'Hurt Locker' producers to sue thousands of pirates

The Hollywood Reporter has reported today that producers of the recent Best Picture winning film "The Hurt Locker" are preparing to sue thousands of alleged pirates, and that the case could be filed as soon as this week.

The U.S. Copyright Group, which has sued tens of thousands of alleged torrent users this year, has teamed up with Voltage Pictures, the team behind the movie, and the filing is said to include "tens of thousands (of pirates), if not more."

The movie was leaked to the Internet, in full DVD quality, about 6 months before its nationwide release in the U.S. Despite winning Best Picture, the film only grossed $17 million USD.

When filed, the plaintiffs must subpoena ISP records, and lawyers for the U.S Copyright Group say 75 percent of ISPs asked have cooperated in doing so.

Back in April, the Group sued 50,000 users, and says that over 40 percent have already settled with no cases going to court.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 12 May 2010 20:02

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28 comments

5fdpfan

Well that's what happens when movies aren't released everywhere at the same time. Studios should smartin up by now and stop doing that. Otherwise, this will happen again and again. Let the lawsuits fly. I'm sorry for those involved in the movie but the studio ripped them off. IF anything, they should be the ones being sued, not those who downloaded it. They know how rampid piracy is nowadays. To release a movie elsewhere that many months in advance, they should have expected it to get sent around the globe. But whatever. Their too thickheaded and stubborn to realize that.

12.5.2010 20:26 #1

Paula_X

haven't watched it.. haven't downloaded it.. looks like the same old boring crap hollywood things is good entertainment these days.. fail!!

do they really think dragging people through the courts is making them any friends and customers? .. fail again..

they will find out.. people who torrent don't buy stuff.. forcing them to defend themselves from unfounded allegations at risk of huge and unconstitutional penalties will just hasten the death of their industry.. I will NEVER EVER pay for a movie again, or pay to go and see one.. not because I have been threatened, but on a matter of principle.. I will not give a single penny to businesses who treat people like this.

I remember days before video tape and dvd.. we did just fine thinks.. wait a couple of years and it's on tv anyhow... used to be 4 years.. how I remember waiting 4 years to see a bond film on xmas day back in the 70's .. didn't seem like a long time. It's only a bloody film.. and the last 10 years has seen how many "greats" .. errrrrrr.. maybe 4 or 5 tops from hollywood.. some cracking euro zone ones tho.. but not in engrish, and we know yanks can't read subtitles.. so that makes them "not greats" in the eyes of the "only people who matter" apparently...

heres a clue.. the moving picture was a European invention.. a lot of us are sick of having an alien "culture" forced down our throats.. and then being made criminals by no more than accusation.. sorry.. due process.. new government in the UK now.. mandelsons law will most probably be wiped out now because we seem to have a bunch who might have to represent the wishes of their employers for a change...

time to give these studios the finger.. just refuse.. don't watch, don't buy, don't download.. and they will find out that with no customers whatsoever they really have no reason to exist.. and I hope that shower who are pleading poverty right now go bankrupt.. stuff em..

http://en.windows7sins.org/

12.5.2010 20:43 #2

tnt1125

A lot of this starts out as "The Inside Job" copies 6 months early? Screener's, for Academy Members Only, not just people buying and uploading. I'm sure big money changes hands at the upper level of these studios for their original copies to get out. Let's see, more lost money-Red Box $1.00 Theather $10.00 and up. Blockbuster $4.25. I'll sit at home rent the dvd make our own snacks and save $75.00 on a family of 4.

12.5.2010 21:03 #3

skeil909

I haven't been to a movie theater since Revenge of the Sith was playing. Not only is it way to expensive, but others in the theater are just too damn annoying and inconsiderate of others. I end up missing parts of the movie and leaving in a bad mood.

Even a bad movie isn't all that bad when rented from redbox for $1 or borrowed from a friend for free.

12.5.2010 21:27 #4

KillerBug

"heres a clue.. the moving picture was a European invention"

No, Edison invented the moving picture...and he was an American.

I don't mind paying for movies (well, I don't mind paying for netflix)...I even buy a movie from time to time if it is a really good one that I want...but I only buy 2-3 movies per year, and 1-2 of them are things that netflix does not have and probably will not have for years to come. They do need to make money in order to keep making movies, and that is just fine by me.

