Seven admit copying Star Wars DVD

[DanB]

[news=http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41204000/jpg/_41204319_star.jpg]Seven admit copying Star Wars DVD

Seven Star Wars fans have admitted copying Revenge of the Sith a week before its cinema release.

They admitted piracy charges after copying and passing a DVD copy of the movie among them last May.

The six US men and one woman also pleaded guilty to criminal conduct in allowing an eighth person to obtain the film and upload it onto the internet.

They each face a maximum penalty of a $100,000 (£56,000) fine and one year in jail when sentenced on 12 April.

Prosecutors said 28-year-old Albert Valente took a copy of George Lucas's final Star Wars movie from a post-production facility in Los Angeles last May.

It was then passed to Jessie Lumada, 28, Ramon Valdez, 30, Michael Fousse, 42, Dwight Wayne Sityar, 27, Stephani Gima, 25, and Joel De Sagun Dimaano, 33. All seven are from Los Angeles County.

Mr Dimaano then passed a copy to work colleague Marc Hoaglin, 28, from Huntington Beach, who last month admitted putting a copy on the internet.

New US laws make uploading a film before its DVD release a federal crime. Mr Hoaglin is due to be sentenced in March.

Hollywood studios said movie piracy cost the film industry $3.5bn (£1.95bn) per year.

"We are glad to see the Star Wars thieves brought to justice," the Motion Picture Association of America said in a statement.

"Stealing copyrights is a serious problem, and the theft and illegal distribution of Revenge of the Sith was a glaring example of how the actions of dishonest people can cheat the movie-watching experience."

Revenge of the Sith went on to take $848.5m (£474.6m) at the global box office.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4650956.stm[/news]

[Busyman]

The one fucked up thing is that one or more of them obviously snitched on the other(s).

[twisterX]

why are they acting all like they found them and brought them to justice. they didnt do shit.

The people admitted to doing it. As for them their morons.

[Virtualbody1234]

... As for them their morons.

That would look better if you would spell "they're" properly.

[Cheese]

... As for them their morons.

That would look better if you would spell "they're" properly.

That would have looked better without the double post.

[Busyman]

why are they acting all like they found them and brought them to justice. they didnt do shit.

The people admitted to doing it. As for them their morons.

I doubt they simply "came forward" out of the blue, twisty.

[twisterX]

i dont know. the way the article is worded makes me think tha6t

[maebach]

That would look better if you would spell "they're" properly.

That would have looked better without the double post.

[Filliz]

Hollywood studios said movie piracy cost the film industry $3.5bn (£1.95bn) per year.

Please piss off with those figures

[Busyman]

Hollywood studios said movie piracy cost the film industry $3.5bn (£1.95bn) per year.

Please piss off with those figures

Agreed.

While movie studios do lose lotsa money to piracy, they can't count every download and copy.

I'd have never bought or rented Alone In The Dark yet I have a copy.