When you’re a movie maker, could there be a more positive inquiry from a potential viewer?

Isn’t that what trailers are designed to do? How many hours are spent creating trailers? How much money? How much time and effort is spent crafting the perfect show-a-little-leg-but-not-too-much tease to get people to sit forward in their seats and expand their pupils by the time the name of the movie and the opening date fades in?

And yet, thousands of people asking “What movie is this from” doesn’t seem to be influencing the poor decision made by the lawyers representing Constantin Film, who have decided to systematically destroy what is probably the most successful marketing campaign they’ve ever been a part of (Well, at least since the NeverEnding Story).

Constantin Film AG is the production and distribution company behind the movie “Downfall,” which is also the source from one of the Internet’s most hallowed memes.

Over the past few years, Hitler has “heard” about countless news items, small and large, and mostly inconsequential, via parodies produced simply by changing the content of his angry subtitled rants. (You can find out more about it here, on Mashable)

Thanks to the virulence of the meme, the “Hitler Hears” scene has been viewed by millions, representing a multitude of demo- and socialgraphics. Often, those new to the meme ask “What movie is this from?” And, much like a good trailer, the word is spread about Downfall (which is a fantastic movie, by the way).

But, the lawyers say “Nein!”

Much like Nike Golf’s recent decision to pull down parodies of Tiger’s latest ad, a corporation is trying to control the Internet. Surely in 2010 we know how these things work, don’t we? You create great content, and the people, who now have all the power, take ownership of it and do what they will. While many brands struggle with the question, “how do we get people to talk about us and our products,” Constantin is throwing away a seemingly endless mine of social interaction focused around their product.

Will they succeed? It’s doubtful. Much like the Digg code meme in 2007, what the Internet wants, the Internet gets. And we loves our “Hitler Hears” meme.

Craig Ritchie
@craigritchie
www.craigritchie.com