Do you fancy £2,000 worth of Microsoft's money to spend on film and video equipment? All you have to do is make a short film.
Microsoft has launched the Thought Thieves short film competition, inviting film makers aged 14 and over to make a movie on the theme of 'How intellectual property theft affects both individuals and society'.

'The subject of intellectual property theft is often seen as legalistic and frankly a bit dull,' said Alex Hilton, anti-piracy manager at Microsoft. 'The truth is that intellectual property is really about people's creations such as software, films, books, music or a fashion line. When someone has worked hard on a creation, it's unfair to see it stolen from in front of their eyes.'

The competition is backed by several organisations including Film Education.

'We're delighted to be part of Thought Thieves,' said its managing director Ian Wall. 'Intellectual property theft is a major problem for the UK film industry, especially with the growth of counterfeit DVDs appearing in the country. Film is also a great medium to explore what is quite a difficult concept and we're looking forward to seeing the creativity of film makers in tackling it.'

Entries on CD or DVD most reach Microsoft by 1 July 2005. The winners in two categories (14-17 year-olds and over 18 and over) will receive £2,000 worth of vouchers to spend on film and video gear and they and the runners up will get a trip to London to see their films being screened.

For more information, terms and conditions and to download an entry form go to www.msn.co.uk/thoughtthieves.  download and print off poster

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