Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

19-year-old faces jail for copying movies
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 9/27/5 | Steve Rubenstein

Posted on 09/27/2005 7:51:25 AM PDT by SmithL

A 19-year-old movie theater cashier from Missouri faces eight years in prison after pleading guilty Monday in San Jose to copying first-run movies and uploading them onto the Internet, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Curtis Salisbury, who worked in a St. Louis multiplex theater, admitted to recording "Bewitched" and "The Perfect Man" in June, and then uploading them to a site set up by FBI agents in Northern California.

It was the first conviction under "Operation Copycat,'' an FBI sting operation designed to combat movie piracy.

"Camcording movies in theaters and putting them on the Internet for distribution is a federal crime,'' said U. S. Attorney Kevin Ryan. "(We) will aggressively ... combat the theft of intellectual property.''

According to court documents, Salisbury was a box office and concession stand cashier who allowed accomplices into the projection booth after the theater closed to copy the movies. Salisbury and his accomplices connected a mini-disc recorder directly to the projector sound outlet.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: moviepiracy
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last
To: oceanview

The FBI must be able to multi-task. Could you imagine if they dropped everything in search of terrorists?

Having said that I disagree with RIAA extortion of lawsuits without real proof. They force people to settle or spend even more money fighting the big bucks of Hollywood (with no real chance of recouping lost costs).


21 posted on 09/27/2005 8:35:26 AM PDT by for-q-clinton (If at first you don't succeed keep on sucking until you do succeed)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

8 years - probably stay in jail a lot longer than a baby murderer also!


22 posted on 09/27/2005 8:37:32 AM PDT by hombre_sincero (www.spadata.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: highlymotivated
Good lord, is he real?

Mike

23 posted on 09/27/2005 8:39:50 AM PDT by MichaelP (If opportunity doesn't knock....Build a door!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
Curtis Salisbury, who worked in a St. Louis multiplex theater, admitted to recording "Bewitched" and "The Perfect Man" in June, and then uploading them to a site set up by FBI agents in Northern California

Hell, he deserves TWICE that if even one extra person had to sit through "Bewitched."

24 posted on 09/27/2005 9:08:40 AM PDT by yayforlater
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PeterFinn
Good. The little twit deserves it.

While I think this was definitely a crime, I find it difficult to think he deserved so much jail time when he could have raped one of the customers of the theater and probably spent less time in jail.

25 posted on 09/27/2005 9:16:21 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
Curtis Salisbury...admitted to recording "Bewitched" and "The Perfect Man"...and then uploading them to a site set up by FBI agents in Northern California.

No harm done.

26 posted on 09/27/2005 10:47:52 AM PDT by scott7278 (You are stuck on stupid!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

8 years for priating "Bewitched"?

That's like getting 8 years for stealing dog poop.


27 posted on 09/27/2005 10:49:51 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim (Now that taglines are cool, I refuse to have one.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
It was the first conviction under "Operation Copycat,'' an FBI sting operation designed to combat movie piracy.

"Camcording movies in theaters and putting them on the Internet for distribution is a federal crime,'' said U. S. Attorney Kevin Ryan. "(We) will aggressively ... combat the theft of intellectual property.''


Isn't there a better use of FBI resources than this? I mean, there are murders to solve, right? Or have we already caught all of the murderers?
28 posted on 09/27/2005 10:52:36 AM PDT by mysterio
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: elhombrelibre
I think that's silly. This is the one crime that Hollywood takes serious. Saddam. No problem. Copyright infringement. Big deal.

Right, what this is, is big money dictating the FBI agenda.

29 posted on 09/27/2005 10:53:05 AM PDT by antonia ("Democracy is the worst type of government, excepting all others." ~ Churchill)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: PeterFinn
not eight years.....

meanwhile, the ACLU fights like mad dogs to keep every pervert running free.....every murderer alive and kicking.....every illegal immigrant here collecting the spoils of our hardwork....

30 posted on 09/27/2005 11:02:57 AM PDT by cherry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-30 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson