In the US, the FBI just busted two movie piracy rings that they claim could be responsible for up to HALF of all the illegal recordings made of films in the US. Holy crap… if that’s even CLOSE to true, these guys must have been busy little bees.
The folks at Yahoo News give us this:
The FBI broke up two movie piracy rings Wednesday that authorities said specialized in sneaking digital camcorders into theaters and shooting hit films, then duplicating and distributing millions of bootlegs worldwide.
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 suspects were awaiting arraignment in federal court in Manhattan. Each could face five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy, copyright infringement and trafficking in counterfeit goods.
Holy crap!!! 5 years in prison? Listen, I’m all for busting guys who pull this kind of crap… I really am. Trying to profit off of someone elses work is low… but 5 years in prison? Guys get probation for assaulting and beating the piss out of people on the side walks… but for sneaking a cam into a theater you could get 5 years?!?!
Meh… I guess if you violate the health and rights of poor people you get a slap on the wrist… violate the rights of the rich you get 5 years. Someone please tell me again why our culture is so much better than everyone elses. I forget sometimes.
