Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences expels member

February 5, 2004

Thanks to GristyMcFisty we know that the Academy of Motion
Pictures Arts and Sciences expelled a member for the first
time in history. According to the organization the member violated the agreement
not to allow "screener" movies to be distributed. As most of our readers will
know, screener or preview DVDs are send out to Academy members so they
can cast their vote for their favourites before the Oscars. One
problem here is that these screeners are sometimes distributed and
turn up on the Internet, sometimes weeks or even months before the retail
DVD is released:

The Oscars have cracked down on preview tapes because of fears
over piracy. The Academy asked all members to sign an agreement this year,
pledging to protect their DVDs and tapes.

The Last Samurai, starring Tom Cruise, and Jack Nicholson's
Something's Gotta Give and thriller Mystic River were among the movies
that appeared on the internet.

"We had hoped that this situation would not arise," Academy
president Frank Pierson said after Academy governors voted for the
expulsion.

The organisation had a duty to both movie distribution companies
and its other members, he said. It has to "live up to our part of the
bargain and to enforce our commitment to safeguard the video tapes sent to
us", he added.

Charges

The expelled member was widely reported to be Caridi - who appeared
in films like The Godfather Parts II and III - although the Academy would
not officially name him.

FBI officials have said Caridi has admitted to sending videos to
Russell Sprague, 51, from Homewood, Illinois.

Caridi's lawyer has said the actor "had no idea anyone else would
be seeing" the films he sent Sprague. Mr Sprague has been charged with two
counts of violating copyright
laws.

Source: BBC NEWS