UNILAB: Active Health Media Launch

I’ve been running for almost three years now. Other than my usual three times a week regimen, I am also fond of joining races by which is becoming more popular this days among Filipinos. This phenomenon (because I hope it’s not just a trend) has grown so fast and so big in just a period of ten years or so. For so many years that our country have been in the bottom scale in terms of development, economic progress and political stability, at least there is one thing good that is happening that is continually spreading in the life of many Filipinos today, and that is running.

For the past three years, UNILAB is among the leading proponent of running events that is being organized in the country today. In 2010, it started out as just a three-part running events which attended by less than 5,000 runners. Last year, the participation shoots up to a staggering 16,000 runners in one of the series runs alone. From this, UNILAB along with its long time running partner run organizer, RUN RIO, were prompted to come up with additional avenues in promoting active health.

Starting March 4, 2012, Active Health will kick-off with its Run United series that will commence in SM Mall of Asia for the 3k, 5k and 10k categories. However, for the 21k will be a little different this time. The 21k runners will be shuttle from MOA to BGC as the starting Line and it will finish also in MOA. By far the 21k has the biggest delegation summing up to more than 3,500 runners, so it is only fitting that it should have a separate race route in order not to mix it with other categories.

The Tri-United, a triathlon competition is another first for UNILAB Active Health campaign that will challenge a lot of competitive athletes in a three event-race namely, swimming, road-biking and running. It is a two-day event happening on April 14-15 in Batangas and on June 30 and July 1 in Bataan. This particular event will be organized by a new partner of UNILAB, the husband and wife triathlon coaches and veterans Dan and Ani Brown.

The month of October will also be as exciting because this will be the month of Jaymie Pizaro also known as the Bull Runner as she spear-head the UNILAB’s first ever Run United Philippine Marathon on October 18. But prior to this, coach Jaymie will conduct a series of clinics and runs dubbed as The Bull Runner Dream Marathon. It is a preparation for those serious runners who want to fulfill their dreams running a full marathon. This will be scheduled on March 18, 2012.

And finally, to complete the Active Health series is the Bike United. Though the schedules for this series are yet to be finalized, bike enthusiasts will certainly be excited to participate in this exhilarating event. The guy behind this cycling competition is no other than the “The Master” himself, Mr. Raul Cuevas. An Iron Man finisher himself, he is also the guy behind Bike King, a group of cycling coaches that organize cycling event all over the country. And for the first time, Mr. Cuevas, will partner with UNILAB in the Active Health bike united series.

The collaboration of Rio, Jaymei, Dan, Ani, Raul and of course UNILAB will certainly bring the outdoor sports to a new level that will hope to encourage more Filipinos to enjoy the healthier life style and challenge the competitive ones to push themselves one notch higher, thus improving the Sports capabilities of Filipinos among the ranks of world’s finest athletes.

Subic International Marathon 2012: Journey of a Barefoot Runner

MARATHON: A long distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers. It is a commemoration of the fabled run of the Greek soldier Phiedippides when he ran non-stop from Marathon to Athens to announce to his people that the Persian Army has been defeated.

Three years ago, before running was even part of my regular regimen, a marathon, for me, is more of a self-inflicting punishment that goes beyond healthy lifestyle. Anyone who subjects his body to run a gruesome 42 kilometer distance for hours is either a masochist or just a heavily compensated athlete with nerves of steel. Before, I thought people who do this out of sheer fun and excitement and who even shell out money for registration was just simply ridiculous.

When I started to join short distance races, finishing 3k or 5k distances brought me enough blissful contentment in one weekend. After all, I thought I could never achieve a feat running more than 5k because I used to experience joint injuries if I run longer distances. Before I knew it, after months of training, a change of running form, and finishing dozens of races, I have accumulated more than 700 kilometers of running distance. And finally, here I am, trying to recall the experience of my first ever 42k marathon at the Subic International Marathon 2012 finishing it in 5:13:01 and ... oh yeah, doing it barefoot.

