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Two Men Arrested for Camcording 'Alamo,' 'Passion'
« on: Apr 15th, 2004, 2:54pm » |
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Two Men Arrested for Camcording 'Alamo,' 'Passion'
Thu, Apr 15, 2004, 08:04 AM PT
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - The first two people have been arrested under a new California law for illegally recording films in theaters.
In a screening of Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" on Saturday (April 10), Min Jae Joun was arrested after the red light on his camcorder caught the attention of theater personnel at the Grove Pacific Theaters in Los Angeles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Merely two days later, Ruben Centeno Moreno was arrested in the Chatsworth area of Los Angeles at a screening of "The Alamo" when a projectionist using night-vision goggles confirmed that a video camera was being used.
"In both cases, the LAPD's fine work would not have occurred without the swift actions of the employees of Pacific Theaters," says Jack Valenti, president and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). "It is my hope that this arrest will send a clear signal to others that such crimes will not be tolerated."
A hearing date is set for Wednesday, May 5 for Joun. Moreno has yet to have a court date set. The men face up to a year in jail if found guilty of the misdemeanor crime.
The law, which went into effect on New Year's Day, is part of the ongoing effort to crack down on movie piracy. In addition, the MPAA has implemented a nationwide hotline for theater employees to report violations. Studios and theater owners are taking matters into their own hands as well, purchasing metal detectors and night-vision goggles.
The MPAA reports that illegal copying by moviegoers with camcorders in theaters of newly released films constitutes the most costly source of piracy. Studios have lost an estimated $3 billion to pirates annually.
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