At first, it seems like making a copy of a movie to give to a friend may pose no harm. Well, Albert Valente likely thought the same when he took a copy of George Lucas' Final Star Wars movie from a Los Angeles post-production facility and made copies of it to pass to 6 Star Wars fans he knew. At the time, the movie was not even in the cinema yet. Unfortunately, one of his fans who received a copy, Mr Dimaano passed it on to a work colleague, who in turn made it available over the Internet.
In the US, it is federal crime to illegally distribute a movie online before its DVD release. While it is not clear how these people were caught, they admitted to piracy charges and the 6 men and one woman all pleaded guilty to criminal conduct as a result of allowing the 8th person to get a copy of the movie and make it available over the Internet. Sentencing is due to take place on April 12th in which each will face a penalty of up to a $100,000 fine and one year jail term.
The MPAA announced that they are glad to see these thieves brought to justice, in which Hollywood claims that piracy costs the movie industry $3.5 billion each year. Thanks to both heystoopid and sidz who used our news submit to let us know about the following news:
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They admitted piracy charges after copying and passing a DVD copy of the movie among them last May. The six US men and one woman also pleaded guilty to criminal conduct in allowing an eighth person to obtain the film and upload it onto the internet. They each face a maximum penalty of a $100,000 (£56,000) fine and one year in jail when sentenced on 12 April. |
As the movie came from a post-protection facility, chances are that it is not watermarked to a given individual as opposed to the screeners that get sent out for reviewers. So in the case, it gives an indication that the movie industry is keeping a good eye on the first sightings of a new unreleased movie and quickly close in on the culprits once anything is spotted. Unfortunately just like a virus, by the time they catch the culprit, the movie they released will have become widely available by that stage.
heystoopid added: Oh well, I knew star wars fans could be obsessive, but I love the claim "Hollywood studios said movie piracy cost the film industry $3.5bn (£1.95bn) per year." , which is offered, without formal proof! Now RIAA, makes very but larger value for music piracy world wide as well! For me this would indicate, for given the total value of world wide sales of this media, that the pirates would need to maintain some very large factories and retail sales outlets, with a very strong presence in every pub and sunday market in the land selling the pirated media by the multiple car bootfull, just to reach the $ value claimed. But don't you love, the modern news media corporations, repeating verbatim, the fictitious propaganda and extraordinary claims, from all the music and video companies, without formal proof! But alas, how strange we don't hear from the powers to be, about regular busts and raids made on these factories? Oh well, let the cynics among us, remain alive and well!
Source: BBC News - Entertainment
