Ars TechnicaApr 27
“You wouldn’t steal a car” anti-piracy campaign may have used pirated fonts
Digging into archived site points to use of questionable text styling.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/04/you-wouldnt-steal-a-car-anti-piracy-campaign-may-have-used-pirated-fonts/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
“You wouldn’t steal a car” anti-piracy campaign may have used pirated fonts

Digging into archived site points to use of questionable text styling.

Ars Technica
Show threadWesDym
@arstechnica Those ads ran everywhere at the time, and we mocked them. "I would absolutely download a car."
Apr 27 at 11:29amWeb
Show threadSaschaApr 27

@wesdym @arstechnica

we had a similar campaign in Germany, in Austria your us version was apparently translated.

We had a video in which a woman and her two children visit her husband, who is in prison for downloading pirated copies. Absolutely unrealistic and far too exaggerated.

"Pirates are punished with up to 5 years in prison." is the central message. Absolutely exaggerated, those who do it commercially are more likely to get it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6H4iv1iOOU

Raubkopierer-Gefängnis

YouTube
Show thread𝔱𝔯𝔷𝔶𝔤𝔩𝔬𝔴 Apr 27
@sam4000 @wesdym @arstechnica there was also this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdGKikTL2uU
Nur Original ist Legal

YouTube
Show threadWesDymApr 27
@trzyglow I worked for a very small record company at the time, and we realized that music pirating was actually good for us, not harmful. Many people were leery about buying something new to them, or unable to, but curious enough to listen. And SHARE. And that exposure and sharing boosted sales. We LOVED music pirates. It's really rights companies that hate pirates, because they don't understand how pirating is actually good for them.
Show threadSaschaApr 27

@wesdym @trzyglow

of course, it still has to be balanced.

Anyone who only uses drugs illegally and never spends money on legal consumption is not helping.

In any case, thanks for the insight. sounds really good.

Show threadℒӱḏɩę Apr 28
@wesdym @arstechnica I have sticker on my EV that says I downloaded it 😆