My complaint comes when they remake a remake of a remake of a '70's TV show that is itself a remake of a '50's TV show, which is itself a remake of a '20's radio show. There are original ideas out there, and if you are too thick to find them, you could at least venture into the realm of quality...and remake something that was total crap originally...like "War Joe"...that movie was terrible, there is nothing that Hollywood could do that would result in a remake that was not 20x better than the original! I am surprised these clowns have not tried to remake Casablanca, with Criss Rock as the piano player, cursing and calling Mike Meyers (who plays the lead role) a cracker!

Oh, and then there is my other complaint about the pricing and formats...why can't I buy a bluray quality movie online for $5? They would make more money than ever if they did that; they would even cut into netflix and redbox (and they would completely kill blockbuster).

12.5.2010 23:38 #5

Mrguss

Hollywood remake Movies 'cos they are out of fresh Ideas like a empty nut shell.
Out of 10 Movies: 1 is good (I never: say excellent) 2 are so, so and the other 7 are just a P of S. ("Hurt Locker" is on this last category if you ask me)

If Hollywood want to make money; c'mon make Fresh New Ideas Movies than are worth to enjoy, talk about it and buy!

+4000

13.5.2010 00:30 #6

KillerBug

If they wanted to make money, they would invest about $1,000,000 each in 1000 new ideas; rather than spending $1,000,000,000 on a remake of the A-Team. If they were releasing movies at that rate, they could make a profit charging $1 for a digital rental, $2 for keeps...and a huge profit at that. And movie torrents, netflix, and redbox would dry up...they just would not be worth the time and money involved.

Oh, and those stars that get paid $500,000,000 for a 10-minute part in a movie? Well, they can either adjust their rates or retire...there are plenty of starving actors who would do the job better, and would do it for free given the chance.

13.5.2010 00:39 #7

Mrguss

That's why I'am doing my training making my own XXX Movies......Noooo $....just for fun !
I hope Hollywood call me soon !

+4000

13.5.2010 00:43 #8

skeil909

Originally posted by KillerBug: Oh, and those stars that get paid $500,000,000 for a 10-minute part in a movie? Well, they can either adjust their rates or retire...there are plenty of starving actors who would do the job better, and would do it for free given the chance. Definitely agree with you on that.

13.5.2010 00:50 #9

xboxdvl2

i tryed to watch the hurt locker.i say tryed because i watched about 50minutes of it before turning it off and getting annoyed because i was hoping for a decent movie.iTs not worth paying to go see,renting or downloading and thats just my opinion.some people might actually like it.

PS2 with 12 games.
pc-windows 7,intel core quad Q8400,4 Gb ddr2,WD 500 GB hdd,ATI Radeon HD 4550 graphics,AOC 22inch LCD moniter.

13.5.2010 01:59 #10

davidike

piracy funds terrorism remember, even the free copies on the net funds terrorism, well according to the USA it does!

i wouldn't even bother to watch this propaganda rhetoric, maybe if they released the footage of the USA troops committing war crimes in fallujah using banned chemical WMD's & depleted uranium munitions on civilians and children id download it but the likely hood of that footage ever seeing the light of day is.......

http://www.thewe.cc/weplanet/news/americ...s_fallujah.html

why is the USA only motivated by GREED?

"The public domain is a dicgrace to the forces of evil"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJn_jC4FNDo

13.5.2010 03:15 #11

beanos66

it only grossed $17 million (Domestic, $42 million worldwide)coz americans don't like this type of movie, the producers new that when they started making the movie

and coz the U.S. Copyright Group have been persuading everyone that legal action is a new revenue stream, they jumped on the bandwagon hoping for a jammie style award

P.S. I saw the movie at the cinema and quite liked it, just spoiled by a few "oh you idiot" and "that would never happen" moments

13.5.2010 03:42 #12

bogwart16

"No, Edison invented the moving picture...and he was an American."

Sure, just like Americans invented everything, from radar to jet aircraft, from rockets, hovercraft, cars and the World Wide Web.

The first person to produce a series of moving pictures was Eadweard Muybridge, an American, in 1878. You couldn't really call this a motion picture though. In France the Lumi�re Brothers had the world's first studio and showed the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1898, which was the world's first commercial film.

I suppose you believe that Hollywood is the world's biggest producer of films, too? Wrong.

Stop being so American and arguing about things you have no knowledge of.

13.5.2010 06:43 #13

DaCount

No Bogwart, the CHINESE invented rockets-The JAPANESE invented the hovercraft-An POLE invented AC current (Tesla)

But as for cars..no a GERMAN invented the steam powered engine but an AMERICAN mass produced cars so that you can now buy one instead of these being the playthings of royalty.

But as for the Internet, that WAS invented by Americans way back in the early 1950's as a way for the military to communicate with the troops on the front line. And this has been documented more times then you have bathed in your lifetime. So maybe you should take your own advice and stop being so ignorant and arguing about things YOU have no knowledge of.

