Theaters will be able to detain pirates at DVinfo.net

Glenn Gipson · February 2nd, 2005, 09:29 PM

Theater owners will soon be able to detain camcorder-pirates who use camcorders to illegally record movies. Also, using camcorders in movie theaters will soon be a federal offense, punishable by up to 3 to 5 years in prison. You must be a subscriber to view the complete link on www.videobusiness.com

Keith Loh · February 3rd, 2005, 12:02 AM

If you break a law any citizen can place you under citizen's arrest.

Glenn Gipson · February 3rd, 2005, 07:38 AM

This legislation frees theaters from litigation arising from that detention. Theater chains are not individual citizens, but commercial institutions, so the legal rules are probably different for them. I doubt movie theaters are really going to enforce this anyway.

Boyd Ostroff · February 3rd, 2005, 08:41 AM

Do you have another link to an article about this, or the name/number of the law so we could read about it without having to signup for yet another annoying website that will send us spam? ;-)

Christopher C. Murphy · February 3rd, 2005, 08:57 AM

What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? This whole thing is stupid. If pirates are going to get video...they're going to do it. The simple act of videotaping a screen (no matter where it is) - it's so easy and anyone can do it. Therefore, it's totally stupid to have theater employee's become security guards. It's like telling a waitress to detain a smoker in a non-smoking diner! You think some waitress wants to deal with that problem? She'd get killed detaining anyone. The same goes for someone videotaping at a theater...if the person shooting video knows the crime is mandatory jail time...come on! They will know exactly the ramifications because you'd have to be a moron (even more of a moron then the people coming up with this law) not to know going in their armed with a videocamera. I think by now everyone knows how illegal it is..

If I were a theater employee I'd ask what the Hell the owners plan to do when the criminal shoots them...or stabs them or even punches their lights out. The owners are going to say tough sh*t...and point to some small print on their employee manual that says something like, "We are not responsible for anything that happens between you and a customer when their is a physical altercation."

You know what's really moronic? The studios who make these films send the film canisiters to theater via regular shipping services (UPS etc). I worked at a local indie theater that played first run movies too. The canisters were sometimes left at the door...in plain view of anyone walking outside on a busy street. Most of the time the door was unlocked! Anyone could reach in and take away the latest blockbuster that just came out that weekend. It's totally insane...the movie studios should start with themselves first and then work their way down the food chain. They are the ones sending new 35mm films in the damn mail every week! I had to grab the canisters and get them ready for projecting asap everytime I went to work...always thinking how insanely stupid it was that they were left out in the open before I got there.

Glenn Gipson · February 3rd, 2005, 09:08 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff : Do you have another link to an article about this, or the name/number of the law so we could read about it without having to signup for yet another annoying website that will send us spam? ;-) -->>>

videobusiness.com is spam free, I have been a member for a while now. Just make sure you uncheck the box that gives them permission to send you e-mail. It's also a superb source of DVD industry news. Lately I've been thinking, though, maybe piracy isn't all that bad. Maybe piracy is the one thing that keeps Hollywood in check with their outrageous budgets. I would imagine that if it weren’t for piracy, things would just go up and up and up… But piracy does have a bad effect on the little guy...like me :(

Brandon Greenlee · February 3rd, 2005, 12:01 PM

I really wonder how many people don't buy the dvd or go see the movie because they downloaded the version that was shot by someone holding a camcorder in a movie theatre?

The only thing that happens is it gives a chance for you to watch the movie again between the time its in the theatres and the time when it gets to dvd.

The quality is so bad I can't even stand to watch one of them anyways.

Glenn Gipson · February 3rd, 2005, 12:15 PM

This new law is a joke, though, because theaters don't even care about stopping people from sneaking into one screening to the next....if you can even call it sneaking at all....it's more like a cinema buffet, if anything.

Douglas Habib · February 3rd, 2005, 12:25 PM

.....other than "because they can" I never did get this bootleg piracy thing. Viewing a crummy rip-off to "save" a few dollars denigrates the experience; which is the point of the movie in the first place. Those satisfied with such inferior products seem so mentally and emotionally handicapped to find that appealing.
Besides the hardcore few fans for nostalgia purposes of a live performance of say, a concert; is there THAT much of a market for illogical scams??????
(At least a fake Rolex will still tell the correct time and so may be an enduring value, but a crappy (movie) reproduction will ALWAYS be still just a CRAPPY reproduction!!!!)

