An open letter to Adam Shankman

Dear Mr Shankman,

Let me start by saying how much I love Hairspray. I think it has become an instant classic and I'm so pleased that it's getting the recognition it deserves.

What I'm writing to you about is the way that your work is being distributed. I know it's not generally your concern, but I think this is something you personally should know about.

I have downloaded the music video for You Can't Stop The Beat from the iTunes Music Store. This was a legal purchase, which cost me almost $4. However, I've found that I can only play the music video within the iTunes program itself. You see, the file has been encrypted so it will only play within iTunes and on iPod MP3 players. I'd like to watch the video on my DVD player and on my non-Apple MP3 player, but this is impossible with the encryption in place.

Apple has told me that they won't help me to get around the encryption. Through doing my research on the Internet, I've found that the restrictions have been placed at the insistence of the movie studios, to stop piracy. This would be fair enough, except that pirates have already put your work onto Youtube, and now the only thing that the restrictions are doing is inconveniencing me, and not letting me use my purchased video the way I want to!

Apart from being highly ironic (a song about freedom being encrypted and locked to a particular piece of software), it is very disappointing for me. I can barely wait for Hairspray to come out on DVD so I can own a copy, so I bought the video clip, only to find that I can't watch it in the ways I want to! It's highly frustrating.

So yeah, I just think you should know about the restrictions being placed on my fair use of watching your lovely direction and choreography. If there's anything you can do about this situation, I would really appreciate it - if not, oh well! When Hairspray comes out on DVD down here in Australia you are invited to my Hairspray party :-)

Yours sincerely,

Christopher Lees