Piracy has been a recurring problem affecting Brazil for some time. Violators repeatedly have tried to illegally record the contents shown in cinemas for later use on the web. This harms the exhibitor, the distributor and ultimately the viewer. As a result, the Motion Picture Association has created a coalition named 4C of the Cinema against Camcording. The organization represents the six major studios based in the United States - 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures.
"Exhibitors are in the pirate product distribution chain the first target because that's where the film is first made available. This was a very common practice only outside Brazil and has become commonplace in the country,” said Ygor Valerio, vice president of the MPA in Brazil.
Between 2011 and 2015, 180 cases were reported in Brazil, with squares like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Campo Grande and Salvador as the main target. To prevent further attacks, big industry names like Cinemark, Cinépolis, Kinoplex and UCI decided to join the MPA.
The goal of the 4C involves sharing information between exhibitors so that they can prevent and ensure future problems involving the practice in Brazil, establishing a benchmark of prevention in theaters.
"We will develop technological measures and and support the advancement of the legislative topic related to camcording in Brazil," said Valerio. Currently, camcording is considered a federal crime punishable by imprisonment in the US, while in Brazil the punishment is too lenient. "The only thing that the subject has to do is sign a waiver at the police station and leave. Nothing happens, "he explained. Therefore, one of the coalition fights involves changes in the law for punishment of this type of practice.
One of the priorities of the 4C is a specific training related to camcording embedded in the regular training of the employees, so it can be easier and convenient for theater owners to identify these offenders and, in this way, they can take the necessary legal decisions.
"Importantly, the recordings take place in the first days of release So, the first five days on which the film is released form the critical period of recording. So we developed in partnership with exhibitors a special training and share information, including initiating cases of investigation so this practice in Brazil can end," Valerio said.