being scammed by a girl claiming to be his daughter. It is a shame they are both fictional characters in a television series. St John's was spectacular as always. Now, that's real. I have in the past bought four seasons of Republic of Doyle on DVD.

From the official Republic of Doyle Twitter Account "Sweet Baby Jesus, give me strength..." #doyletweets (No copyright infringement intended).


From Torrent Freak…"IIPA: Canada is a magnet for “rogue” sites and persistent pirates". By Ernesto on February 10 2014 (no copyright infringement intended).

The MPAA, RIAA and other entertainment industry groups are calling out Canada for its lack of effective anti-piracy enforcement. The groups label Canada a magnet for pirate sites and also want Internet providers to punish subscribers who repeatedly download copyright-infringing content.

The International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) has just published its latest submission to the U.S. Government, providing an overview of countries it believes should better protect the interests of the copyright industry.

The IIPA, which includes a wide range of copyright groups including the MPAA, RIAA, BSA and ESA, has listed its complaints against a whole host of countries. As in previous years, Canada was discussed in detail with the recommendation to put it on the 2014 Special 301 ‘watch list’.

One of the main grievances against Canada is that the country offers a home to many sites which the copyright industries label as “rogue” businesses. This includes the recently shut down isohunt.com as well as other popular torrent sites such as torrentz.eu and kickass.to.

“Even after the shuttering of Isohunt, Canada is still the home to some of the world’s most popular Internet sites dedicated to piracy, including torrentz.eu and kickass.to, which garnered rankings of third and second place, respectively, on one of the most widely accessed listings of the world’s most popular illicit BitTorrent sites,” IIPA writes.

The copyright holders further mention the linking sites cuevana.tv, free-tv-video-online.me, and solarmovie.so as having Canadian connections, as well as the smaller torrent sites fenopy.se and monova.org. Without proper enforcement action against them, Canada remains very attractive to these allegedly infringing sites, they claim.

“It is hard to avoid the conclusion that Canada remains a magnet for sites whose well-understood raison d’être is to facilitate and enable massive unauthorized downloading of pirated versions of feature films, TV shows, recorded music, entertainment software, and other copyright materials,” IIPA writes.

“The largest of these Canadian-hosted sites attract scores of millions of unique visitors every month, and their corrosive effects on legitimate markets are felt worldwide,” they add.

The United States should encourage Canada to take action against these sites, the industry groups recommend. Without proper action the country will not just remain a safe haven for infringing websites, but also a breeding ground for new generations of Internet pirates.

According to the IIPA, current policies have resulted in widespread piracy among Canadian Internet users, with instances twice as frequent as in the United States. “In this environment, it is not surprising that Canadians continue to demonstrate a formidable propensity to patronize illegal online sources of copyright material, thus stunting the availability and growth of legal alternatives,” IIPA writes. “A report released in September 2012 found that, on a per-capita basis, Canadians download more unauthorized music than residents of any other country, and two-and-one-half times as much as Americans,” the groups add.

“Canadians continue to demonstrate a formidable propensity to patronize illegal online sources of copyright material, thus stunting the availability and growth of legal alternatives.”

The industry groups further recommend that Internet providers should partner with copyright holders to tackle the ongoing piracy problems. While some ISPs already forward infringement notices to their customers, they note that repeated infringers go unpunished.

Due to this “glaring weakness” the current copyright infringement warnings sent out by some ISPs are not believed to be very effective.

“Although more and more notices of infringement are sent by right holders and forwarded by service providers to their customers each year, the providers do not even correlate the notices with individual subscribers to know which are repeat infringers,” IIPA writes.

“To treat the first-time violator identically with the serial offender jeopardizes any deterrent effect the notices might otherwise achieve,” they add.

The groups recommend that the U.S. Government urges Canada to implement “strong legal incentives” for local ISPs to take action against these persistent pirates by teaming up with copyright holders.

The above is just the tip of the iceberg for Canada. Among other things, the groups also call for stronger border protections and hefty jail sentences for copyright infringers. This is not the first time that Canada has been called out on copyright. Based on similar recommendations the U.S. Government has placed its northern neighbor on the intellectual property watch-list for several years in a row.

The IIPA’s full 2014 Special 301 recommendation report is available here. This also includes assessments from more than two dozen other countries, including Argentina, Brazil, China, Italy, Russia, Spain and Switzerland.