Policy

MPAA Pushing More Anti-Piracy Measures at Theaters

"Zero Tolerance" policies have done wonders for schools, right?

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To prevent movie piracy, theaters nowadays are becoming more secure than some airports.

During pre-release screenings and premieres employees are often equipped with night-vision goggles and instructed to closely monitor movie goers. In some cases members of the public are instructed to hand over all recording-capable devices including phones, or even their candy.

While these measures are not always appreciated by the average movie goer they appear to have had some effect, as so-called "CAM" releases are becoming more rare. Perhaps motivated by this success, the MPAA has now updated its "Best Practices to Prevent Film Theft" guide for movie theaters.

In the revised guide the MPAA has stripped the billions of dollars in claimed losses that were included previously, but stresses that illegal camcording remains a significant problem. The movie industry group therefore advises theater owners to strictly prohibit the use of equipment that can record audio, video, or even take photographs.