[news=http://www.slyck.com/newspics/mpaacam.jpg]It would be a discredit to the MPAA to say they weren't taking a serious look at online and offline film piracy. However first glance at a press release issued today suggested an astounding escalation. No, the Euro-American military alliance isn't joining the movie piracy fight, but the National Association of Theatre Owners is.
Regardless of what new entities are becoming involved with the MPAA's escalating movie piracy fight, the fact of its expansion indicates more pressure is needed to stem the growth of film piracy.
The last two years have seen the rapid increase of both online and offline piracy, thanks to smaller video cameras and fast Internet connections. Of primary concern is physical piracy, as cheap, high quality versions of pre-release and theatrical release films are readily available from street peddlers. The source of these street wares can originate from boosted screeners, yet in-theater video camming continues to be an enticing venture.
After a film is cammed, the product is either uploaded to one of the various communication protocols of the Internet or sold to distribution labs. Those looking for something more than posterity generally sell their work. However, the two sides tend to feed each other, as some physical pirates simply download an already provided cam, make copies, and sell the product.
The act of recording a theatrical film was criminalized in the United States under Federal law in 2005. Despite this action, recording theatrical films does not appear to have diminished significantly - or at least enough to prevent the launch FightFilmTheft.org. The site is a collaborative effort The Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA), the Motion Picture Theatre Associations of Canada (MPTAC) and NATO.
As many file-sharers know, recording a film in the United States carries Federal criminal penalties. Doing so in Canada does not (currently a misdemeanor.) Without any kind of serious deterrent, it appears Canada is not only one of the last bastions of file-sharing, but also of filming theatrical movies. The effort attempts to educate theater employees and reward them with cash incentives for reviewing and completing online training.
The site basically informs theater employees what to be vigilant of in an effort to catch those recording theatrical films. Such pointers include glowing lights, assisted listening devices (Telesyncs), and coats during the summer.
As digital video cameras becoming small enough to integrate into a baseball cap, while quality continues to improve, the camming business doesn’t appear in danger of disappearing any time soon.
Source: http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1121[/news]
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