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The Hurt Locker Producers Sue First 5,000 File-Sharers

Voltage Pictures, the production company behind 2008's Oscar-winning Iraq war film The Hurt Locker, today sued 5,000 people who illegally downloaded the movie over BitTorrent. Quoting CNET: "Attorneys for Voltage wrote in the complaint that unless the court stops the people who pirate The Hurt Locker then Voltage will suffer 'great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money.' Voltage has asked the court to prevent those who downloaded the movie without paying for it from downloading its movies ever again, and order them to destroy all copies of The Hurt Locker from their computers and any other electronic devices they may have transferred the film to. As for monetary damages, the movie's producers want those found to have pilfered the movie to pay actual or statutory damages and cover the costs that went into filing the suits." According to the complaint (PDF), the 5,000 infringers are known only by their IP addresses at this time.

5 of 861 comments (clear)

  1. Re:The first movie by orient · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Pure and shameless war propaganga. The fact that not even americans would pay to watch it says everything. After all, a good movie brings good money regardless the degree of pirating - or, maybe, because of the pirating.

    --
    Laudele lor desigur m-ar mahni peste masura.
  2. Re:maybe the people who by imthesponge · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "The movie sucked" isn't an excuse to steal it. Try taking a candy bar from the store and then telling the cops "man, I heard this candy bar tastes terrible! no way would I pay for it."

    Netflix and Redbox have agreements with the studio to rent those movies out. The people who made the movie AGREE to have their movies rented that way. That's the difference between renting and stealing.

    Bottom line: Don't break the law and then cry about how unfair life is when you get called on it.

  3. Re:The first movie by Columcille · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Those who think pirating helps companies make money are just trying to justify their own illegal activity. You want it, you pay for it. Not willing or able to pay for it? Do without. It's a movie (music, game, whatever). You don't need it.

    --
    I love my sig.
  4. Re:alright by ubermiester · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Seems to have worked pretty well for Lost, Heroes, Bones, and other television shows.

    Because those are TV shows that rely on a different business model. They do not ask you for money up front. They ask you to watch commercials that retailers have paid them to show. They seek market share over everything else because the more people are interested in a show, the more they can charge for advertising.

    Movies and music are paid for just like bread. You walk up and hand over cash. If you walk out of the store without paying, you're a thief. Same thing here...

  5. Re:"Well it wasn't that good anyway" by kentrel · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Ok, troll.