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Arrest Under New NY Anti-Piracy Law

Posted by Zonk on from the next-time-don't-wear-an-eyepatch-to-the-movies dept.

AxminsterLeuven writes "The BBC is carrying a story on new tightened New York anti-piracy legislation: A man has been arrested, after smuggling video recording equipment into a theater showing the new Transformers movie. 'Kalidou Diallo, 48, has been charged with unauthorized use of a video camera in a cinema. Under upgraded legislation, he could face six months in jail and fines of up to $5,000 (£2,487) if found guilty,' the BBC reports."

46 of 275 comments (clear)

  1. Why? by blaster151 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've never understood the appeal of these pirated works. I'm very skeptical that, as a consumer of such a bootleg, I could find the viewing experience enjoyable with the quality levels rendered by a homemade video of a movie--especially one that I could experience in a theater at a matinee showing for five to seven bucks. More than fifteen days of jail time seems excessive to me.

    1. Re:Why? by WhatAmIDoingHere · · Score: 2, Informative

      Because some of those cams (Telesyncs) or the Telecines look REALLY good. Also, people in other countries don't get the movie until way later. Columbia doesn't get it until the 20th of July, for example.

      --
      Not a Twitter sockpuppet... but I wish I was.
    2. Re:Why? by Chirs · · Score: 5, Informative


      The better recordings are made from the projection booth with the cooperation of the projector tech. The camera is on a stable tripod, sound is patched directly from the board.

      Having a reasonable quality electronic copy available while the movie is still in theaters could reasonably be expected to have an impact on both DVD sales and box office revenue...especially if the movie isn't all that great.

    3. Re:Why? by ThosLives · · Score: 2, Funny

      Also, people in other countries don't get the movie until way later. Columbia doesn't get it until the 20th of July, for example.

      Hrm... better be careful there. Some people in South Carolina still wish they had succeeded in getting their own country.


      (Normally I don't pick at things like this, but geez do people not even care about the difference between 'Columbia' and 'Colombia'?)

      --
      "There are a dozen opinions on a matter until you know the truth. Then there is only one." - CS Lewis (paraprhase)
    4. Re:Why? by twistedcubic · · Score: 4, Informative

      I saw the transformers last night. There is NO WAY an audience cam is going to capture the effects. If you want to watch this particular movie, I think you have to go to the theater. People should stick to downloading movies that suck, so they won't have to waste money.

    5. Re:Why? by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Columbia doesn't get it until the 20th of July, for example.

      That's bullshit. There's no reason that it should take THAT long for the movie to make it from the theaters of downtown Manhattan up to 110th Street!

    6. Re:Why? by FiveDollarYoBet · · Score: 4, Interesting

      We would get them sent to us when I was deployed to Iraq. Most of them were of laughable quality but it was the only way to see a new release.

    7. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      especially one that I could experience in a theater at a matinee showing for five to seven bucks.

      Here's the thing: that doesn't apply to most people. It applies to most Americans, but in the rest of the world, this film won't be released for quite a while, and even if it was, in many places five to seven bucks is a huge amount of money. The pirates aren't competing with the cinemas, there's no competition for them at all. It's either get a pirated copy, or don't watch it.

      Plus, maybe some people prefer low quality video and peace rather than high quality video and loads of kids running around screaming and throwing popcorn. I've only been to the cinema once in the USA, and it was a really weird experience. People cheered and stuff when things happened on the screen. That's really distracting and if it was the same over here in the UK, I'd never go to the cinema again. Is that usual, or was I just really unlucky?

    8. Re:Why? by notasheep · · Score: 5, Informative

      A cam is just what it sounds like, camcorder video and camcorder sound. A Telesync is camcorder video with an alternate audio source - usually plugged in to a audio output for the hearing impaired. Which is great since you won't hear the people talking in the next row. A Telecine is recorded directly from a projection source.

