Prague - In August 2007, a 19-year old man recorded the Simpsons movie he was watching in a cinema on his camera and published the rip online. Eventually, he was caught and charged with spreading an illegal copy, a crime punishable by 6 months in jail and a hefty fine of up to 192.000 euro (five million CZK).
According to the Czech Anti-Piracy Union (Česká protipirátská unie, ČPU), the rip of the Czech-dubbed movie was downloaded by 100 thousand persons who would have otherwise paid 385 thousand euro (10 millions CZK) for cinema tickets.
This estimate, however, is based on a rather simplistic premise that were it not for the movie being published online, everyone who has downloaded it would go to cinema to see it.
Jumping the gun. Globally
According to the chairwoman of ČPU Markéta Prchalová, posting the film online attracted a strong attention since the Simpsons movie release date for the Czech Republic anticipated premieres in all other countries, including the USA.
The man recorded the film in a cinema multiplex in České Budějovice, South Bohemian Region.
"It was a specific type of piracy that caused great losses not only to the Twentieth Century Fox which produced the film, but above all to a local distribution company Bontonfilm," claimed Prchalová.
"A deterring example"
Online magazine Týden.cz informed that the accused man managed to negotiate with ČPU an out-of-court settlement. This way, he will be fined "only" 5800 euro and will have to apologize.
On top of that, they will use his case as a deterrent in anti-piracy preventive public campaigns. "He will be used to discourage any possible copycats," informed Ms. Prchalová.
Although the "pirate" thus avoided an entry into his criminal record, he is far from feeling victorious, informed Týden.cz. "Although it might be considered a laughable sum by some, the fine would cause serious problems to my client. He will depend on his family since he doesn't have a paying job yet," said the man's lawyer.
The offender was identified three days after the legal complaint was made. According to the spokesman of South Bohemian police Michal Marušák, this example of quick and smooth cooperation between police and ČPU should constitute a warning for those who think that film piracy is non-identifiable and non-punishable.
