David 1, Goliath 0

Score one for the underdog! In a world where global conglomerates seem to manipulate the very fabric of our lives it's somewhat heartening, first thing on a Monday, to see the little guy lay the smackdown on his corporate overlords. The MPAA and the major studios were given a swift poke in the eye on Friday when a federal judge ruled against them and granted filmmakers 'injunctive relief' against the ban on screener tapes. The backstory to this is a touch convoluted if you haven't been following but basically breaks down like this: to curb piracy (apparently) it was deemed necessary to stop tapes of films being sent out to awards body voters. No harm, no foul right? Wrong. The studios' greater exposure puts them at a distinct advantage and many voters' busy schedules means that some indie films could end up not being seen at all. A good thing, then, that the law has sided with a small coalition of independent filmmakers who stuck the metaphorical two fingers up at the powers that be and took the case to court. The judge gave a temporary injunction, lifting the ban on the grounds that it constituted a clear restraint of trade and anti-competetive practice. "This means that the SAG Awards nominating committee will have the broadest possible opportunity to view and judge the work of our members," said Screen Actors Guild president Melissa Gilbert. Not so pleased MPAA head, Jack Valenti, had this to say: "From Day One, the screener policy has been about one thing: preserving the future of our industry for filmmakers of all sizes by curtailing piracy. We know, without dispute, that in the past screeners have been sources for pirated goods both domestically and overseas. We will appeal because the impact and growing threat of piracy is real and must be addressed wherever it appears." The words 'grapes' and 'sour' spring to mind.