ABftP Law

Herein lies the sacred text that is ABftP Law.

Section 1a - Rate the Remake

1.) The purpose of rating a remake is to determine whether or not the remake is suitable for general public consumption. 

2.) When one rates a remake he or she uses a rotating thumb scale that outputs a rating based on two criteria. The judge takes that rating into consideration as he or she assesses the overall feeling he or she gets when listening to the remake. The judge then renders a verdict. 

3.) The judge can agree with the rating of the rotating thumb scale or can override the rating due to emotional or human input. However, the criteria the rotating thumb scale uses must be taking into consideration when overriding its rating. The judge can not dismiss any of the criteria in order to change the rating of the remake.

4.) The rating is then declared and will stand until it is challenged again. 

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5.) The challenge will present itself by way of a Rate the Remake Replay at least 6 months after the original publication. 

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6.) The following guidelines shall be put forth when determining the rating on an official Rotating Thumb Scale:

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• True to the Original: Is the remake true to the original? Carbon copies of original material is frowned upon. However, any changes in the remake can not drastically change the sound, lyrics, or tempo of the song.

• Updated Genre: Does the remake bring the song into the genre of the artist or band that is remaking it? The artist or band that is remaking the song must be true to their original sound.

Section 1b - The Rotating Thumb Scale

There are three types of rotating thumb scales that can be used to rate a remake. 

• Analog: An analog rotating thumb scale is the original design for rating remakes. It is the preferred rotating thumb scale for official rate the remake segments. However, other rotating thumb scales can be used.

• Digital: Digital rotating thumb scales are similar to their analog counterparts except that they're different. Instead of an analog readout on the front of the rotating thumb scale, the digital rotating thumb scale employs a digital readout. This type of readout is more accurate but the original analog rotating thumb scale is still preferred. 

• Sun Dial: The Sun Dial rotating thumb scale harnesses energy from the sun to power the unit. The sun dial rotating thumb scale is harder to read and thus is not the preferred rotating thumb scale for official rate the remake segments.

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A wind powered rotating thumb scale is currently in the initial testing phase but is not to be used for rating remakes.

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8.) Each rotating thumb scale can be measured from the left side or the right side. Official rate the remake segments are measured on the left side of an analog rotating thumb scale. The rating is as follows:

• A 6:00 Position on the rotating thumb scale indicates that the remake is trash. When giving a rating of 6 on the rotating thumb scale, the judge is declaring that the remake shall not be heard from again. It will be exiled for no shorter than 1 year from the original publication of the verdict. After 1 year, the remake can be revisited by way of a Rate the Remake Replay.

• A 9:00 Position indicates that the judge is neither pleased nor dissatisfied with the remake. This position indicates a state of neutrality. Some judges also call this position "Switzerland." A 3:00 position can be used as well if the judge is operating from the right side of the rotating thumb scale.

• A 12:00 Position indicates that the judge rules a particular remake to be the best remake in all the land. This position is sometimes referred to as Midnight or Noon depending on who is rating the remake. The official title is "12 o'clock." Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" is many times referred to as a "12 o'clock remake."

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The rating on a rotating thumb scale can vary from 6:00 to 12:00.  These, however, are the benchmarks on the rotating thumb scale used to rate remakes.