Filme für die Front: ein Rentner gegen Hollywood

Sehr hübsche Lesegeschichte in der New York Times – und sehr passend zu den aktuellen Diskussionen über Urheberrecht (in Deutschland) und Copyright (in angelsächsischen Ländern): Ein 92-jähriger Renter in den USA kopiert illegal aktuelle Kinofilme auf DVD. Und schickt diese DVDs paketweise an die Soldaten im Einsatz, vor allem in Afghanistan.

At 92, Bandit to Hollywood but Hero to Soldiers

“Big Hy” — his handle among many loyal customers — would almost certainly be cast as Hollywood Enemy No. 1 but for a few details. He is actually Hyman Strachman, a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II veteran trying to stay busy after the death of his wife. And he has sent every one of his copied DVDs, almost 4,000 boxes of them to date, free to American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(…)
As for his brazen violation of domestic copyright laws, Mr. Strachman nodded guiltily but pointed to his walls, which are strewed with seven huge American flags, dozens of appreciative letters, and snapshots of soldiers holding up their beloved DVDs. “Every time I got back an emotional e-mail or letter, I sent them another box,” he said, adding that he had never accepted any money for the movies or been told by any authorities to stop.

U.S. military personnel watch movies on their laptops at Orgun-E Camp, November 6, 2009. REUTERS/Bruno Domingos (AFGHANISTAN POLITICS MILITARY SOCIETY)

U.S. military personnel watch movies on their laptops at Orgun-E Camp, November 6, 2009. REUTERS/Bruno Domingos via fotoglif.com