[Rumori] copies of movie "screeners" found online

[stAllio! the original wanksta]

not a lot of facts to go on in this story, just allegations so far
(i.e. no actual evidence has been released)...  i'll be tracking this
on my blog, at least for now.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/ap20040114_612.html

Another Oscar Screener Movie Found Online
Another Screener Copy of Movie Sent to Oscar Voter Surfaces on Internet

The Associated Press


LOS ANGELES Jan. 14 — A second movie sent to Oscar voters has
turned up on the Internet.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the discovery
of an unauthorized Internet copy of the Tom Cruise film "The Last
Samurai" on Tuesday, a day after announcing a probe into an
unauthorized copy of "Something's Gotta Give," starring Diane Keaton
and Jack Nicholson.

Both Internet postings were setbacks for the anti-piracy campaign by
the film industry, which has estimated that unauthorizied movie copying
costs it $3.5 billion a year.

The Motion Picture Association of America, which represents studios,
last year banned the distribution of so-called "screener" DVDs and
videotapes over concerns about bootlegging, but it partly lifted the
ban after complaints from filmmakers, producers and independent
production companies.

The studios changed the policy in October to allow the shipment of
encoded videocassettes to Academy Award voters only. Two months later,
a federal judge granted a temporary injunction blocking the screener
ban after independent production companies sued, arguing the policy put
them at a disadvantage for awards.

The academy said that Warner Bros. had not identified a source of the
Internet copy of "The Last Samurai." The movie, an East-West culture
clash set in 19th century Japan, was in the top ten at the box office
last week and has earned more than $97 million since it hit theaters
last month.

Actor Carmine Caridi was identified by the Los Angeles Times as the
intended recipient of the "Something's Gotta Give" copy that surfaced
on the Internet last week. He declined comment to the newspaper.

Malcolm Cassell, Caridi's agent, said the 69-year-old "NYPD Blue" actor
had hired an attorney and was "mightily embarrassed," though "vague and
not forthcoming" when asked how a copy of the movie sent to him may
have surfaced online.

The 5,803 Academy members eligible to vote this year were required to
sign forms promising to protect their screener tapes. About 80 percent
of them returned the forms, which include a stipulation that a
violation is grounds for expulsion from the academy.

Academy members include actors, producers, directors and writers as
well as public relations specialists, sound technicians and other
industry executives, artists and craftspeople.

The Oscar nominations will be announced Jan. 27 and awards presented
Feb. 29.

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