Yup, I could say I’m one the crazy guys now. I’ve been running barefoot over a year now and I have come to know this style of running a year after several occurrences of running injuries specifically on the joint areas like ankle, knees and hips. After several running shoes I tried which gave me the same result, I finally had it and almost gave up on running. Then a doctor friend suggested changing my running form from the traditional heel-strike landing to fore-foot, the way barefoot runners do. With a bit of research and training (first on minimalist shoes), I came to a self-discovery of adapting to this type of running form. After that, not only were my running injuries significantly lessened, I was able to run farther with distances I never dreamed of achieving which  includes finishing a full marathon.

At 7:00 pm on January 21, 2012, Saturday, I boarded a Victory Liner bus bound to Subic. The run is scheduled on January 22, at 4:30am, a day after. When I arrived at Remy field at 12:00 mn, a race official offered me to rest and perhaps catch a few hours of sleep on the metal bleachers on the side of the oval. I noticed that there were several runners were already dozing off in their sleeping bags, makeshift beds and cardboard cartons. 

Before I joined them and found an available space to lie down, I managed to get some photos of the surroundings and even steal a shot of a sleeping runner. The outdoor temperature in Subic was cold so going to sleep was a challenge. Armed only with a hooded jacket, I tried my best to catch a few hours of shut eye while mosquitoes tried to puncture my jacket's nylon shell.

Before I could even reach dreamland, I was awakened by footsteps and I realized that the runners are starting to crowd the place. So I quickly jumped from slumber and sprinted to the dressing area to change. I brought my minimalist shoes and when I was about to finish fixing myself up, I held them tight for a few seconds (just in case I chickened out) and thought deeply if I would really be going to do a full barefoot marathon. With sheer adrenalin, I quickly placed the shoes back in my bag, left it in the baggage counter, went to the starting line with a short prayer, and never looked back. 

A few minutes before gun start, the organizer offered a short prayer for all the safety of the runners and I vividly remembered my prayer that day was a little bit over extended, because I knew I would be needing all the divine help I can get.

At 4:33 am all the 42k runners were set off. The synthetic rubber of the oval of Remy field was an ideal soft intro to me and I cherished its short term comfort because in a few meters, my feet and the rest of my body will embark on a perilous journey as I made my first step on the hard concrete road where it will stay that way for the next 42 kilometers. 

On estimate (since I don’t have a wrist top computer), my initial pace was 6min to 7min per kilometer. For me, it was good pacing for the first 10 kilometer stretch since the road was very smooth and barefoot-friendly. The atmosphere was cold and so was the road which made it more ideal for me. Along the way, I met several runners, a group from PNPA, PMA cadets, and some runners who came all the way as far as Cebu and Davao. All of them were baffled by the way I run, so it was also an opportunity for me to share and perhaps inspire them why I do this. It was also a way to pass by time since we all have all 42 kilometers to run and talk about anything under the sun.

Right after the eighth kilometer mark, a steep ascent lay before me and it was the first hurdle I needed to overcome. The challenge was not the difficulty of the climb but the quality of the terrain. It was less than a kilometer of sharp asphalt that has loose gravels and sharp pebbles covering the whole stretch. In my past race blog posts, I'd often mention the dreaded “Kalayaan fly-over” as the most feared stretch of road among barefoot runners. Because of its sharp asphalt condition, it is noted as the barefoot killer in the BGC racing circuit. Unfortunately, the stretch of road I faced in Subic was ten times worst. At least, I know  better now how to handle such terrain. I was well aware that I can cruise this road with my current running pace but decided not to and just walked comfortably so as not to wear out all my strength in the early stage of the run, considering also that another stretch as bad as this one might pop up anytime. 