      --
      Your mind looks a little cramped. Why don't you stretch it a little?
    9. Re:Why? by KillerCow · · Score: 3, Funny

      Obviously you've never seen the bootleg of "Cry Cry Again"


      I saw it, but I didn't get the ending.
    10. Re:Why? by Red+Flayer · · Score: 2, Informative

      That's bullshit. There's no reason that it should take THAT long for the movie to make it from the theaters of downtown Manhattan up to 110th Street!
      RTFA :). Diallo was arrested in the Bronx. It would be surprising if he made it to 110th Street in Manhattan at all, let alone by July 20.
      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    11. Re:Why? by db32 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I saw tons of new(ish) movies in Iraq. They were all being sold for $2-4 bucks for a DVD with 2-4 new(ish) releases by some random local in a wooden hut on the road near camp. In the meantime the MPAA and friends are chasing down 17yr olds to put them in jail...wonder why they don't go to Iraq and stop the piracy themselves. (Ignoring that Hillary Rosen was on the ground in Iraq in the very very early days begging the new Iraqi government to adopt her proposals on copyright...yeah...they need help with food, water, and security, and this psychotic bitch is going to go and talk to them about music downloads?)

      I'm a little disappointed with the Iraqi government for their lack of progress...they should have shot her ass on the spot for that nonsense.

      --
      The only change I can believe in is what I find in my couch cushions.
    12. Re:Why? by YouTookMyStapler · · Score: 2, Informative

      Everything I have heard about these type of bootlegs is that they are grainy with bad sound. I can't see that as a great entertainment experience.

      On the other hand, in Wired magazine a few months ago they had an article relating to high quality unauthorized/pirated movies (from academy screening DVDs and so forth) being distributed on the internet. The article concluded that most seemed to be inside jobs.

    13. Re:Why? by Alsee · · Score: 5, Funny

      could reasonably be expected to have an impact on both DVD sales and box office revenue...especially if the movie isn't all that great.

      Copy, cut, swap, paste:

      if the movie isn't all that great could reasonably be expected to have an impact on both DVD sales and box office revenue

      Eureka! I've made an ASTOUNDING discovery! Quick, someone e-mail that to all the Hollywood studio executives!

      -

      --
      - - You can't take something off the Internet! That's like trying to take pee out of a swimming pool.
    14. Re:Why? by darthflo · · Score: 2, Informative

      Is that usual, or was I just really unlucky?
      I hasn't been to american theatres often enough to relevantly judge about this, but I assume you've just been in a "weird" screening (where the audience cheers, applaudes etc). Those seem to occur in all countries I know about and are rather rare (in my experience opening nights are more susceptible than later screenings).
    15. Re:Why? by Jurrasic · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It depends on the movie. Certain films, and/or certain moments in films (the destruction of the Death Stars at the ends of Star Wars and Return of the Jedi stand out in my childhood memories of films where people stood and cheered, this in more 'reserved' Canada) will elicit a response where people will cheer or react other then just laughing at a funny moment. There were a couple scenes in "Highlander II" where fans of the original (like me) stood and loudly booed, or threw popcorn at the screen, too. If you want to see something REALLY bizarre, go to a midnight screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". That's the same wherever you are in the world.

      --
      Devil bunnies! I snort the nose! Lucifer! Banana! Banana!
  2. Amadou by Hatta · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I wonder if he knew Amadou Diallo.

    --
    Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  3. Re:Seems like a clean arrest by mulvane · · Score: 4, Funny

    You are SO right. I think he should be brought up on charges. People might actually view this bootleg and think "WOW! That movie shitty! You would think a movie studio could at least get rid of all the background noise! And did they film this thin on a boat?!?!?! What's with all the shaking of the movie not to mention the horrible grainy experience!! I won't spend a dime going to watch that movie or even think of renting it!"

  4. good by grapeape · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If your so desperate to see a movie that you will watch a crappy copy of something someone took with a camcorder complete with the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 audience view in the bottom of the screen then just pay for $7 or wait for the DVD like everyone else. I have a friend that does this and is always asking if I want to watch some crap movie I wouldnt have paid to see, then claims he is doing it because he is anti-mpaa. If your really anti-mpaa then you wont bother to see it at all, just the fact that someone wastes an hour downloading a poor quality bootleg proves that it has some value to them. Its hard to fight increasing restrictions on fair use when bozos like this continue to make the MPAA's point for them.

