For many millennials, the anti-piracy public service announcement (PSA) featuring the memorable phrase, You Wouldnt Steal a Car, is a nostalgic trip down memory lane. This catchy yet earnest advertisement emerged during the mid-2000s, a time when downloading free movies and music was rampant across the internet. With its quirky music and distinctive visuals, the ad has etched itself into the minds of a generation, but recent investigations have raised eyebrows about the legitimacy of one of its defining features.

The original TV ad debuted in 2004 and is readily available on platforms like YouTube, inviting viewers to revisit its humorous yet serious undertone. The ad creatively featured animated graphics with text that read such phrases as, You wouldnt steal a car, You wouldnt steal a handbag, and You wouldnt steal a television. Gradually, these statements built up to the key message: You wouldnt steal a DVD, culminating in the direct assertion that downloading pirated films is stealing. This narrative was visually reinforced by unique typography that has become synonymous with the campaign, frequently imitated and parodied in memes across social media.

According to reports from Torrent Freak, the font prominently displayed in the PSA is recognized as FF Confidential, a typeface designed by Just Van Rossum in 1992. For years, this connection was largely accepted without question. However, online detectives have recently unearthed evidence suggesting that the actual font used was not FF Confidential but rather a typeface called XBAND Rough. This revelation has sparked discussion because XBAND Rough is suspected to be an illegal clone of FF Confidential, effectively making it a pirated version of a paid font that the campaign presumably should have licensed.

Social media user @rib highlighted the irony, stating, Naturally, it would be hilarious if the anti-piracy campaign actually turned out to have used this pirated font, so I went sleuthing and quickly found a PDF from the campaign site with the font embedded. Following this lead, Torrent Freak confirmed that the campaign materials indeed utilized XBAND Rough. However, they also noted that it remains uncertain whether the font used in the actual TV ads was a legitimate licensed version, as theres no way to verify that information. Despite this ambiguity, the fact that the campaign materialsarchived on the Internet Archives Wayback Machine due to the websites discontinuationfeatured a pirated font is ironic and amusing.

In a light-hearted response to the situation, Torrent Freak reached out to the fonts creator, who acknowledged the incongruity without passing judgment on the legalities involved. He expressed amusement at the notion that an anti-piracy campaign could potentially be utilizing pirated goods. This incident not only highlights the complexities of copyright in the digital age but also serves as a humorous reminder of the sometimes blurred lines in the fight against piracy.