13.5.2010 11:30 #14

ZippyDSM

Good luck getting your money back from the laywers......

Until lobbying is a hanging offense I choose anarchy!
Ah modern gaming its like modern film only the watering down of fiction and characters is replaced with shallow and watered down mechanics, gimmicks and shiny-er "people".
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/

13.5.2010 13:29 #15

mystic

oh come on guys we are off the subject I really dont care who's flag is waving when it comes to to what ever and who ever built it its who or what issues that piss off the whole world... no I saw hurt locker and really thought it could have been alot beter and to release a movie like this during a war no one wanted we thats just in bad taste .. I know lets make a movie about the massacar in dufar and complain when no one goes to see it and then sue everyone its just what it is bad release timing dumb consept of a movie and really it was a screener that was released dosnt anyone remmber the last x-men that excaped the studio and ended up on the net ... riaa said it must have been a cam clone none of our people would do that.....sure and Im howard Hughes's son wheres my money.......

13.5.2010 13:32 #16

ddp

bogwart16, it was the british that came out with radar 1st & both the germans & british brought out the jet engine at about the same time.

13.5.2010 13:35 #17

bogwart16

DaCount: Have you no sense of irony? Rhetorical question. I was referring to the desire on the part of some (junior) Americans to have others believe that the US invented everything.

For information it was a Romanian who came up with the idea of a jet engine first, in 1910. Then Sir Frank Whittle came up with an application in 1928. Next up was a German. The Italians also had a version in 1940, but the first turbine jet was a Heinkel. A Messerschmitt was the first operational jet fighter, produced late in the war and luckily too late to affect the outcome.

The Chinese invented gunpowder from which they made rockets etc but I was referring to more practical applications. Like rockets for space travel, ballistic missiles etc.

Many people came up with a variety of ideas for the hovercraft, but the first practical design was from an Englishman, as was the design of radar.

What became the internet was invented by ARPANET in 1963. It had to do with packet-switching protocols, not communication with the military. But if you care to re-read my post I didn't mention the internet. I referred to the World Wide Web, which was invented by Sir Tim Berners-Lee and was launched in 1990.

If you'd take the trouble to stop the personal attacks and look up stuff you'd become a better person. You are typical of the kind of person to whom I referred first time out.

13.5.2010 14:24 #18

Mr-Movies

To be honest the producers of Hurt Locker should be sued for making such a horrible movie and that is the only reason it doesn't have the box office they expected but it seems to be in fashion that when a company does something poor they blame those d@mn pirates.

Of course these days horrible movies can be popular like Watchmen one of the worst movies ever made but it sure has a following even though. So with that maybe the producers thought they were onto something.

Originally posted by bogwart16: "No, Edison invented the moving picture...and he was an American."

Sure, just like Americans invented everything, from radar to jet aircraft, from rockets, hovercraft, cars and the World Wide Web.

The first person to produce a series of moving pictures was Eadweard Muybridge, an American, in 1878. You couldn't really call this a motion picture though. In France the Lumi�re Brothers had the world's first studio and showed the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1898, which was the world's first commercial film.

I suppose you believe that Hollywood is the world's biggest producer of films, too? Wrong.

Stop being so American and arguing about things you have no knowledge of. Actually Edison is known as the father of movies acknowledged in 1891 it wasn't until 1896 that the Frenchy did his thing.

The History of the Motion Picture
http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blmotionpictures.htm

Eadweard Muybridge
http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventors/a/Muybridge.htm
San Francisco photographer, Eadweard Muybridge conducted motion-sequence still photographic experiments and is called the "Father of the motion picture" even though he did not make films in the manner we know them as today.

Thomas Edison
http://inventors.about.com/library/inven...on_pictures.htm
Thomas Edison's interest in motion pictures began before 1888, however, the visit of Eadweard Muybridge to the inventor's laboratory in West Orange in February of that year certainly stimulated Edison's resolve to invent a motion picture camera.

13.5.2010 14:41 #19

bogwart16

"In 1895, Lumiere and his brother were the first to present projected, moving, photographic, pictures to a paying audience of more that one person."

From your first link. 'Nuff said.

I agree about Hurt Locker. I despise the jingoistic 'war on terror' and wish nothing but harm to those who take part, but there were loads of technical mistakes, and a bomb disposal guy who behaved like that in the British Army would be drummed out of the Brownies PDQ.