  5. Video player? by i_like_spam · · Score: 2, Insightful
    From the article:

    Mr Diallo was arrested after allegedly smuggling a video recorder, video player and remote control into a preview of the film in the Bronx. WTF would he need a video player? Don't most modern recorders have built-in LCDs?
    1. Re:Video player? by WrongSizeGlass · · Score: 2, Funny

      Maybe he was setting up a competing screen in the lobby next to the popcorn vendor?

    2. Re:Video player? by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      From the article:

      Mr Diallo was arrested after allegedly smuggling a video recorder, video player and remote control into a preview of the film in the Bronx. WTF would he need a video player? Don't most modern recorders have built-in LCDs?
      Much like how a CD copying operation in a garage with four 32x burners is reported as having the equivalent of 128 CD burners, the player probably was the one built into the camera.

      Using a remote prevents jitter starting and stopping the recording as well as disassociation from the camera if it is found. Of course, a theater would be smart enough to stake out the camera until it is retrieved rather than prevent it from gathering evidence of the crime.

      Now if you could get a cheap-ass wireless webcam with sufficient frame rate, you could be streaming the data to storage out in the parking lot and write off the camera. Even better, you could get multiple captures to improve the quality. (There was an open wireless router accessible in the theater at the last movie I attended.)
      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
  6. life immitates art... oh wait, that wasn't art by ajenteks · · Score: 2, Funny

    Seems ironic that a man gets caught carrying a camera to film a movie about robots in disguise.

    At least one anti-piracy law finally did the public some good :)

  7. The cost to society... by ushering05401 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The reason it is wise to include jail time for violent offenders is that it is ultimately cheaper for society to pay for their room, board, and supervision than it is to potentially suffer another violent incident. Incarcerating violent offenders is one of the least controversial uses of tax money in modern America.

    What is the justification for using taxpayer money to incarcerate a non-violent offender? Worse yet, what is the justification for incarcerating an individual who only potentially damaged a private company's profits?

    Shouldn't a fine be sufficient considering only money was at stake?

    Bootleggers are closely related to white collar criminals. The only impact is financial. In the case of Enron, or some other fraud situations, I would much rather have seen the offenders be forced to work the rest of their lives to repay the retirement funds they looted etc.. rather than getting what amounts to a monetary slap on the wrist and jail time. I am pretty sure the people who ended up getting pennies on the dollar out of the settlements would probably agree with me, just as I would bet most people would rather see the money spent on jailing this bootlegger spent on something like... oh... I don't know... anything that actually benefits society.

    Regards.

    1. Re:The cost to society... by johnny+cashed · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Jail is just the stick to make sure The State gets paid. Unless he is a total loser (with no friends or family with any money), he should make bail in no time. I agree that prison is excessive for the violation, but more that likely, he won't see any prison, just some fines. Don't pay the fines? Then the big stick of jail is still there to ensure that the State gets paid. This is the big purpose for imprisonment for non-violent offenders.

    2. Re:The cost to society... by chihowa · · Score: 2, Informative

      he should make bail in no time...he won't see any prison,
      Bail doesn't alleviate one of a sentenced term in prison. Bail keeps you out of jail prior to and during the trial. Bail is also not forfeited to the State unless the trial is skipped out on. Bail's not a fine, it's collateral and incentive to show up to the trial.
      --
      If you want a vision of the future, imagine a youtube comments section scrolling - forever.
  8. good law by scharkalvin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I mean it's damn rude of the guy. If I paid good money
    for tickets to see a movie I don't want some bozo in the
    row ahead of me to stick his stupid movie camera in my view
    of the screen. Why that's only slightly less rude than leaving
    your damn cell phone on and I have to hear your stupid ring
    tones though out the picture.

    1. Re:good law by RingDev · · Score: 2, Funny

      After the dot com burst (right as I got out of the military) I picked up a few odd jobs. One was working 3rd shift in the local state of the art theater. People do some weird crap in theaters, the weirdest though: One guy brought a miniature microwave oven in to a movie and popped his own pop corn.

