Busted! That old anti-piracy ad might have pirated a font
Remember that old “You wouldn’t steal a car” ad? Turns out it kinda stole a font.
Remember that classic early 2000s anti-piracy ad?
The one with scratchy music, dimly lit shots of criminals at computers, and dramatic proclamations like “You wouldn’t steal a car…”
It was on every DVD you bought (or, ironically, pirated).
The advert was so serious in tone, it made you feel like a hardened criminal just for watching Shrek 2 at your cousin’s house.
Cue nostalgia…
ALSO READ: GTA 6 delayed (again), and gamers are fuming
Well, in a plot twist worthy of its own movie, the internet recently discovered that the ad might have been guilty of piracy itself.
Yup - social media sleuths and typography nerds united when a Bluesky user named Rib did some digging and uncovered the font used in the ad.
Turns out, it wasn’t exactly obtained through official channels.
According to Rib’s investigation, the font in question was a pirated version of XBand-Rough.
This font itself was also a dodgy copy of FF Confidential, a typeface designed by Just van Rossum.
Multiple outlets, including Sky News, backed up the findings, making it very likely that the very ad warning you not to steal things… kinda stole something.
The best part? The original font designer isn’t even mad.
In fact, Van Rossum told Sky News he thought the ad “always had the wrong tone”, and that the irony of it using a pirated font is “just precious.”
On the other hand, there’s been no word yet from the original campaign creators or the Movie Police (aka the Motion Picture Association).
However, the internet has already declared this a poetic full-circle moment.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet.
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your OpenView decoder and browse to channel 606.
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa
Follow us on social media:
· TikTok
MORE ON EAST COAST RADIO
Have a similar story or something unique to share? Email us at [email protected], we would love to hear from you!