Smuggling camera into movie theater can get you arrested

610 WTVN Radio ^ | January 2, 2004

[flutters]

Ohio has passed a law that lets police arrest people for videotaping movies in theaters. Governor Taft signed the bill last month and it takes effect in March. The film industry is trying to prevent piracy and they have several methods to fight it, including bag searches for people entering movie houses. But some say Hollywood's tactics could backfire. A recent study found that three out of every four movies leaked on the Internet came from industry insiders. That led the Motion Picture Academy of America to temporarily stop sending ``screener'' tapes and DVDs to Oscar voters.

[weegee]

Thanks for restating the big worries about this sort of legislation.

BUMP

[John Robertson]

Yo, weegee, i thought we called a truce. When you ask WHAT LAW, are you seriously asking me to cite chapter and verse on local and state laws, or are you saying that no restriction could possibly exist? Many states have specific laws restricting carrying foodstuffs from one place into another--the reason being, they want to know the source of food contamination, if the need arises.

Then you go off on the restaurants and the bars and the this and the that...we're talking about bringing your own food into a movie theater. In most places, it's illegal (see above), but in ALL places, the theater's policy prohibits it. Now go take a birthday cake into a restaurant (by the way, most restaurants charge a fee for handling those outside cakes).

[weegee]

There are plenty of people selling bootlegs of movie scripts (and drafts of scripts) for released and unreleased movies.

Take a look at Harry Knowles' Ain't It Cool News website and see just how many posters there admitted to getting illegal copies of the full Kill Bill script. Additionally, those people will trash talk a movie that is in production based on their reading of the script.

There is a traffic in illegal product (revenue missed out on by Hollywood) as well as potential commercial impact from the negative press.

The "solutions" is that most photocopiers have a notice telling customers not to violate copyright (they are also told not to copy legal documents like passports, money, etc.). There is no oversight to see that no one is violating the law.

[Cultural Jihad]

How much does a bootleg viewing audience affect a theater owner's concession sales? Do the viewers stop going to theaters altogther, or do they spend their money on another movie instead?

Ah, the old "I'd never buy your product anyway so therefore it's not really theft" rationalization, right next to the one which says "everyone does it and therefore it's okay that *I* do it."

Why not also ask who's always being harmed by running a stop sign? Or a stop light? Or speeding? Or drunk-driving? Bank-robbers claim no one is harmed by them, either, and hey, banks are a group of private companies who ought to be privately searching for those who rob them of their own money, eh?

[weegee]

I'm not justifying bootlegging of current releases. I am just asking how much does it affect the theater owner?

I was told that it takes money away from theaters. Studios yes, but I don't know that it affects theaters (who get their all of their revenue from other sources like concessions and video games in the lobby).

[Cultural Jihad]

Somehow I doubt that actual theater owners would invite a bunch of pirates to enter the theaters with cameras under the pretext of getting more popcorn sales from them.

[xp38]

Pre movie ads have been in foreign movie theaters for ages. I used to tell visitors from over seas before they were staring to appear here that north american audiences would never stand for ads. I was wrong. When they first started appearing here I remember the crowd used to boo. Like you found out no longer.

[sawyer]

I think they do that already. That is a joke, please. I guess it would be the same as taking pictures of art and if you wish to paint great art you can not do it the same size but they do let you set up and paint.No pictures on film.

[Alberta's Child]

The question remains, is it the duty of the police to arrest people for this behavior?

I guess that's a function of whether the person who violates copyright laws is committing a criminal offense or not. If this person is committing a crime, then of course the police have a duty to come and arrest him. Otherwise, you'd have to give the theater the right to detain him, interrogate him, etc. -- how else would they know whom to prosecute?

It used to be up to the movie studio to prosecute the man for any copyright violation.

I suspect this was only true if the "man" in question was being sued for damages in civil court, not prosecuted in criminal court.

[Hildy]

I didn't realize you're opinion was so important. Sorry.

[waterstraat]

Im not taking more than one, I am just taking another one. I reserve the right to switch whenever I buy a movie ticket- that has been always been my policy since I started going to the movies. If you dont want me to switch, then you shouldnt have taken my money.

[waterstraat]

Why aren't police stationed at Kinkos checking for books (or movie scripts) being illegally copied?

They dont need a policeman, because they have a sign on each copy machine stating that such copying is not permitted at Kinkos.

[breakem]

I have relatives who go to the Phillipines annually. Always come back with a dozen DVDs of films currently playing in the theatres. Some are fuzzy and some are good quality. According to them,that is.

[flutters]

Kinko’s was sued several years ago for photocopying ‘copyright’ materials. It was a shock to the printing industry. It was always assumed that if the customer paid to have a document reproduced then the printer would not be held responsible. Wrong. It changed the entire industries practices. Now, one can’t get anything photocopied without copyright documentation. However, now, it’s almost a mute point with the Internet/computer.

You’re right Weegee, protecting a copy is the responsibility of the ‘owner’. A perfect example is ‘rollerblading.’ The “Rollerblade company” had to introduce a new word to describe their new product and to protect their copyright -- ‘in-line skating’.

YoYo, Zipper, & Escalator are some words that once were registered trademarks, but they became generic because their owners didn’t protect them. Xerox is a great example of a company fighting to protect theirs.

Along the same lines, how far along do you think computers would be without piracy? I don’t think Bill Gates would be where he is now if it weren’t for ‘software sharing.’

[breakem]

why would they have to pass a law about this. Isn't it already illegal and couldn't the theatres already check bags if they wanted?

[baseballfanjm]

A prefer seeing films on the big screen. And there's NO way you could make me wait to see Return of the King. I'm probably going to see it for the third time tomorrow.

[flutters]

By the way, with videos, DVDs, television, etc. so widely available, why would anyone subject himself to the indignity of sitting in a dark, cold, and germy room...

The atmosphere. If you’re ever in Columbus, Ohio, visit Easton and take in a movie. It’s really nice. Concave screen, big comfy chairs, lots of leg room, and they even sell beer. : ) It used to be ‘Plant Movies’ but someone else bought them out – structure remains the same though.

[flutters]

We still have two drive-ins here in the Phoenix area

Lucky. I love the drive-in. This summer the State of Ohio bought the one I visited. :( Enjoy it while you can....a flea market is itchin' to open.

[John Robertson]

Yeah, and when you buy your ticket you state your "policy" right up front, don't you? You should be embarrassed: by your morals and your feeble thinking.

[waterstraat]

Actually, I asked many years(decades) ago, and every theater I asked had no problems with what ever movie I ended up seeing.

My policy was in effect long before any of todays theaters ever tried to change the rules. I frankly have no idea if my theaters would not want me to or not, like I said, nobody ever said anything. If we dont like the beginning, we go to the next one.

Anyways, I sure didnt see any "no switching " signs. My policy has been that way for decades, if any movie theater is trying to institute a new policy of no switching, then it had better make a very big sign stating so.

It also should have a satisfaction guarantee policy to go with it. There are few businesses which do not guarantee satisfaction, and if the movie theaters want to start stopping people from switching, theyd better come up with a money back guarantee .