Warner blames Canada for film piracy

Warner blames Canada for film piracy
Warner Bros. has announced that they will stop holding promotional screenings of their movies in Canada which the company says is a response to increasing movie piracy in the country.

The studio said all press and critic screenings would take place in private rooms with the audience checked for recording devices.



Although China and Russia are usually blamed as the largest sources of pirated content, Warner believes that Canada is just as big of a problem. The company claims that over the past 18 months, 70 percent of its films have been pirated in Canada and then sold to the rest of the world.

"The newly enacted policy represents the studio's response to the lack of legislation in Canada to curtail the growing wave of camcorder-shot ("camcorded") films being trafficked around the world,”
Warner Bros. said in a statement.

"Despite incontrovertible evidence that film piracy has become a major economic and law enforcement issue, Canada has not adopted a federal law making camcording illegal or permitting the confiscation of equipment, and, as a result, has become the main source for most of the world's film piracy."


The company claims that within a week of a screening, a Canadian copy of the movie hits the internet before finding its way around the world.

The studio also said that all Warner Independent Pictures films were included in the screening ban.

"Piracy is the leading issue the international film industry struggles with everyday and content recorded in Canada is the first place to take action, as Canadian recorded content is distributed and viewed everywhere,"
said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of Distribution for Warner Bros. International.


Source:
BetaNews

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 9 May 2007 18:12
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  • 13 comments
  • limelight

    Canada. Yeah. Ok. Whatever.

    9.5.2007 18:29 #1

  • jinggoy

    Ha Ha, The South Park Movies just popped in my head.

    9.5.2007 18:51 #2

  • chubbyInc

    I Don't think torrents really make any money off anyone.
    How can they tell if the movies are from Canada?
    Who are they going to blame next once Canada straightens out.
    Being a Canadian, I've never seen a camcorder in a theatre.
    Who would buy a crappy quality camcorder movie anyways.
    I guess if Canadians are doing all this, how would they get it into the all so strict America, you know with the 10000+ copies and all crossing the border.

    I think Warner Bros. should take a look at the real problem.......

    There aren't any good movies to watch, so blame low profits on pirates.

    Ex. Spiderman 3 on torrents before it was released in North America and still sold 150 million.... Well bad example because movie sucked a little.

    But just because a couple dollars is lost in online screening via torrents or whatever source, is no reason to blame it on one country!!!

    Jinggoy - South Park's Blame Canada song??? hehe

    9.5.2007 22:26 #3

  • Buga

    LOL Blame Canada.

    If they where to somehow stop all piracy. (which will never happen.) Whos left to blame.

    The people. "You all are not seeing our movies." "Time to go pay for some new laws." "Bill 103-45. Every person MUST go see three movies a month And purchase 5 DVD's, HD-DVD's, or BR a month." "If we still lose money, this law Can and Will be ammended for more."

    Make something worth it. All we keep seeing is the Same thing over and over. Stop forcing crap at us.

    10.5.2007 00:50 #4

  • Tashammer

    You see, it is possible for the movie industry to do something thoughtful and kind after all. By not exposing Canadians to the crap that the movie studios are excreting, the studios are making a positive contribution to the health and well-being of all those Canadians who would otherwise have been infected.

    No doubt there will be a way of charging a fee for the health benefits under DRM and probably all the way back to the first American movie.

    Ermm, now i think about it, they would also seek to charge a fee for the foreign films/fillums/movies as well.

    10.5.2007 02:02 #5

  • borhan9

    So does that mean like you can just walk in a cinema in Canada with a camcorder and just tape it and not get in trouble??

    10.5.2007 02:22 #6

  • xempler

    In Canada they'll just slap your wrist and kick you out of the theatre if you get caught. Of course it's different in the U.S. - they'll arrest you and then probably put you in the electric chair.

    10.5.2007 11:09 #7

  • flyingv

    Originally posted by jinggoy:Ha Ha, The South Park Movies just popped in my head.Blame Canada, blame Canadaaaaaaaaa!

    10.5.2007 14:28 #8

  • jdempsey

    Its not the consumer making these cams, its the projectionists. Think about it, they have the perfect spot to put the cam where no one will see it but it has a great view. And they have access to the audio disc's for telesync.

    And a lot of times with big movies the run them through to make sure opening night there are no screw ups. Very late at night, nobody around and an empty theater. What could be better.

    10.5.2007 15:57 #9

  • hughjars

    Ha ha.

    Another case of corporate America 'spitting the dummy' and bawling their eyes out cos they don't rule everywhere just yet.

    Keep it up Canada (and the EU and the far east and Russia etc etc) & good luck.

    The sooner those greedy idiots learn that they don't actually rule the world the better.

    11.5.2007 12:05 #10

  • XENON

    These morons at warner can't even make up their minds. On the news this week they say only 25% of piracy comes from canada. Now they say it's 70% make up your minds you morons! Is it 25 or is it 70%?

    Of course they are going to go after canada because they don't have the balls and the guts to go after the majority of piracy in Taiwan, China. Because they don't want to rattle the sabre when it comes to the PRC. Because they know that china would just lAugh at them and not do anything.

    Anyways it seems like warner, the MPAA and the RIAA are acting like petulant little 3 year olds who pout and jump up and down in a temper tantrum when they don't get their way. They need a smack on their ass and sent to their rooms without any supper!! ;) LOL

    12.5.2007 08:07 #11

  • Unfocused

    How far away are we from nude movie theaters? It seems like this is where everything is heading.

    12.5.2007 18:45 #12

  • cruznor

    It is a pity that people who have posted their negative comments do not realize how many families depend on the film industry. When you condone piracy, you are not robbing the "Brad Pitts" or the "Avril Lavignes".

    The main people affected are the thousands who directly and indirectly work for the film industry. (THIS COULD ALSO INCLUDE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WITHOUT YOU KNOWING IT)

    The worst part of this all is how we laugh at attempts to correct at this very big Canadian embarassment.

    Remember it is true that if you buy pirated films, the money inevitably fuels more crime down the road.

    14.5.2007 15:35 #13

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