As soon as I passed that ugly climb, the next 10 kilometers was a smooth cruise and a big relief. At this point, runners entered the jungle portion of the course where we were received by the sounds of exotic birds and cries of wild monkeys and other nocturnal creatures living in the Subic jungle. With much effort, we tried to view them but it was still dark to see them. The available light from the dawn was not enough to illuminate the path thus race organizers placed mobile light source in areas where we had to navigate through bending roads and turns in the race course. In a little while, the road cleared up as we passed the 16th kilometer mark and decided to take my first pit stop to hydrate. It was only at this point that I felt the thirst and perspiration. It took me a while to sweat perhaps because of the cold temperature and I was pre-occupied enjoying the scenic view of the course.

I had a wonderful time running along with some of the runners and the scenic view of the road. Somehow, fatigue and physical stress was temporarily put aside subconsciously. Before I knew it, there’s the Ocean Park and the U-turn was already in view. From here, half of the battle was over and another half yet to be conquered.

Going back was a bit slow and steady. The sun was up and the road that used to be cooler an hour ago was a bit warmer and but still comfortable to manage. At this point, sweating was another concern so I tried to stop by as much water stations I passed to replenish water loss. Half way through was an extended outskirt, half a kilometer long that was added to the course. The terrain was ugly as hell for a barefoot runner like me. Good thing that on the side was Carrabao grass so I did off-road running from time to time until I reached the U-turn and went back to the main path. After that was over, my comfortable pace changed a bit. I made a few stops and tried to put medi-plast tape on my sole to nurse the soreness and prepare it for another stretch of 10 kilometers up ahead.

I was relieved when a runner from a maritime school paced me in the last 10k stretch and it sure made a lot of difference compared to when running alone. At the last eighth kilometer mark, fatigue was taking its toll but I kept a constant pace as much as I can. The last 5k was like 10 kilometers that made me and other runners to just brisk walk our way to the end. But at the turn of the corner of the last kilometer, I pushed myself with my last reserved strength and ran towards Remy Field.

The applause of people cheering me to go on made a lot of difference as I raced towards the finish line. Race official took pictures of me and handed me my finishers’ medal and a finishers’ dog tag. A lot of people congratulated me which made me a little emotional but I tried to contain it. After retrieving my bag from the baggage counter, I sat on the grass and tried to catch my breath. I massaged my feet as I reminisced the experience I just had and that was the point where my emotions overcame me and I cried. The feeling was so overwhelming and I never knew I could accomplish such feat.

Phiedippides, the Athenian warrior who ran 42 kilometers from Marathon to Athens might have the same or even much better feeling when he arrived at Athens and announced that his people have won the battle. In a deeper sense, my first marathon was likewise a victory of not just one person but by many who ran with me that day. So, it is only fitting to say to all 450 plus 42k runners of the Subic International Marathon 2012 - WE HAVE WON!

KICK THE HABIT 2: An Advocacy Fun Run for a Non-Smoking Philippines

On its second year, KICK THE HABIT once again enjoins the public to end the vice of smoking and begin a healthy lifestyle through running. With a very successful fun run last year, KTH continues to see the impact of its campaign for Filipinos to stop smoking. But this time around, KTH is armed with more celebrity endorsers like actor/director Cesar Montano, stage actress Jaime Rivera, PBA/NBA basketball star Billy Ray Bates and other influential personalities who have forged an alliance to advocate for a non-smoking society. 

Now with a bigger and a more exciting fun run, KTH hopes to gather more than 5,000 participants who will run in the 1k, 3k, 5k and 10k categories. The race will be held at the ULTRA and its course will cover the streets of Pasig's business district.

Last night, I was invited to an online media/bloggers night at Chris Sports Megamall to witness the press launch of Kick The Habit 2 Fun Run. Present were some of the celebrity advocates who shared their stand on a no-smoking and a healthy lifestyle society. KHT Endorser Alvin Anson shared to us some of the dangers of smoking to the body and its effects on other people who don’t smoke. He even commented on the issue of other athletes who, while undergoing tedious trainings, still manage to smoke cigarettes afterwards. He also made some remarks on the issue of cigarette companies sponsoring sporting events despite their business contradicting sporting principles. Mr. Billy Ray Bates, a basketball sensation way back in the 80’s and who is now retired, shared about his past and how he has transformed to living a healthier and more holistic lifestyle, body, and spirit. 

