"No DRM, no regional restrictions, no crap"

And it's knocked down a million bucks in 12 days at $5 a pop.

It's Louis CK's new standup comedy special. Haven't watched it yet (downloading it even as we spea ... er, even as I type), but if you don't know about him, just take my word for it: He's a funny guy.

Here's his note regarding "piracy" from the purchase screen --

To those who might wish to "torrent" this video: look, I don't really get the whole "torrent" thing. I don't know enough about it to judge either way. But I'd just like you to consider this: I made this video extremely easy to use against well-informed advice. I was told that it would be easier to torrent the way I made it, but I chose to do it this way anyway, because I want it to be easy for people to watch and enjoy this video in any way they want without "corporate" restrictions.

Please bear in mind that I am not a company or a corporation. I'm just some guy. I paid for the production and posting of this video with my own money. I would like to be able to post more material to the fans in this way, which makes it cheaper for the buyer and more pleasant for me. So, please help me keep this being a good idea. I can't stop you from torrenting; all I can do is politely ask you to pay your five little dollars, enjoy the video, and let other people find it in the same way.

Sincerely,
Louis C.K.

I bet some of the middle men who make their money by forcefully interposing themselves between you and the authors and artists you like are lying awake right now (after a hard day lobbying for abominations like the "Stop Online Piracy Act" to protect their racket), thinking about that million bucks.

If he'd gone through them it would have cost you $19.99 (at least) for a DRMed version. He might have still made his million out of it, but he wouldn't have received the goodwill, future sales and direct customer relationship he's generating by doing it this way.

[Update: Watched it. Pretty good. His best? No, but pretty good and definitely worth $5. Oh, and it occurred to me that I should plug in some YouTube for those who have no idea who the hell he is. Enjoy - TLK]