The £2,000 prize is in vouchers for film equipment. Eight runners-up win a trip to London to view the propaganda film festival.

Submitted films must carry the theme: "how intellectual property theft affects both individuals and society". When asked about the prospect of a film frenzy on the subject, society refused to comment. Individuals, when reached for comment, said: "huh?".

Sounds to me like awareness raising is in dire need; as to coherency, well, gosh, let's not ask for too much here; this is, after all, a black comedy piece.

Alex Hilton, anti-piracy manager at Microsoft, gave an inspiring pitch: "The subject of intellectual property theft is often seen as legalistic and frankly a bit dull."

Getting into an empathetic groove, Alex wailed: "The truth is that intellectual property is really about people's creations. When someone has worked hard on a creation, it's unfair to see it stolen in front of their eyes."

That's exactly how the endless stream of plaintiffs in patent infringement cases against Microsoft feel. Oh, how the worm turns.