The Proceeds of KTH2 fun run will go to a non-government organization called HOPE Foundation. HOPE stands for Helping Overcome Poverty through Education. Its goal is to alleviate people from poverty through its four elements which is Education, Empowerment, Employment and Events. The fun run, along with its other fundraising efforts, hopes to generate more funds and support that will provide the needs of 1000 children living in the mountainous villages of Rizal province before the year 2013.

After the presentation, we were gathered to pose for some photo ops with the celebs and were given race kits for us to join in the fun run as well. Later, we enjoyed each other’s company while we share stories of our running experiences. Food was also served while we continued fellowshipping through the rest of the evening.

Movie Review: The Descendants

In many Hollywood movies, it’s very rare to find a film having Hawaii as the setting and does not have a plot involving the beach and surfing. The Descendants is a movie that does not highlight the “paradise” theme of the island state but features the realities in a normal American family, much similar to what others also experience in the main land. 

This movie, I must say, is George Clooney’s finest hour as a talented actor. This certainly is a successful “bounce back” after a long dormancy in his acting career. Director Alexander Pyne, the same guy who made critically acclaimed movies such as “Sideways” and “About Schmidt” among other great films, has yet again created another masterpiece that all members of the family would enjoy watching.

The Descendants is about the story of Matt King (George Clooney), a lawyer with a promising career in the Islands of Hawaii. He’s trying to juggle his roles that involve troubleshooting a domestic crisis happening in his family and having the responsibility of being trustee to 25,000 acres of pristine, wide ancestral land in the island of Kauai, passed down from his ancestral Royal roots.

What complicates the story is the accident that happened to his wife who ended up in a coma. Their two daughters, 10 year old Scottie (Amara Miller) and 17 year old Alexandra (played by impressive newcomer Shailene Woodley), with their near-the edge delinquent behaviors add insult to Matt’s misery. What made matters worse is the discovery of his wife’s illicit affair which prompted him to do some investigation about his wife’s lover. 

In his efforts to find the “guy”, his two daughters tagged along for the ride which made them closer together as family. Along with the “adventure” was Alexandra’s local surfer friend named “Sid” played by Nick Krause who provides comic relief to the story. Their journey brought them from Oahu to Kauai where Matt found the whereabouts of the “lover” named Brian Speer (played by comedic actor Mathew Lillard) who happens to be a real estate broker visiting the island hoping to clinch “big” business. After a heated confrontation, the family went back home to Oahu so Matt and his daughters could be there during the wife’s remaining days. 

The film is a wonderful break for most of the busy people out there who are all perked-up from work and neglecting some of the important things in life like family. Matt King may have thrown the towel and agreed that his wife be unplugged from life support but he was determined enough to win his children’s affection and improve their relationship as a family. This valuable lesson is demonstrated yet again when he made the all-important decision about the legacy their ancestors left him and the other descendants.

Catch this heartwarming film with your family.

HP - DepEd A+ Campaign

HP, the premier brand in home and professional computers and printing technology, teams up with the Department of Education for a year-long project that will promote reading and writing among elementary students in Grades 4 to 7 as well as high school students. This collaborative project aims to inspire creativity among young Filipinos who will someday join the ranks of great Filipino authors of short stories. 

Last January 26, 2012, I was invited to cover the launching of this campaign together with my colleagues in the quad media and representatives of different schools in Metro Manila. The event was presented with dynamic theme songs especially made for the campaign. The campaign includes creative writing workshops that will be conducted nationwide and will highlight interactive lectures and fun activities for students.

