“You wouldn’t steal a car” anti-piracy campaign may have used pirated fonts

You wouldn't steal a car, right? So you shouldn't pirate a movie, either.

That was the gist of the infamous "You Wouldn't Steal a Car" anti-piracy campaign from the Motion Picture Association of America during the mid-2000s. But questions are now being asked about just how carefully the MPAA followed its own anti-piracy principles when designing the campaign. Specifically: Did the MPAA rip off a key font?

The answer to that question is, like many matters involving typefaces, fonts, and copyright, somewhat complicated.

The rich potential for hypocrisy

The anti-piracy campaign was … not exactly subtle. Its spots ran before movies in theaters and on home media from 2004–2008. One shows a teen girl clicking a big green "Download" button on a website promising "Feature Films"—but when she does so, large white text jumps onto a black backdrop: "You wouldn't steal a car." The text ...