Girl Arrested For Recording 3 Minutes of New Moon
Chicago Sun Times is reporting that a 22 year old Chicago woman, spent two nights in jail and could spend up the three years in prison for recording 3 minutes of the Twilight: New Moon on her cell phone. She is being charged with Criminal Use of a Motion Picture Exhibition, a Class 4 felony designed to keep pirates from recording blockbuster films and putting them up on the internet.
The woman, Samantha Tumpach, claims that while there was some New Moon footage on her phone and that the main intention was to record her 29 year old sister’s birthday party. (You’re probably asking yourself the same question, what 29 year old wants to celebrate their birthday watching New Moon?) But the theater workers saw her with her cell phone out during the feature (she apparently didn’t read Dustin’s articles) recording. They didn’t buy her story and decided to press charges, even though the content on her phone proved her story.
I understand the zero tolerance of these copyright laws, but honestly this is just a little ridiculous, and these suits never go well, but with ACTA on the horizon things are only going to get worse. Well that is another woman’s life that Edward ruined.
Read more here.
So stupid. I love that our government is concered with 3 minutes of recorded film when there are so many more important matters going on around us. Poor girl.
3 minutes is hardly worth the time and effort it takes to rain down fire and brimstone on this girl. I don’t think Twilight is anything special, but come on. I’m sure I could find a torrent of it and download the entire movie because some dude recorded it on a tripod.
With that said, I feel sorry for the girl – she’s just being made as another example of the motion picture industry flexing its legal muscles.
She was actually arrested for watching Twilight, since it is a crime against humanity.
“I understand the zero tolerance of these copyright laws,”
Seriously? Why do people always jump to the defense of these little tyrants? Copyright law is seriously out of control, and I don’t see enough people getting mad enough about it for it to ever be reformed.
See? Told you guys twilight was awesome…Good enough to do hard time for!!
I couldn’t even respond the first time I read this post, I had to take a break from laughing and revisit it. But in all seriousness poor girl. Wonder where she’ll spend her next bday. LOL
When I said that “I understand the zero tolerance of these copyright laws,” I mean more, I understand the concept behind it is and why they do it, the only problem is in cases like this it just doesn’t work and brings a hell of alot more bad press than good. Alot like the kid who got arrested for recording Transformers on his cell. I didn’t mention it in my article but some theaters even reward a “bounty” to it staff for catching infringes I have never seen this personally but I watched hulking half side of beef of a guy with night vision goggles spend an entire performance of District 9 scan a crow looking very intimidating and looking for someone up to no good. No quite honestly if that doesn’t make you feel like your in a police state nothing will. After ACTA gets passed things are going to get a hell of alot worse believe you me.
It would be funny if he was using the Modern Warfare 2 goggles, but in all seriousness while I agree its weird to have some guy patrolling the theater looking like buffalo bill he’s looking for people who are breaking the law not to harass people who just want to enjoy the movie.
LOL, yes it would, but it just kinda of reminds me of how someone follows you around a store, that feeling of you COULD be up to something. Them looking imposing as they could didn’t help. I am pretty sure there is better tech they can use to combat this. I am very opposed to “Cams” but I think there is better tech that could accomplish the job. But I think the “big brother” aspect has a part to play, because we all know the MPAA is fond of scare tactics.
STUPID……..THAT’S ALL, JUST STUPID