Keeping the world safe from DVDs

Lucky and Flo are two dogs starting a career in law enforcement. Not K9 police dogs. Not bomb or drug sniffing dogs. Something else.

Here is a report of their first day on the job at the FedEx hub at Stansted Airport, UK:

"FedEx was glad to assist in Lucky and Flo's first live test in a working situation. They were amazingly successful at identifying packages containing DVDs, which were opened and checked by HM Customs' representatives. While all were legitimate shipments on the day, our message to anyone thinking about shipping counterfeit DVDs through the FedEx network is simple: you're going to get caught." (Spacegrinder via Boingboing)

OMG. Here's the MPAA Press release, courtesy Spacegrinder:

"United Kingdom, Los Angeles - - The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), express delivery company FedEx and HM Revenue & Customs, has joined forces to launch an exciting new initiative to help combat DVD piracy.

As part of a project promoted by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA), FACT instigated the training of two black Labradors named Lucky and Flo by one of the world's leading experts in the field whose other clients include police, fire and rescue service. The dogs were trained over an eight month period to identify DVDs that may be located in boxes, envelopes or other packaging, as well as discs concealed amongst other goods which could be sold illegally in the UK. These DVDs are often smuggled by criminal networks involved in large scale piracy operations from around the world."

Hmm-mm. Maybe I'll start hiding my Fahrenheit 911 DVDs by embedding them in a block of hash.