If the MPAA did handbags

Techdirt writes about a very clever - and funny - spoof:

Lauren sent in an amusing spoof put together by a website about handbags, looking at how the handbag industry would be different if it had the equivalent of the MPAA around. It's an amusing little satire, with things like demands that you not appear on YouTube with a handbag and getting threatened with lawsuits for sharing handbags. Then, of course there's Handbag Rights Management, which pisses off legitimate handbag buyers, but the industry insists is necessary to stop copying.

Of course, this might not be as far-fetched as it seems. Remember the 17th century French button makers? They tried to do something along these lines. And, the fashion industry (including handbag makers) have been pushing for new intellectual property restrictions, and claiming that if they don't get them, counterfeit fashion items will help terrorists (which is one of the points in the spoof post too!). It appears that truth may have beaten fiction to the punch line.

Check out the full spoof here but I think this was my favourite part:

Handbags for One Outfit Only

Handbag companies have shown a distinct lack of imagination when it comes thinking of ways to squeeze every last penny out of the consumer. Compare that to the broadcasting industry that have some very imaginative plans.

The broadcasting industry is keen to establish laws and technology that would only allow the music or video you buy to be accessed from one device. So, for example, if you purchased a downloadable movie online, it would be illegal for you to stream that movie to your own TV set, or copy it to a DVD to watch at your friends house. In essence they want you pay for use of the video or music per device you want to use it on.

Applying this to the handbag industry you would only be able to use your handbag with a single outfit. Want to wear it with a different outfit then you would have to pay for it again. Own only one handbag then be prepared to wear the same outfit day in and day out.

This makes just as little sense in the bag industry as it does in the media industry.