MPAA SUES CHINESE PIRATES

Opening a new front in their war against video pirates, the MPAA today (Wednesday) filed lawsuits against two shops in Beijing, China that allegedly stocked knock-off copies of The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Incredibles, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, War of the Worlds and other titles. In an email to the Associated Press, Frank Rittman an MPAA lawyer, said, “We need every tool _ strong laws to support copyright, strong enforcement of those laws, stiff sentences for people who violate those laws, and most important, an understanding … that buying pirated movies hurts the industry and makes it difficult for movie makers to make new films.”