AfterDawn: News

Weinstein Co. goes after "Sicko" uploader

This week, we reported that Michael Moore's "Sicko" was leaked to the internet, a week before its scheduled release date. It was first available on YouTube and then on P2P and torrent trackers.

Although Michael Moore has said that he does not mind people distributing his films online, the copyright owners are taking a different stance. Weinstein Co. has promised legal action if and when they find out who is responsible for uploading the film.

"Every DVD screener that comes from the Weinstein Co. is watermarked and traceable," Weinstein Co. general counsel Peter Hurwitz said. "We are actively investigating who illegally uploaded 'Sicko' to the Internet, and we will take appropriate action against that person(s)."



Although Weinstein Co. promised to find the uploader they may have a very hard time finding the individual or individuals. However, finding the person who was entrusted with the DVD screener in the first place should be much easier.

When Operation D-Elite began after the illegal uploading of Star Wars Episode III, the American uploader, Scott McCausland, got in trouble, especially because he was on an American-based torrent site and because he was also the administrator of the site.

For the Weinstein’s investigation to be successful, the individual or individuals responsible must have made some very obvious mistakes that would leave a trail. The watermarks on the film however, known as Coded Anti-Piracy, usually identify the source of the screener and that could lead to trouble for that individual.

Source:
Slyck

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Jun 2007 9:58

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• 9 comments

• tin23uk

  thought i heard a rumor that michael moore released it himself because of worries that the government might put at stopto it being released. that would be funny if it turned out he was the leak i guess technically he could be sued by the copyright ownersfor showing people his own movie. then i guess he could make a movie about that and the riaa/mpaa and copyrights

  23.6.2007 10:35 #1

• akaangus

  All the leak needs to do is say his briefcase containing the disc was stolen, how can they charge them?
  
  Maybe they can catch CANALSTREET while they're at it and then they can get the ironic punishment of sucking Bubba's dick in prison

  23.6.2007 11:09 #2

• cashman91

  i watched the movie have to say its really good

  23.6.2007 15:51 #3

• b18bek9

  the funny thing is it was going to be released to the public either way figuring the government was tryin to put a stop to the movie with legal action and micheal moore had given a copy to a close friend or friends of his if the movie was pulled so it would get out either way i heard him sayin something about it on howard stern. i tihnk it was last week he was talkin about it

  23.6.2007 16:03 #4

• mspurloc

  So the Left's Goebbels comes out saying he has no problem with people downloading his propaganda, then has his flunkies hunt the people down, so he can have it both ways. Typical.

  23.6.2007 16:15 #5

• borhan9

  It's good to see Michael Moore has no problem with this. It's sad to see that producers only think about the $$$ value and not if it gets the publicity it needs.

  23.6.2007 18:02 #6

• venomX05

  Quote:thought i heard a rumor that michael moore released it himself because of worries that the government might put at stopto it being released.You know, I agree with tin on this one...it would make PERFECT sense for it to fall under that category. Cause we all know how tight @ssed the MPAA is about their movies leaking earlier...and it was VERY convinient how it was widely spread over a brief period. And nobody really complained...

  23.6.2007 19:18 #7

• tin23uk

  Originally posted by mspurloc:So the Left's Goebbels comes out saying he has no problem with people downloading his propaganda, then has his flunkies hunt the people down, so he can have it both ways. Typical.weinstein and michael moore have nothing to do with each other, they are the holders of the copyright so technically they own the movie and they are the ones that get all the profit that is after michael more is given his royaltes. its like the beatles and michael jackson, wacko jacko outbid paul mccartney for ownership of the complete beatles music collection. paul mccartney could tell everyone to download beatles music but wacko could sue anyone that did.
  
  anyway like i said im waiting for moore to make a movie about the riaa's gestappo tacticts that would be worth a watch.

  24.6.2007 07:15 #8

• georgeluv

  if there is one movie you must see it is this one, if your american of course. will anything change? probably not untill things get really, REALLY bad. as in more than half of america without adequate coverage and people are rotting in prison because they couldnt pay their medical bills, or they are litteraly out in the street dying like dogs.

  25.6.2007 12:13 #9