      Other tidbits:

      *Snowday was the WORST movie to clean up after. I have no idea what that movie is about, but every f'ing night it looked like someone started a popcorn fight.

      *Crossroads (the Britney Spears movie) had the most used condoms left behind.

      *LotR, after week 10, had the highest alcohol consumption.

      -Rick

      PS: Ever since that job, I've been a big fan of watching movies at home.

      --
      "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
  9. And in this round: by mad_psych0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Robots: 1 Pirates: 0 Ninjas: ??

  10. Re:How about stills? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    I think you are in the clear. Legally I mean, you are still a moron for needing to 'show' you've been to a movie.

  11. At least this Diallo wasn't holding a wallet... by Wannabe+Code+Monkey · · Score: 4, Funny

    COP 1: He's got a gun!

    DIALLO: Wait! Wait! I swear it's just a video camera.

    COPS 1-4: Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    COP 2: Why does his gun have a rewind button?

    COP 3: Crap... not again...

    --
    We always knew Comcast was corrupt, here's the proof: http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1909890&cid=34545432
  12. Re:$7 by Dog-Cow · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Metro-Detroit. I paid $5.75 to see Transformers two nights ago, at the Star John R.

  13. Ok.. by bytesex · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Am I the only one who thinks that he should have been escorted out of the building by the bouncer, after having erased his tape/static ramdisk, and be blacklisted ? I mean, that's how it used to go.

    --
    Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.
  14. Crazy numbers! by kebes · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Hold on... TFA claims:

    The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) says more than 40% of bootlegged films in the US are secretly taped in New York cinemas.
    But previously they claimed:

    Canadian theatres were the source for nearly 50 per cent of illegal camcords across the globe
    So, in essence, they claim that New York and Canada account for 90% of the problem... These numbers sound totally made up to me.
    1. Re:Crazy numbers! by DerekLyons · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Try actually reading what you quote - it helps you avoid comparing apples to oranges;
       
        The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) says more than 40% of bootlegged films in the US are secretly taped in New York cinemas.
       
        Canadian theatres were the source for nearly 50 per cent of illegal camcords across the globe
       
      The two claims are not incompatible.
       
       

      So, in essence, they claim that New York and Canada account for 90% of the problem... These numbers sound totally made up to me.

      A person who take two different numbers, and then makes up numbers of his own... Well, let's just say that people who live in glass houses should be careful of the trajectory of the stones they are throwing.

  15. Re:Seems like a clean arrest by mulvane · · Score: 4, Funny

    Its like that guy who had the sarcasm truck run him over, back up over him, and run over him again and he never got a look at it and was just left banged up and not knowing what the hell just happened to him.

  16. by comparison by rodentia · · Score: 3, Interesting


    New York legislators apparently consider production of grainy, shakey, muffled copies of Hollywood poo the moral equivalent of 2 oz. of pot. I thank God every day that our peerless statesmen are so responsive to these twin evils. It is common knowledge that copyright infringement is a gateway anti-social behavior, leading rapidly to contempt for authority, drug abuse, armed robbery, rape and murder, in that order.

    --
    illegitimii non ingravare
  17. Re:$7 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I took myself and three other people to a matinee showing of Ratatouille in a fairly nice theater for $23 after tax; that's $5.75 for a major new release. This was in a suburb of Dallas. I don't know what is wrong with people in other areas of the country who are willing to spend $11 to see a movie. The only theater around here that costs that much has leather seats.

  18. Re:Seems like a clean arrest by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, everyone in the jury and the court room will be charged with piracy. In each of those trials, the tape will be shown again, and everyone in THOSE court rooms will have to be charged with piracy. Eventually, the entire country will be in prison for piracy because of this one videotape. This is why video piracy is so very, very bad.

  19. It's retribution. by KingSkippus · · Score: 5, Insightful

    what is the justification for incarcerating an individual who only potentially damaged a private company's profits?

    Because it's not only about reform, it's about retribution.

