Canada Makes Camcording of Movies Illegal

Canada working to shed image of being a movie pirate's heaven

In a report submitted by the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA) earlier this year, Canada was named as one of the top offenders. Canada is now taking steps toward changing its ranks on the IIPA’s list with the introduction of new legislation banning the recording of films in theatres.

Prior to the legislation, it was illegal to record a movie for commercial use, but legal if done for personal use. Since it was almost impossible to prove the intended purpose of the recording, theatres could only eject those caught making recordings. Theaters would not be able to sieze the recorded material.

The new legislation makes it illegal to record a film regardless of intended use, and those caught could face up to five years in prison.

After the U.S. criminalized the act of recording movies in 2005, pirates shifted their operations to Canada. According to Reuters, an estimated 20 to 25 percent of pirated films were captured in Canada.

Movie theatres will be asking its customers to help them stomp out movie piracy. Pagers will be made available to theatre patrons, giving them the power to page staff should they see someone recording the movie. The pagers will also be used to report those who leave their cell phones on, talk during the film and other disruptive movie-goers.
Reference:Marcus Yam,dailytech