Harrison Murchison · February 3rd, 2005, 08:29 PM

This crime is soooo low on the food chain. I'm embarrassed that the law has even been passed.

Note to all theater employees. Listen to Chris. If you are the only thing that seperates freedom from 3-5 in Leavenworth I fear for your safety.

Hollywood and the Feds are a little too close IMO.

Chris Hurd · February 4th, 2005, 10:32 AM

Howdy from Texas,

<< What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? >>

What I want to know is, what kind of moron would pay to watch the resulting video? With the boomy, echoing soundtrack...

Murph, how many times did you use the word "moron" in your post anyway? ;-)

Thanks for the great link, Glenn! From a former projectionist,

Dylan Couper · February 4th, 2005, 10:58 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Christopher C. Murphy : What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? -->>>

Murph, you'd be surprised...
Lots.

They key word is "moron".

Joe Carney · February 4th, 2005, 11:18 AM

The theater employees will call the police.

The moron video taping the movie will get an unpleasant surprise sometime during the show. And if the moron taping the movie is dumb enough to risk 15 to 20 years for fighting a cop, then....

hehehe

Christopher C. Murphy · February 13th, 2005, 02:43 PM

I do tend to repeat myself...what a "moron" I am!

Steven Gotz · February 13th, 2005, 06:24 PM

All anyone needs to do is step in front of the person's camcorder a couple of times during the most intense parts of the movie and the video will be useless. No?

February 2nd, 2005, 09:29 PM	#1
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	Theaters will be able to detain pirates Theater owners will soon be able to detain camcorder-pirates who use camcorders to illegally record movies. Also, using camcorders in movie theaters will soon be a federal offense, punishable by up to 3 to 5 years in prison. You must be a subscriber to view the complete link on www.videobusiness.com

February 3rd, 2005, 12:02 AM	#2
Keith Loh Air China Pilot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Posts: 2,389	If you break a law any citizen can place you under citizen's arrest. __________________ -- Visit http://www.KeithLoh.com \| stuff about living in Vancouver \| My Flickr photo gallery

February 3rd, 2005, 08:57 AM	#5
Christopher C. Murphy Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,707	Wow, this is stupid What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? This whole thing is stupid. If pirates are going to get video...they're going to do it. The simple act of videotaping a screen (no matter where it is) - it's so easy and anyone can do it. Therefore, it's totally stupid to have theater employee's become security guards. It's like telling a waitress to detain a smoker in a non-smoking diner! You think some waitress wants to deal with that problem? She'd get killed detaining anyone. The same goes for someone videotaping at a theater...if the person shooting video knows the crime is mandatory jail time...come on! They will know exactly the ramifications because you'd have to be a moron (even more of a moron then the people coming up with this law) not to know going in their armed with a videocamera. I think by now everyone knows how illegal it is.. If I were a theater employee I'd ask what the Hell the owners plan to do when the criminal shoots them...or stabs them or even punches their lights out. The owners are going to say tough sh*t...and point to some small print on their employee manual that says something like, "We are not responsible for anything that happens between you and a customer when their is a physical altercation." You know what's really moronic? The studios who make these films send the film canisiters to theater via regular shipping services (UPS etc). I worked at a local indie theater that played first run movies too. The canisters were sometimes left at the door...in plain view of anyone walking outside on a busy street. Most of the time the door was unlocked! Anyone could reach in and take away the latest blockbuster that just came out that weekend. It's totally insane...the movie studios should start with themselves first and then work their way down the food chain. They are the ones sending new 35mm films in the damn mail every week! I had to grab the canisters and get them ready for projecting asap everytime I went to work...always thinking how insanely stupid it was that they were left out in the open before I got there. __________________ Christopher C. Murphy Director, Producer, Writer