The Achieving A+ Excellence project will be driven by HP’s foremost printing technology that will support all the creative ideas of these students and turn them into more tangible reading materials for everyone to appreciate. Mr. Armando Pascual, HP General Manager for Printing and Imaging group, described, “The A+ campaign allows students to enjoy learning and achieve excellence at the same time.” Also present was Dr. Milagros Quiniones, English Supervisor of DepEd-NCR. She expressed, “We look forward to this meaningful partnership with HP. Through Read&Write, we will be able to work hand and hand in enriching the learning experience of children and inspire a growing interest in writing and reading, two of the most important and fundamental skills in education.” 

As an inspirational icon, HP chose Mr. Efren Penaflorida, awarded 2010 CNN Hero of the Year and Lakandula Award recipient to be the campaign’s ambassador. In the event, Mr. Penaflorida encouraged everyone about the things education can do and that poverty should not be a hindrance in achieving excellence. “Education is life-changing and reading and writing is where it all starts,” he explained. “It is through colorful prints that students are able to appreciate and embrace education even more as it embraces them back and enables them to change their lives for the better.” 

 The competition will soon roll-out this coming March 1 to May 30, 2012. It will recognize Metro Manila’s Top Ten writers. As part of the culmination, written materials will be made into a book as a compilation of all the winning pieces. 

Pole Dancing Class @ FTX Fitness Exchange

Pole Dancing has finally redeemed itself from the confines of strip clubs to become a legitimate form of dance and acrobatic.

It is a form of art combined with dance and gymnastics that requires a substantial amount of body strength in order to perform acrobatic tricks mostly done with a vertical metal pole. Before the mid-2000, the reputation of pole dancing was limited only to strip clubs thus giving this kind of dancing a more creative and erotic relevance. However, in recent years, pole dancing has become an increasingly popular dance sport and physical fitness routine and has been adapted by many gyms and dance studios in many countries around the world.

The Philippines is no exception and is relatively not left behind when it comes to the popularity of this sport. FTX Fitness Exchange, the newest fitness hub located right in the heart of the Makati Business District, is creating its own reputation of having out-of-the-ordinary types of work out systems including pole dancing classes. FTX is one of the few gyms in the metro that offers pole dancing among other classes such as Fly yoga, Rip60, Cirqfit, Muay Thai and boxing.

Last January 18, 2012, I was invited to attend a launching of some of the work out classes FTX is offering including pole dancing. I was amazed by how Ms. Uela Basco, a seasoned pole dancer, demonstrated some of her intricate moves and tricks that practically defy gravity. Her moves were so elaborate that they made some of the guests, including me, to be curious enough and can’t help not to try after her performance. 

A lot of interesting people who were also present and took time to grace the event include Mr. Fernando Zobel de Ayala himself who just been noted to be a health buff and a two-time Cobra 70.3 finisher at the Iron Man held in the Province of Camarines Sur last year. Another familiar personality was Atty. Midas Marquez, the Supreme Court’s spokesperson, who was nice enough to pose for some photos with us.

After the demonstration, we were treated to a hearty buffet of Japanese cuisine. I had the opportunity to meet these famous personalities while we enjoyed trying out some of FTX’s treadmills. I was also fortunate to meet the guy – yes, a guy! -- who actually brought pole dancing to the country. His name is Mr. Ed Aniel, the president and founder of Pole Dancing Academy of the Philippines.

In our conversation, Mr. Aniel shared to me about his passion for this type of unusual craft from a guy’s point of view. Having come from a Ballet Jazz and gymnastic background, he said that it was not that difficult for him to learn it. It was also surprising to know that he never attended a formal class in pole dancing so most of his moves and tricks were free-styled from his own choreography. In his travels to different countries, he was able to learn several techniques that prompted him to create an entirely indigenous and original program. From there, he founded the first Pole Dancing School which gave birth to several groups holding classes in various gyms and dance studios. 

