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Newgrounds Wiki: MPAA Investigation

As told by TomFulp On Thursday, April 6th 2001, we posted some "leaked" footage from an upcoming Tom Green movie (Freddy Got Fingered) on the frontpage of Newgrounds. It was uncertain at the time whether or not the footage would make it into the final film, since it involved Tom Green jerking off a horse.

The video was a huge hit and we soon received a cease and decist letter from the MPAA. I had been under the impression their only purpose was to assign ratings to movies; boy was I wrong!

The BIG SECRET that I've sat on for over a decade is that this footage wasn't stolen. It was sent to us by the producers and we agreed to run it as a publicity stunt. Tom Green didn't even know about it, as I found out during a conference call with his William Morris agent.

The MPAA of course didn't know either and SENT A PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR to my parents' house. My panicked mother gave the investigator my address and he came over for a brief interrogation. He also confiscated the video tape. I never confessed to him that it was a publicity stunt; I simply explained how the video tape arrived without a return address and could have been a publicity stunt.

Below you will see the nasty letter sent to me, the one sent to Troma (our ISP at the time) and my copy of the "Seizure Inventory" form.

So think about that, the MPAA attempted to SHUT DOWN my entire website and have it removed from its servers over a PUBLICITY STUNT. Twelve years later, they are fighting to pass SOPA into law. Think they'll use it sparingly?
Motion Picture Association
Worldwide Anti-Piracy
15503 Ventura Boulevard
Encino, CA 91436

PHONE: (818) (removed)
Email: (removed)

Friday, April 06, 2001

Name: Thomas Fulp
E-mail: tfulp@FAST.NET
ISP: New Ground

Via Fax/Email

RE: Unauthorized Distribution of Copyrighted Motion Pictures
Site/URL: http://www.newgrounds.com/ [with unknown IP address]
Reference#: 107148

The following motion picture production and distribution companies:
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
TriStar Pictures, Inc.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporations, Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
TriStar Pictures, Inc.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
United Artists Pictures, Inc.
United Artists Corporation
Universal City Studios, Inc.
Warner Bros., a Division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P.

We have received information that you are unlawfully offering product at the above referenced web site. We have notified your ISP of the unlawful nature of this web site and have asked for its immediate removal. Our letter to your ISP is set forth below for your reference.

Please contact us at the above listed address or by replying to this email if you should have any questions.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Respectfully,

Hemanshu Nigam
Director
Worldwide Internet Enforcement

MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INC.
15503 VENTURA BOULEVARD
ENCINO, CALIFORNIA 91436

UNITED STATES
Anti-Piracy Operations
PHONE: (818) (removed)
Email: (removed)

Friday, April 06, 2001

Name: admin@TROMA.com
E-mail: admin@TROMA.com
ISP: Troma Entertainment

Via Fax/Email

RE: Unauthorized Distribution of Copyrighted Motion Pictures
Site/URL: http://www.newgrounds.com/ [with unknown IP address]
Reference#: 107148

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) represents the following motion picture production and distribution companies:

Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.
Disney Enterprises, Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
Paramount Pictures Corporation
TriStar Pictures, Inc.
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
United Artists Pictures, Inc.
United Artists Corporation
Universal City Studios, Inc.
Warner Bros., a Division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P.

We have received information that you are providing Internet access to and possibly hosting the above referenced internet site, which is offering downloads and streaming video of copyrighted motion picture(s) including such title(s) as:

Freddy Got Fingered

The distribution of unauthorized copies of copyrighted motion pictures constitutes copyright infringement under the Copyright Act, Title 17 United States Code Section 106(3). This conduct may also violate the laws of other countries, international law, and/or treaty obligations.

We request that you immediately do the following:

1) Disable access to this site;
2) Remove this site from your server; and
3) Terminate the account of the account holder for this site.

By copy of this letter, the owner of the above referenced Internet site and/or email account is hereby directed to cease and desist from the conduct complained of herein.

On behalf of the respective owners of the exclusive rights to the copyrighted material at issue in this notice, we hereby state, pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Title 17 United States Code Section 512, that we have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owners, their respective agents, or the law.

Also pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we hereby state, under penalty of perjury, under the laws of the State of California and under the laws of the United States, that the information in this notification is accurate and that we are authorized to act on behalf of the owners of the exclusive rights being infringed as set forth in this notification.

Please contact us at the above listed address or by replying to this email should you have any questions.

We thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Your prompt response is requested.

Respectfully,

Hemanshu Nigam
Director
Worldwide Internet Enforcement
/img/wiki/history/mpaa_seizure464.jpg