NEW YORK (AP) - Bootleggers beware: New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo
wants to toughen the penalty for film piracy to include jail time.
With actress Tina Fey at his side, Cuomo proposed state legislation Monday
that would make it a misdemeanor to illegally record a film or live performance,
or to sell such footage for commercial purposes.
Currently, those caught committing piracy are hit with a violation that only
carries a fine. Under the proposal, a first-time offender would face up to a
year in prison, and a repeat offender would be charged with a felony. New York
City already has upgraded film piracy to a misdemeanor with a penalty of up to
six months in jail for a first offense.
"New York has become the hub for a criminal network dedicated to film
piracy," Cuomo said at a news conference. "The wide distribution of pirated
films originating from New York costs our state vital economic resources,
including thousands of jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue."
The Motion Picture Association says a large chunk of bootlegged films are
recorded in New York City theaters. The duplications are typically sold for mass
reproduction or posted on the Internet, sometimes just hours after the movie has
premiered.
Pirated movies cost major U.S. film studios more than $6 billion in 2005,
according to the association. A study by the group shows that the New York City
movie industry alone loses an estimated $1.5 billion a year due to piracy, and
the local economy suffers further with lost earnings, tax revenue and jobs.
Cuomo's proposal has to be introduced in the state Legislature. Brian
Gorman, spokesman for State Sen. Frank Padavan, who is expected to co-sponsor it
with State Sen. Dale Volker, said it should be introduced within a week.
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