    It's the same reason we have the death penalty in this country. Sure, we can remove dangerous individuals from society. Hell, it's actually cheaper than killing them. No, the death penalty isn't a deterrent. Yes, we sometimes make mistakes. But it's not about what's best in the long run for society. It's about the sweet satisfaction you get from raw vengeance. It's not about the convict; nothing, and I mean nothing, is as cathartic for us as frying them in the chair.

    The same is true about locking up non-violent offenders. We don't have to, and a lot of the time (especially in cases like these), it's not the best way to reform an individual. But the industry must have its pound of flesh from the evildoers that skimmed a few pennies from their deep, deep pockets.

    sigh...

    1. Re:It's retribution. by Cadallin · · Score: 2, Interesting
      See, that's disgusting. The electric chair is an abomination for exactly the reason you cite. It's an excruciatingly painful and slow method of execution. Approximately equal to tossing a human being (instead of a lobster) into a huge pot of boiling water. I'm not actually against the death penalty. I think it should be used more widely than it is, but not the electric chair. A properly executed hanging is far more efficient and far less prurient than the electric chair (a split second drop followed by a broken neck at the base of the skull causes death about as instant as it gets). Hell, if we really wanted to be morally upstanding, we would perform executions by morphine overdose. Sleep followed by death through respiratory depression.

      Revenge should have no part in it. It should be all about what is best for society. There are people out there that have a pathological urge to kill, rape, or perform other horrifically destructive acts (rob thousands of people of their life savings and retirement). Many of these are mentally retarded, or otherwise mentally ill, but in my opinion that's probably irrelevant. In the most extreme cases there is little we can do. And in the less extreme cases, we need to do better.

  20. Excessive? by shiba_mac · · Score: 2, Insightful

    More than fifteen days of jail time seems excessive? Anything more then being booted out of the cinema seems like a violation of human rights to me.

    Seriously, who is this guy harming that he deserves to spend time in jail? Who's being protected?

  21. The Law Is Wrong by aldheorte · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It should not be illegal to bring a camcorder into a movie theater.

    It should be legal for the theater owner to throw someone out for bringing a camcorder into their movie theater.

    Recording the movie with a camcorder should not be illegal.

    Showing the recording of the movie to friends without an exchange of money or physical property should not be illegal.

    Showing recordings of the movie to anyone for money or physical property to should be illegal.

    This is the way copyright law needs to go.

  22. Re:Seems like a clean arrest by GrayCalx · · Score: 3, Funny

    Damn, thats horrible. Is he alright?

  23. All you *really* need by Tony · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bah. All you *really* need to do is give 'em a razor and make them watch a bootleg copy of "Transformers."

    They'll take care of it themselves.

    --
    Microsoft is to software what Budweiser is to beer.
  24. Remember: This IS NOT THEFT by calciphus · · Score: 2, Informative

    Despite what all the little previews before your overpriced movie tell you, videotaping a movie (or downloading a bootleg, etc) IS NOT THEFT. IT IS COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT. This distinction often gets left out, because it benefits the **AA to be...forgotten.

    Imagine you walked into a Kinkos with the latest NYT's Best Seller under your arm. Should they tackle you there? What if you put the first few pages into a copy machine? Should Kinko's call up a task force specially put in place to protect the 'creative' works of corporations?

    Copyright Infringement laws traditionally kick in when the infringer has "profited materially" from the sale or distribution of copyrighted works. The act of making a copy doesn't constitute a material gain, so prior to NY's "special" laws, this would have been "Attempted Copyright Violation" - a crime so minuscule that it wouldn't be tried except by a massive organization with lawyers to spare.

    By sponsoring legislation (more specifically, legislators) that would push through harsher punishments for something that can cost a company potential profits (note: this is not the same as a loss) the MPAA has successfully made it really easy to punish the wrong people. I promise you that this guy in NY was not going to be the one copy that makes it onto the internet. No, that'll happen when some organized crime group has one of their lackies either swipe the reel after the theater has closed for the night, or just snags a DVD from one of the many pre-releases that are distributed.

    These new laws will be about as effective at stopping piracy as busting homeless crackheads is at stopping drug abuse. Sure, they can pat themselves on the back and remark what a great job they've done, but they're really just taking out the lowest hanging fruit. Good work, MPAA!