Hollywood Wants Tougher N.Y. Bootleg Laws - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Janice · 12-09-2005, 03:03 PM

Hollywood Wants Tougher N.Y. Bootleg Laws

NEW YORK (AP) - Every evening rush hour, hustlers lugging bags full of bootlegged movies walk the aisles of New York's subway trains, calling "two for five dollars!" as brazenly as if they were selling hot dogs at Yankee Stadium.

At those prices, the DVDs, often of current Hollywood blockbusters, sell well, despite laughable sound and picture quality. Few customers seem to care that the copies were made illegally.

Bootleggers apparently have little to fear, either. Under state law, people caught videotaping inside a movie theater face a maximum fine of $250.

As part of its worldwide campaign against piracy, the film industry is pushing for tougher penalties for smuggling a camcorder into a cinema in New York, which has the country's worst bootlegging problem and some of the weakest penalties for those caught in the act.

A bill pushed by the Motion Picture Association of America would make operating recording equipment inside a theater a criminal misdemeanor, raising the maximum punishment to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.

Making the crime a misdemeanor also would empower police to arrest violators on the spot, rather than the current practice of issuing them summonses.
People caught for a second time would be charged with a felony.

"We have to do something, because right now there's no risk," said William J. Shannon, a Yonkers-based deputy director of the MPAA's U.S. anti-piracy operation. "Right now, you're looking at something about the same as a parking ticket."

Legislators, film industry representatives and lawyers met Wednesday in Manhattan to discuss the new proposal, which would make New York one of several states to adopt tougher rules on movie piracy in recent years.
But the bill isn't without critics.

Defense attorney Marvin Schecter warned during Wednesday's discussion that, as currently written, the tougher penalties would apply to an obnoxious 16-year-old who holds up a camera phone during the coming attractions to snap a photograph of the screen.

Pace Law School professor David N. Cassuto likened the use of tough criminal penalties to attack the lowest-level offenders in pirating operations to "using a howitzer to solve a roach problem."

About half of all the bootleg films recorded live in a theater, duplicated thousands of times and then sent around the globe, originated in New York City, according to the MPAA.

Through intricate watermarking technology, investigators can now determine in which theater a film was playing when it was recorded by someone with a handheld camera. Film producer Lydia Pilcher, who worked on 2004's "Vanity Fair," starring Reese Witherspoon, lamented during Wednesday's meeting that in more than 15 years of her making movies, there's not one that wasn't bootlegged and sold on a New York sidewalk.

Dumballa · 12-09-2005, 03:28 PM

Why does the MPAA think that this is going hinder or stop or slow down people from getting movies either for free or very cheap? Its not.

seventies_sitcoms · 12-09-2005, 05:20 PM

Lower ticket prices, get better actors, and make better movies. Hollywood can save it's own ***, but they want to blame it on anybody else. Bootlegs have been around for years, and they will always be around. Hollywood and the MPAA (Censorship Board) don't get my sympathy.

TJL · 12-09-2005, 05:25 PM

I know Hollywood wants to put an end to the bootleg movie biz becasue it takes millions away from them.
Bootleggers have gotten more sophisticated with smaller digital cameras that they plug into the hearing impared jacks in the seats so you have a better picture and sound then ever before. Plus these guys have veritable factories with tons of computer equipment making quick DVD like copies of films that are on the street many times the same day the movie is released in theaters.
Sure, the overall quality of the product isn't perfect, but unfortunatly there will always be a customer for bootlegs - they think they are getting something for nothing.
And since a movie ticket costs 11 bucks, whou could blame them?

webuster · 12-13-2005, 12:16 PM

I don't think it'll be very effective- it just takes one theatre worker to relax a little with their security in order for someone to make a copy. Once one copy has hit the internet, a lot of people can download and make more copies of it.

What should be done is the gap between release dates in other countries needs to be narrowed- it will be more costly (unless digital broadcast and projection comes in soon) but having to wait 4 months longer to see a film is very annoying (the UK didn't get 'Bad Santas' until a whole year after the US! I've to wait another 3 months to see 'Rent'!) and would convince many to buy bootlegs.

MPAA should also try to ensure movies will be viewable across the country. Not everybody lives in the cities or a town with an arthouse cinema- the gov should subsidise film-going- perhaps for small movies that few people will have heard of, the local cinemas could have a small screening room in which any film (via digital technology) can be ordered and viewed.

The prices also need to go down- films should also be better- for some films they lose none of their impact when viewed on a small screen, so people won't care about seeing a bootlegged copy. For instance, the Phantom of the Opera has a fantastic opening sequence that does lose most of it's impact on DVD- I saw it in the cinema and thought it was fantastic, and worth going to see- many films have none of this quality.

I think 4 months is a safe DVD-release time: same day release is ridiculous because few people withmore than 1 child is going to go to the cinema when they can get the DVD at the same price to watch over again.

TJL · 12-13-2005, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by webuster

The prices also need to go down

Unfortunatly, the movie industry doesn't get it.
It's the spiraling cost of movie tickets and concessions that are keeping the customers out of the theaters.
Casual moviegoers are now weighing wheter it's cost effective to go spend a small fortune for a night at the movies to see a flick that they might not like. I used to see a lot of movies - but now that tickets are going to hit the 12 dollar mark very soon here in NYC - I'll only see a movie that I really really want to see on the big screen, like "King Kong," instead of a smaller movie that I'll probably get the same enjoyment out of on DVD, like "Syriana."

