Jan. 15, 2007: Pirates of the Canadians

Gayle MacDonald: Pirates of the Canadians -- "This country has become a video-piracy hub to rival places such as Lebanon and the Philippines.... Hollywood is so mad that it's threatening to stop sending us films -- or delay openings" , January 13, 2007, Globe and Mail -- or here

www.rbcinvest.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto
ry/RTGAM.20070112.wpirates13/tech/Tech
nology/techBN/rbc-technology

[....] In the past 12 months, Fox sales manager Bert Livingston says he has sent tech specialists, training personnel and the latest anti-piracy equipment to Canada to help theatres try to catch the so-called "cammers" (people who shoot films covertly in theatres). ....

An MPA analysis of counterfeit discs in 2005 revealed close to 75 per cent of all films illegally camcorded in Canada were recorded in theatres in and around Montreal, recently identified as the No. 1 city in the world for surreptitious camcording. The reason? Pirates can easily create both English- and French-language masters.

The RCMP's Zarins says there is a major investigation under way in Montreal now. "Our members are working closely with the CMPDA on this. We partner with the private sector as much as we can." [....]