The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Ft. Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) December 12, 2009
On November 28, 2009, the Rosemont, Illinois, police arrested a Chicago woman for the illegal use of a digital recording device in the Rosemont Muvico Theater. A theater employee saw 22-year-old Samantha Tumpach operating a video camera in one of its theater auditoriums while the feature film was playing. The employee reported the activity to the theater manager, who in turn witnessed the activity himself and reported what he had observed to the police officer on duty at the theater.
The officer was instructed by his sergeant to approach Ms. Tumpach and confiscate the video camera on which she was believed to be recording the movie being shown in the theater auditorium. Upon inspecting the device, the officer found video recorded segments of the film, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon," on Ms. Tumpach's camera. Ms. Tumpach was then detained by police on suspicion that she knowingly operated a video recording device during the motion picture, which, if proven, is a crime under both federal and Illinois law.
Muvico, in compliance with the anti-piracy guidelines issued to movie theater operators nationwide by the Motion Picture Association of America, followed standard procedure by referring the matter to police. Specifically, theater managers are instructed to alert law enforcement authorities whenever they suspect prohibited activity. Theater managers do not make the determination whether a crime has been committed, and it is up to the police and prosecutors to use their discretion whether or not to press charges.
Muvico will continue to enforce the "zero-tolerance policy" adopted by the MPAA and fully supports anti-piracy laws and the motion picture industry's efforts to protect against copyright infringement. Under the law, any unauthorized audio or visual taping in a movie auditorium while the feature film is playing, regardless of the length of recording, is a federal and state offense that Muvico is compelled to report.
While Muvico stands by its action in this instance, it is happy that the judicial process has reached an appropriate result and is pleased that the charges against Ms. Tumpach have been dismissed.
According to the MPAA, illegal film piracy costs the movie industry billions of dollars each year, and illegal camcording in movie theaters is the source of over 90% of all illegally copied movies in their initial release form.
In a continuing effort to educate its guests about the illegality of film piracy, Muvico prominently places a number of posters and signs within its theaters alerting moviegoers of its "zero-tolerance" policy with respect to the camcording of films in its auditoriums.
To learn more about protecting creativity and combating piracy, please visit http://www.mpaa.org/piracy.asp.
About Muvico Theaters
Muvico Theaters presently operates nine locations and 154 screens in the states of Florida, California, and Illinois. The company's newest location debuted earlier this year at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, CA, a 1.1 million square foot open air shopping center owned by the Macerich Company. The facility is a 14 screen, 74,000 square foot theatre with Sony Premier 4K Digital Projection in all Theaters, VIP services, and a full service restaurant and bar.
Media Contact:
Rita Johnson
561-301-0122
Chase Fitzgerald
Button Communication
cfitzgerald(at)buttonworldwide(dot)com | 561.375.8655
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