Los Angeles police have made the first arrests under a new law targeting pirates who use camcorders in cinemas.
Ruben Centero Moreno, 34, was arrested after the projectionist used night vision goggles to spot video cameras. And Min Jae Joun, 28, was arrested on suspicion of recording a screening of The Passion of the Christ on 10 April.
Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, said he hoped it would “send a clear signal such crimes will not be tolerated”. “In both cases, the LAPD’s fine work would not have occurred without the swift actions of the employees of Pacific Theatres,” he told the Hollywood Reporter magazine. Federal authorities estimate the illegal copying of films costs the entertainment industry as much as $3bn (£1.7bn) a year.
