This is amazing. Apparently, the FBI has managed to arrest 13 persons, that were involved in an operation running since 1999, that specialized in recording films in theaters on a camcorder. On Wednesday, the FBI broke up two rings in New York City. Industry Officials claim that the scofflaws are responsible for half of all pirated camcorder films!
By using file sharing networks, the pirates were able to quickly distribute their bootleg films to Pakistan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and other countries. Another interesting twist, is these people were into some social engineering and were actually able to gain access to advance screenings and this would lead to even bigger profits for them.
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One of the movies the suspects were conspiring to profit from was "Superman Returns," the highly anticipated film released Wednesday, officials said. The FBI learned that assistants were used to surround "cammers," people who specialize in covertly filming movies, to conceal their filming and prevent people from blocking the view. The video shooters were paid several hundred dollars per film by manufacturers who would duplicate and package fake DVDs in counterfeit labels for distribution to street peddlers, the court papers said. The bootlegs sell for up to $19 a piece. |
Who in the world would pay 19 dollars for a bootleg movie? Makes you wonder if the whole story isn't concocted by the MPAA!
Source: Seattle PI