February 3rd, 2005, 12:01 PM	#7
Brandon Greenlee Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: North Alabama Posts: 242	I really wonder how many people don't buy the dvd or go see the movie because they downloaded the version that was shot by someone holding a camcorder in a movie theatre? The only thing that happens is it gives a chance for you to watch the movie again between the time its in the theatres and the time when it gets to dvd. The quality is so bad I can't even stand to watch one of them anyways. __________________ Brandon Greenlee

February 3rd, 2005, 12:25 PM	#9
Douglas Habib Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: LV, NV Posts: 50	.....other than "because they can" I never did get this bootleg piracy thing. Viewing a crummy rip-off to "save" a few dollars denigrates the experience; which is the point of the movie in the first place. Those satisfied with such inferior products seem so mentally and emotionally handicapped to find that appealing. Besides the hardcore few fans for nostalgia purposes of a live performance of say, a concert; is there THAT much of a market for illogical scams?????? (At least a fake Rolex will still tell the correct time and so may be an enduring value, but a crappy (movie) reproduction will ALWAYS be still just a CRAPPY reproduction!!!!) __________________ Molon Labe! AOC (Ancient Order of Curmudgeons)

February 3rd, 2005, 07:38 AM	#3
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	This legislation frees theaters from litigation arising from that detention. Theater chains are not individual citizens, but commercial institutions, so the legal rules are probably different for them. I doubt movie theaters are really going to enforce this anyway.

February 3rd, 2005, 08:41 AM	#4
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,787	Do you have another link to an article about this, or the name/number of the law so we could read about it without having to signup for yet another annoying website that will send us spam? ;-)

February 3rd, 2005, 09:08 AM	#6
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	<<<-- Originally posted by Boyd Ostroff : Do you have another link to an article about this, or the name/number of the law so we could read about it without having to signup for yet another annoying website that will send us spam? ;-) -->>> videobusiness.com is spam free, I have been a member for a while now. Just make sure you uncheck the box that gives them permission to send you e-mail. It's also a superb source of DVD industry news. Lately I've been thinking, though, maybe piracy isn't all that bad. Maybe piracy is the one thing that keeps Hollywood in check with their outrageous budgets. I would imagine that if it weren’t for piracy, things would just go up and up and up… But piracy does have a bad effect on the little guy...like me :(

February 3rd, 2005, 12:15 PM	#8
Glenn Gipson Major Player Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Plainfield, New Jersey Posts: 927	This new law is a joke, though, because theaters don't even care about stopping people from sneaking into one screening to the next....if you can even call it sneaking at all....it's more like a cinema buffet, if anything.

February 3rd, 2005, 08:29 PM	#10
Harrison Murchison Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 243	This crime is soooo low on the food chain. I'm embarrassed that the law has even been passed. Note to all theater employees. Listen to Chris. If you are the only thing that seperates freedom from 3-5 in Leavenworth I fear for your safety. Hollywood and the Feds are a little too close IMO.

February 4th, 2005, 10:32 AM	#11
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Howdy from Texas, << What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? >> What I want to know is, what kind of moron would pay to watch the resulting video? With the boomy, echoing soundtrack... Murph, how many times did you use the word "moron" in your post anyway? ;-) Thanks for the great link, Glenn! From a former projectionist, __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

February 4th, 2005, 10:58 AM	#12
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Re: Wow, this is stupid <<<-- Originally posted by Christopher C. Murphy : What moron making $5.50 an hour is going to risk their life detaining someone with a video camera? -->>> Murph, you'd be surprised... Lots. They key word is "moron". __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

February 4th, 2005, 11:18 AM	#13
Joe Carney Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Centreville Va Posts: 1,828	The theater employees will call the police. The moron video taping the movie will get an unpleasant surprise sometime during the show. And if the moron taping the movie is dumb enough to risk 15 to 20 years for fighting a cop, then.... hehehe

February 13th, 2005, 02:43 PM	#14
Christopher C. Murphy Trustee Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,707	I do tend to repeat myself...what a "moron" I am! __________________ Christopher C. Murphy Director, Producer, Writer

February 13th, 2005, 06:24 PM	#15
Steven Gotz Trustee Join Date: May 2002 Location: Clermont, FL Posts: 1,520	All anyone needs to do is step in front of the person's camcorder a couple of times during the most intense parts of the movie and the video will be useless. No? __________________ Steven Gotz http://www.stevengotz.com