GristyMcFisty lets us know that the FBI has arrested a U.S. man who allegedly distributed preview tapes of films over the Internet. According to BBC NEWS the 51-year-old man had hundreds of tapes at his home in Illinois. The special tapes are only meant to be seen by Oscar voters and are said to have originated from an Academy member:
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Caridi told investigators he sent VHS copies of about 60 movies he received each year to Sprague. He allegedly told investigators he thought Sprague was just an interested film buff. FBI spokeswoman Laura Bosley said Caridi has not been charged but additional arrests have not been ruled out. 'Embarassed' Caridi's attorney, Richard Millard, told the Los Angeles Times that the actor "was embarrassed to learn that his name was associated with the film that was being improperly distributed." He added that Caridi "had no idea anyone else would be seeing" the films he sent Sprague. The FBI said Sprague converted the VHS tape into DVD format and then sent the original tapes back to Caridi. The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents studios, last year banned the distribution of so-called screener tapes over piracy concerns but partly lifted the ban after complaints from filmmakers, producers and independent production companies. |
Well I guess you're never too old for piracy... 😉
Source: BBC NEWS