After the crowd subsided, I managed to ask for a few basic moves on how to get started in pole dancing and I realized that it was not a walk in the park to learn it. It involves a lot of upper body tension and arm strength just to hold both of your legs up in just a fraction of a second. If you are interested to learn, FTX Fitness exchange is offering pole dancing classes for those who want to experience a different type of full body work out.


(Photos courtesy of Recycle Bin of a Middle child and FTX)

Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an adaptation of a Swedish trilogy novel by the late Steig Larsson originally titled Män som hatar kvinnor which means “Man Who Hate Women". This award-winning novel is just one of the Millennium Trilogy series. His inspiration came from a bad past where he witnessed the gang rape of a girl when he was 14 years old. Larsson felt bad that he did not sound off the authorities on the said crime and this eventually prompted him to write the famous books later on. 

In the movie, Daniel Craig played the character Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative finance journalist who was convicted for libel by a billionaire industrialist Hans-Erik Wennerstrom for an alleged financial sabotage issue. Burnt from the tragic experience, he was suddenly offered an investigative writing job about the history of the Vanger family by another rich business tycoon, Henrik Vanger, played by award-winning British actor Christopher Plummer. A part of Blomkvist’s job is to investigate the unsolved mystery disappearance/murder of his favorite niece Harriet 36 years ago. He was offered by Vanger a lucrative financial compensation and documents that will strengthen his case against Wennerstrom.

Prior to Blomkvist’s commissioning, little did he know he already went through a thorough investigation made by Vanger ‘s legal counsel through an unusual young woman named Lisbeth Salander who worked for Milton Security. Noted for her cunning style of surveillance and hacking skills, her report about Blomkvist lead to the prompting of the Vanger writing project.

The story revolves in the tracing of members of the Vanger Family and their connections that might lead to the suspect. Blomkvist went through pictures and old police reports but with all the information in front of him, he can’t seem to place all the pieces together that will lead him to solve the case. He then appealed to his client for assistance that led to a partnership with Lisbeth and which made his deductions suddenly become clear. As the case became warmer, so does the relationship between Blomkvist and Lisbeth which gives the film an interesting story. 

This film is directed by David Fincher, the same guy who helmed The Social Network movie among other big hits. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as compared to the novel is pretty much on the same track without so much diversion from the original. Since this film is in a three part series, movie fans can expect a couple of sequels more, perhaps, in the future.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is rated R-18 so expect a lot of skin, bare nakedness, and some pumping action scenes that make the story more exciting to watch. It is distributed by Solar Entertainment Philippines and is now showing in all major cinemas in the metro.

Movie Review: J. Edgar

J. Edgar, the movie, is one of Di Caprio’s best-played characters since The Aviator, the story of Howard Hughes. His portrayal of J. Edgar Hoover was a magnificent take that optimizes his talent as an actor.

J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is another remake of many films about Mr. John Edgar Hoover of the FBI. It is no surprise that his story is a favorite among film production outfits because of the countless intrigues that surrounded his life. Compared to other versions of the story, Clint Eastwood has masterfully rendered a well-balanced presentation of Hoover’s identity and life story in private as well as in public.

In this film, director Clint Eastwood brilliantly captured Hoover’s character which was very autocratic in many ways such as his obsession to fight radical movements in the US at that time and, not to mention, his intriguing secret relationship with his life-long assistant Clyde Tolson. But in the midst of all these seemingly questionable practices, in the majority of the public eye, Hoover remains a hero and a genius because he was the one who introduced dozens of innovative breakthroughs in the world of investigation and forensic science which made tracking down criminals a much easier task in the present day. 

However, there were also cases where he took false credit for some of FBI’s noteworthy arrest for himself. In his early days, when organized gangs were just becoming very popular in the US, the FBI was the key element in apprehending some of the worst criminals local law enforcers dare to pursue. On the other hand, there were also some rumors where he played “politics” with the mafia gangs and allowed leaders to have some tolerable control of their crimes.