13.5.2010 14:49 #20

jos22

ha. the reason this made so little was because only a handful of cinemas actually showed it.

my local cinema showed one screening of it in their smallest screen they had.
where as they had avatar on 3-5 times a day in 2 largest screens for 2 months before dropping it to only 3d screenings.

most other cinemas didn't even do 1 screening of the movie.

and also it didn't help that the movie sucked beyond belief

13.5.2010 17:14 #21

mike.m

Originally posted by skeil909: Originally posted by KillerBug: Oh, and those stars that get paid $500,000,000 for a 10-minute part in a movie? Well, they can either adjust their rates or retire...there are plenty of starving actors who would do the job better, and would do it for free given the chance. Definitely agree with you on that.

Same here, take a look for instance at District 9. Before it came out no one knew anything about Sharlto Copley , and IMO he gave one of the best performances I've ever seen in a long time, besides Daniel Day-Lewis. Going a bit of topic, but Sharlto should have gotten a lot more appreciation this year, as supposed to almost all overpaid actors & directors/producers we've been seeing for years.

Quote:Despite winning Best Picture, the film only grossed $17 million USD.

And this shows that it's all about having more money to these people, not about making great thought-provoking movies, which it should be. They already get paid too much for not even working a hard days work. Give the money to the crew and stunt-men who work extra long hours for months on a movie, not the actors who quickly read their lines, come in for 3hrs for a few days, and then leave off to their mansions.

13.5.2010 22:11 #22

xtago

Originally posted by bogwart16: "No, Edison invented the moving picture...and he was an American."

Sure, just like Americans invented everything, from radar to jet aircraft, from rockets, hovercraft, cars and the World Wide Web.

The first person to produce a series of moving pictures was Eadweard Muybridge, an American, in 1878. You couldn't really call this a motion picture though. In France the Lumi�re Brothers had the world's first studio and showed the Oberammergau Passion Play in 1898, which was the world's first commercial film.

I suppose you believe that Hollywood is the world's biggest producer of films, too? Wrong.

Stop being so American and arguing about things you have no knowledge of. Actually Australia was the first place to do Hoolywood type movies in the 1800's the picture camera has been around since the 1700's just in all sorts of formats.

Anyway, How Hollywood got starts was some Americans heard about movies been done in Australia and come here in fact about 99% of all the world's movies done in the 1800's were done in Australia, but very few went outside Australia, anyway the Americans went back home California and guess what started up their own movie company might have been 20th century and started doing their own movies then people in the US went nuts and you had studios springing up all in the 1 place and that is how the USA have Hollywood today.

The companies in the USA put injuctions etc on Australian movie studios or bought them out shut them down etc so the Australian's could never compete against the USA and destroyed the industy in Australia and the Australain film industry has quite huge back then probably larger than what Hollywood ever got to in it's heyday.

That will most likely be something you won't read about on the net as it's not commonly known and Hollywood would refute it anyway but it's actually the true story.

The Australia archives have heaps of films from back then some movies go for 3-4 hours long and use White, Black and asian actors male and female, unmlike the old starting years of Hollywood where it's was white men only allowed to act in the movies.

14.5.2010 01:07 #23

ddp

i have a problem with that story.

14.5.2010 15:49 #24

Mrguss

+4000

14.5.2010 15:58 #25

xtago

Forget about Wiki as I said it most likely won't have any info about this... why? because it's not common knowledge, no USA school is going to tell everyone that Hollywood is really from Australia are they and if it was on Wikipedia someone probably going to edit it out anyway.

Anyway, here's an Australian archive page with USA made films that were lost or destroyed in the USA but copies were found in Australia and have have been preserved the oldest being from 1912.

http://www.nfsa.gov.au/the_collection/film-connection.html

Balloon Race An Australian film made in 1900 (the year that is)
http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search...c=4;resCount=10

Another Australian film The story of the Kelly Gang (ned kelly a bush ranger) made in 1906 and shown all over Australia and went for over an hour.

http://www.nfsa.gov.au/the_collection/co...gang_essay.html

14.5.2010 21:35 #26

zpr

I would like to remind that we all stand on the shoulders of giants. It's taken all of history and every human who ever lived for humanity to get his far. Squabbling over who is bestest really is petty, considering.

And to those who would ignore a good idea for or because of nationalism... you are creating your own dark ages.

15.5.2010 02:57 #27

ChiefBrdy

The movie was slow and uninteresting after the first bomb scene. They should be thankful they got 17 million.

"Is that 3 thousand dollar bounty on the shark in cash or check?"

"We can do it the easy way...Or we can do it the REAL easy way."

15.5.2010 10:34 #28

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