While some anti-piracy laws border on the Draconian, they’re nothing compared to a new Netflix France commercial.
The ad deploys actors from the hit show Narcos to threaten violence against pirates and their families.
The tongue-in-cheek commercial features the actors in their Cali Cartel guise, promising “bullets for you and your family” if you illegally acquire the show.
“Do you think we didn’t see you Googling ‘Narcos Season 3 Download?’ Do not be a fool, Narcos is a business,” said Pêpê Rapazote, the actor behind drug kingpin Chepe Santacruz Londonõ.
Related: Netflix offline viewing guide
The ad (via TorrentFreak) goes on to say there’ll be no “nice and polite” courtesy letters like the ones sent out by the French copyright cops.
The French HADOPI law gives web users three strikes before fining them for piracy related indiscretions. The drug lords depicted in Narcos promise a slightly more permanent solution, so to speak.
Damián Alcazár, who plays Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela, adds: “There’s bullets for you, your family, and all the people you send to watch Narcos on all those shitty websites full of dubious pop-ups.”
Netflix is yet to respond to requests for comment on the commercial, which makes slightly uncomfortable viewing.
Narcos Season 3 premiered on Netflix on September 1.
What do you make of the controversial Netflix ad? Is it just a bit of fun? Or unnecessary rhetoric? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.