The cinematography and special effects of the film were remarkable. The transformation of Di Caprio from a young, eager, and active agent to an aging, domineering Hoover in his later years was relatively notable. However, the facial prosthetic latex work of the old Tolson was not as convincing as Hoover’s. As far as acting is concerned, all the actors in the film have performed with their utmost abilities. 

As much as I don’t want to critic Eastwood’s direction in this film, a perplexing flow of scenes jumping from one era to another is very noticeable. And for those audiences who are not quite familiar with Hoover’s life story, they will find it bewildering to discover Hoover’s “gender preference” issue. In the earlier part of the movie, his character was established as a “straight” and unbending; a masculine and fearless top cop. The eventual revelation of the “gay issue” was too late in bringing the audiences to an awkward feeling of disappointment. 

Generally, J. Edgar is a 100% must watch film for 2012. It will educate movie goers with a little bit of history and leave them with a lesson that not all heroes we know are perfect in every way. J. Edgar is produced by Warner Bros. pictures and is still showing in major cinemas all over the metro.

EUGENE KASPERSKY on SOPA: Back to the Dinosaur Period

Eugene Kaspersky, CEO of Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, spoke out against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that has sent the world into an intense debate over the sweeping rights of the United States in its quest to fight digital piracy.

Remaining true to his position against any form of piracy, Kaspersky said in his blog that there should be other forms of regulating content distribution without having to enforce laws that would otherwise protect only a few.

Kaspersky, who earlier pronounced his company’s pull out from the Business Software Alliance (BSA), argued that the SOPA is only protecting the rights of Americans while distancing itself from non-US artists’ rights. Kaspersky warned that putting SOPA into law is essentially an “Americanization” the Internet whereby the US can prosecute anyone regardless of location.

Kaspersky even described BSA, the organization he once supported, as “blindly” supporting SOPA and ignoring other points of view about the rights of others outside the US. He said this has caused him to withdraw Kaspersky Lab from the association.

“Under this law, the interests of non-American authors/creators are not protected at all, while the nationality of the perpetrators is of no importance…. If we accept this law, hundreds of thousands of lawyers will suddenly appear out of the woodwork because almost any website can be accused of copyright infringement! This law will lead to major legalized extortion,” Kaspersky said.

The outspoken internet security software developer also likened the SOPA to the time of the dinosaurs wherein “Jurassic” old world laws are being forced down on a new world thus preventing progress. “The Internet age has no place for the rudiments of the bygone age of vinyl, which is a far cry from today’s technologies, customer demands and reality in general. Just because this old style of business can’t or won’t change, it is trying to lead the Internet marketplace to any early grave with the help of SOPA and the like.”

“This is complete and utter nonsense from the era of the dinosaurs – and we know their brains were the size of a pea,” he added.

Nevertheless, Kaspersky insisted that he is completely against any form of piracy noting that artists and developers are commercially obligated to earn as this would provide them the financial incentive to develop more and better products. “Not only do the authors have to eat, they need money to create their products, this intellectual property, which is sometimes a rather cost-based thing.”

Instead, Kaspersky said that distribution processes have changed and consumers are now able to acquire songs, movies, and applications using different methods. He cited iTunes as one such distribution method, which allows users to purchase whatever songs and videos they want for a certain cost. He said iTunes also protects the rights of copyright holders.

“Content should be distributed in new ways, that is, low quality content is free --you can take as much as you can eat. Medium quality content should be quick and cheap while high/professional quality should be expensive,” he summed up.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is the world's largest privately-held Internet Security company, providing comprehensive protection against all forms of IT threats such as viruses, spyware, hackers and spam. The company's products provide in-depth computer defense for more than 300 million systems around the globe, including home and mobile users, small and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises. Kaspersky technology is also incorporated inside the products and services of nearly 100 industry-leading IT, networking, communications and applications solution vendors.

For further information about the company, please visit http://www.kaspersky.com