12-09-2005, 03:03 PM	#1
Janice Retired Admin - Hollywood Swingin' Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Beantown Posts: 36,388	Hollywood Wants Tougher N.Y. Bootleg Laws Hollywood Wants Tougher N.Y. Bootleg Laws NEW YORK (AP) - Every evening rush hour, hustlers lugging bags full of bootlegged movies walk the aisles of New York's subway trains, calling "two for five dollars!" as brazenly as if they were selling hot dogs at Yankee Stadium. At those prices, the DVDs, often of current Hollywood blockbusters, sell well, despite laughable sound and picture quality. Few customers seem to care that the copies were made illegally. Bootleggers apparently have little to fear, either. Under state law, people caught videotaping inside a movie theater face a maximum fine of $250. As part of its worldwide campaign against piracy, the film industry is pushing for tougher penalties for smuggling a camcorder into a cinema in New York, which has the country's worst bootlegging problem and some of the weakest penalties for those caught in the act. A bill pushed by the Motion Picture Association of America would make operating recording equipment inside a theater a criminal misdemeanor, raising the maximum punishment to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail. Making the crime a misdemeanor also would empower police to arrest violators on the spot, rather than the current practice of issuing them summonses. People caught for a second time would be charged with a felony. "We have to do something, because right now there's no risk," said William J. Shannon, a Yonkers-based deputy director of the MPAA's U.S. anti-piracy operation. "Right now, you're looking at something about the same as a parking ticket." Legislators, film industry representatives and lawyers met Wednesday in Manhattan to discuss the new proposal, which would make New York one of several states to adopt tougher rules on movie piracy in recent years. But the bill isn't without critics. Defense attorney Marvin Schecter warned during Wednesday's discussion that, as currently written, the tougher penalties would apply to an obnoxious 16-year-old who holds up a camera phone during the coming attractions to snap a photograph of the screen. Pace Law School professor David N. Cassuto likened the use of tough criminal penalties to attack the lowest-level offenders in pirating operations to "using a howitzer to solve a roach problem." About half of all the bootleg films recorded live in a theater, duplicated thousands of times and then sent around the globe, originated in New York City, according to the MPAA. Through intricate watermarking technology, investigators can now determine in which theater a film was playing when it was recorded by someone with a handheld camera. Film producer Lydia Pilcher, who worked on 2004's "Vanity Fair," starring Reese Witherspoon, lamented during Wednesday's meeting that in more than 15 years of her making movies, there's not one that wasn't bootlegged and sold on a New York sidewalk.

12-09-2005, 05:25 PM	#4
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	I know Hollywood wants to put an end to the bootleg movie biz becasue it takes millions away from them. Bootleggers have gotten more sophisticated with smaller digital cameras that they plug into the hearing impared jacks in the seats so you have a better picture and sound then ever before. Plus these guys have veritable factories with tons of computer equipment making quick DVD like copies of films that are on the street many times the same day the movie is released in theaters. Sure, the overall quality of the product isn't perfect, but unfortunatly there will always be a customer for bootlegs - they think they are getting something for nothing. And since a movie ticket costs 11 bucks, whou could blame them?
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12-09-2005, 03:28 PM	#2
Dumballa Sight beyond sight. Forum Veteran Join Date: Sep 05, 2005 Location: Lighthouse Point Posts: 6,384	Why does the MPAA think that this is going hinder or stop or slow down people from getting movies either for free or very cheap? Its not.

12-09-2005, 05:20 PM	#3
seventies_sitcoms * Senior Member Join Date: Jan 09, 2005 Posts: 2,244	Lower ticket prices, get better actors, and make better movies. Hollywood can save it's own ***, but they want to blame it on anybody else. Bootlegs have been around for years, and they will always be around. Hollywood and the MPAA (Censorship Board) don't get my sympathy.

12-13-2005, 12:16 PM	#5
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	I don't think it'll be very effective- it just takes one theatre worker to relax a little with their security in order for someone to make a copy. Once one copy has hit the internet, a lot of people can download and make more copies of it. What should be done is the gap between release dates in other countries needs to be narrowed- it will be more costly (unless digital broadcast and projection comes in soon) but having to wait 4 months longer to see a film is very annoying (the UK didn't get 'Bad Santas' until a whole year after the US! I've to wait another 3 months to see 'Rent'!) and would convince many to buy bootlegs. MPAA should also try to ensure movies will be viewable across the country. Not everybody lives in the cities or a town with an arthouse cinema- the gov should subsidise film-going- perhaps for small movies that few people will have heard of, the local cinemas could have a small screening room in which any film (via digital technology) can be ordered and viewed. The prices also need to go down- films should also be better- for some films they lose none of their impact when viewed on a small screen, so people won't care about seeing a bootlegged copy. For instance, the Phantom of the Opera has a fantastic opening sequence that does lose most of it's impact on DVD- I saw it in the cinema and thought it was fantastic, and worth going to see- many films have none of this quality. I think 4 months is a safe DVD-release time: same day release is ridiculous because few people withmore than 1 child is going to go to the cinema when they can get the DVD at the same price to watch over again.