Iconic Anti-Piracy Ad May Have Used Pirated Font

It’s one of the most iconic PSAs for a certain breed of millennial who was downloading free movies and music in the mid-2000s. The anti-piracy ad “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” is seared into countless brains for its goofy music, its silly message and its distinctive style. But what if that style itself was pirated? That’s the claim being made by folks on social media who have done a bit of digging. The TV ad, which is available on YouTube, premiered in 2004 and if you haven’t seen it in a while, it’s worth taking a stroll down memory lane. The ad featured animated graphics that read things like “you wouldn’t steal a car,” and “you wouldn’t steal a handbag,” and “you wouldn’t steal a television,” all displayed in a unique font. Then we get to the real message of the ad, with the message “you wouldn’t steal a DVD” eventually followed up with “downloading pirated films is stealing.” The font is so unique that the PSA is often parodied in a way that you can instantly spot, and it shows up ... Read full article.