TWO MOVIE CAMCORDERS ARRESTED IN HONG KONG
Latest Arrest is 3rd in 2010 as Zero Tolerance for Illegal Camcording Bites in Hong Kong’s Cinemas
- 24May 2010
Singapore/Hong Kong – Prompt action by alert frontline cinema staff resulting in the arrest of two men on suspicion of illegally camcording movies from cinema screens was today acknowledged and rewarded by the presentation of letters of appreciation and cash rewards.
Both men were arrested by officers from the Hong Kong Customs & Excise Department (HKC&ED), the first on suspicion of illegally camcording the trailer of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” at the Broadway Tsuen Wan Cinema on May 12 and the other for recording “Go Find A Psychic” at the UA Times Square Cinema on May 15. It is believed that a mobile phone was used to illegally record the trailer of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and a digital camera was used to illegally record “Go Find A Psychic”.
Both men face criminal charges for having in their possession video recording equipment in a place of public entertainment and the incidents are currently under investigation by HKC&ED officers. The latest arrest is the 3rd this year, and the 6th since September 2009, as cinemas across Hong Kong maintain a high level of vigilance to prevent illegal camcording.
In January this year, a 64-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of using two mobile phones to illegally camcord almost 90 minutes of the movie “Avatar” in the PALACE apm Cinema in Kwun Tong. He has since been charged with possession of video recording equipment in a place of public entertainment and is due to appear in court this week.
At the award ceremonies held at the Broadway Tsuen Wan Cinema and the UA Times Square Cinema in Causeway Bay today, letters of appreciation were presented to seven members of cinema staff and a reward of HK$2,000 (US$256) each to representatives of the Broadway Tsuen Wan Cinema and the UA Time Square Cinema. The presentations were made by Sam Ho, Executive Director and General Manager of the International Federation Against Copyright Theft – Greater China (IFACT-GC) and witnessed by representatives from the movie distribution industry, including Chui Hin-wai, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Theatres Association (HKTA), Warner Bros. Pictures International’s Sales Manager Avenant Tang, Broadway Circuit’s Operations Manager Jazz Lung as well as UA Cinema Circuit Limited’s Area Manager Michael Lee.
“Hong Kong’s theatre owners are determined to keep these movie thieves out of our cinemas because we know how damaging the theft of a movie from a cinema screen can be,” said the HKTA’s Vice Chairman Chui Hin-wai. “Full credit must be given to our front line theatre staff – it is their vigilance that has led to the arrest of six movie camcorders in the last nine months.”
“The outstanding efforts made by the Hong Kong movie community and Hong Kong Customs have had a significant effect on the incidence of illegal camcording in Hong Kong. There have been no recordings sourced from Hong Kong screens in almost 18 months.” said Mike Ellis, President and Manager Director, Asia-Pacific, Motion Picture Association. “Our congratulations to all responsible for this result, particularly Hong Kong Customs and the Hong Kong Theatres Association and their frontline cinema staff. Hong Kong’s strategy is a great example of what can be achieved when effective legislation is in place, when the movie distribution industry as a whole work together and there is support from the enforcement and judicial authorities.”
“Thanks to a combined effort by all stakeholders it is becoming very difficult for piracy syndicates to source movies from Hong Kong cinemas,” said IFACT-GC’s Sam Ho. “However, we are aware that these criminals will change their tactics to try to defeat our prevention strategy so I urge all movie goers not to record movies off the screen – even if they think they’re doing it “just for fun”. There is nothing funny about the damage illegal camcords do to the movie production and distribution business that provide wealth, jobs and enjoyment for many, many people. Don’t camcord and if you see anyone else doing it, please discreetly inform cinema staff.”
Forensic matching confirmed that nine movies were stolen from Hong Kong cinemas in 2008 and used to produce pirated DVDs and / or used in infringing downloads. As a result of the joint efforts of the HKTA, the HKC&ED and the IFACT-GC, no movies have been camcorded from Hong Kong cinemas and found in hard goods or online since 2009.
Under Hong Kong law, a person commits an offence if they have in their possession (without lawful authority or reasonable excuse) any video recording equipment in a place of public entertainment. Anyone breaking this law may be fined up to HK$50,000 and imprisoned for up to three months. Any person convicted of illegally camcording a movie may be imprisoned for up to four years.
Download File (PDF)For more information, please contact
Edward Neubronner
MPA Asia-Pacific
(65) 6253 1033
Siti Rohdiah
MPA Asia-Pacific
(65) 6253 1033
Sam Ho
IFA©T Greater China
(852) 2785 0363
About the MPA
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) and Motion Picture Association International (MPA-I) represent the interests of major motion picture companies in the global marketplace. To do so, it promotes and protects its member companies’ intellectual property rights and conducts public awareness programs to highlight to movie fans around the world the importance of content protection. These activities have helped to transform entire markets benefiting film industries in each country including foreign and local filmmakers alike.
The organizations’ worldwide operations are directed from its headquarters in Los Angeles, California and overseen in the Asia Pacific by a team based in Singapore. Its member companies include: Paramount Pictures Corporation; Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation; Universal City Studios LLLP; The Walt Disney Studios; and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. For more information about the MPA, please visit www.mpa-i.org.
