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Author Topic: Oscar Screener Copy of Movie Found Online Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-13-2004 11:10 AM                    Here's the link Here's the text of the story... LOS ANGELES (AP) - A copy of the romantic comedy "Something's Gotta Give" that was sent to an Oscar voter has surfaced on the Internet, prompting a probe by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Academy officials said Monday that they learned last week about the unauthorized online copy of the movie starring Jack Nicholson and Diane Keaton, which ranked fifth in last weekend's box office tally. The development was a setback for the anti-piracy campaign by the film industry and the academy. Last year, the academy banned the distribution of so-called "screener" DVDs and videotapes over concerns about bootlegging, but 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. A federal judge in December, however, granted a temporary injunction lifting the screener ban in a lawsuit brought by independent production companies, which argued the policy put them at a disadvantage for awards. The studios then sent screeners to thousands of other awards voters, including groups such as the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Screen Actors Guild and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which presents the Golden Globes. The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that visible and hidden markings on the videocassette copy on the Internet identify it as the one sent to Carmine Caridi, a film and television actor who appeared in the "The Godfather: Part II" and television's "NYPD Blue." The academy required its 5,803 eligible Oscar voters to sign forms promising to protect their screener tapes before they were received. About 80 percent of voters signed and returned the forms. An excerpt of the form reads: "I agree not to allow the screeners to circulate outside of my residence or office. I agree not to allow them to be reproduced in any fashion, and not to sell them or to give them away at any time. ... I agree that a violation of this agreement will constitute grounds for my expulsion from the Academy and may also result in civil and criminal penalties." The Times said Caridi, 69, couldn't be reached for comment. His telephone number is not listed. Bruce Davis, the academy's executive director, declined to identify the Oscar member being investigated. Davis said a phone call was made to the member who said he would call back to explain the matter more fully, but the member never did. The academy has sent a letter seeking an explanation for how the screener copy wound up on the Internet, but has not received an answer. Sony Pictures Entertainment, whose Columbia Pictures produced and distributed the movie, notified the academy last week about the online screener copy. "We did everything we could to ensure the secure handling of all of our screeners sent to members of the academy," Sony spokesman Steve Elzer told the Times. "We are very concerned about this situation, and have turned over all relevant information to the academy." Sony officials said they'll decide whether to pursue legal action once the academy's investigation is completed.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-13-2004 12:48 PM                        So how is this a setback to the piracy efforts? Seems to me it's proof that screeners SHOULD be banned, for mainstream films at least.  |  IP: Logged Michael Gonzalez Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 790 From: Grand Island , NE USA Registered: Sep 2000 posted 01-13-2004 01:43 PM                     All they would do then is argue over what constitues a "mainstream" film. They should do it by how many prints have been released. Something like 500 prints or less they can send the screeners out to all the groups. Between 500 and 1000 prints, they can only send them to a select group. Some kind of compromise needs to be worked out. I really hope that they fine this Carmine Caridi person and throw his ass out of the Acadey. That will sent out the right kind of message.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-13-2004 01:58 PM                     quote: I really hope that they fine this Carmine Caridi person and throw his ass out of the Acadey. That will sent out the right kind of message. Well, whatever Valenti's goon squad does to this fellow will set the premise for everything to come. If the guy gets off even lightly, the anti-piracy effort will collapse.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-13-2004 02:28 PM                        Agreed that they need to find and prosecute whoever pirated that tape (who may or may not be the intended recipient of it). As I've said before, screener tapes are a dumb idea and I'm really surprised that anyone involved in production (directors, producers, etc.) would want Academy members to be viewing "films" at home on television instead of in a proper theatre or screening room. If Academy members are too lazy to go to proper screenings, they shouldn't be Academy members (or film critics, etc.).  |  IP: Logged Kevin Wale Expert Film Handler Posts: 167 From: Guymon, OK USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 01-13-2004 03:32 PM                     quote: If Academy members are too lazy to go to proper screenings, they shouldn't be Academy members (or film critics, etc.). Absolutely! I know I'd hate to have such a burdensome privilege.  |  IP: Logged Dino Panagiotopoulos Expert Film Handler Posts: 139 From: Windor, Ontario, Canada Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-13-2004 04:43 PM                     Just like everyone has said, Screener tapes are a dumb idea and to me, along with inside jobs with film to DV transer, is probably the biggest cause of piracy in the US. Valenti wont admit that so they just turn around and blame the exhibitors for all the problems. Now that their brilliant idea of not banning these tapes has backfired, Id really like to see what their next steps are in the "War Against Piracy".  |  IP: Logged Daryl C. W. O'Shea Film God Posts: 3977 From: Midland Ontario Canada (where Panavision & IMAX lenses come from) Registered: Jun 2002 posted 01-13-2004 04:46 PM                        It wasn't entirely their idea to lift the ban, they did have some help from the federal courts.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 01-13-2004 05:36 PM                     I just hope this development will wake up the MPAA and let them know the CRAP code they put on prints means nothing. The MPAA is just messing up the show for honest, paying customers.  |  IP: Logged Mark J. Marshall Film God Posts: 3188 From: New Castle, DE, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 01-13-2004 06:02 PM                    What I thought was pretty interesting was... quote: ...visible and hidden markings on the videocassette copy on the Internet identify it as... I know everyone here said the studios should start doing that with the screener videos... I didn't realize that they had. Apparently, neither did this bozo. Now we can only hope they make an example out of him.  |  IP: Logged David Favel Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 764 From: Ashburton, New Zealand Registered: Feb 2002 posted 01-13-2004 06:49 PM                     Can someone explain the logic of inserting visible & hidden codes for ONE person per video, when they insert these huge bloody dots for thousands per print. Why not insert a hidden idedtifier on 35mm. Every one will then be happy.  |  IP: Logged Christian Appelt Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 505 From: Frankfurt, Germany Registered: Dec 2001 posted 01-13-2004 08:08 PM                     The whole screener thing stinks. It is an honor to be allowed to vote, and if someone is not willing to go to a screening, he shouldn't vote. Certainly it is better to identify the screener from which the copies/downloads were made than not, but what good will it do? The damage done by putting a unreleased film to the net is so severe that only a handful of very, very rich academy members could be sued for enough money, and I do not believe any studio is going go through all the hassle. And if some veteran actor did it, what can they do - sentence him for life? There are enough ways to avoid persecution, let's assume an academy member is offered a huge sum of money for his screener, and a burglary or theft can be staged. Nobody can accuse the person who was given the screener. It's all ridiculous.  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-13-2004 09:38 PM                     Since all oscar nominees must be screened publicly in the LA area then it shouldn't be a big deal seeing it as intended in a theatre Lets see we should judge the latest IMAX cinematography on a DVD hmmmm No wonder super35 productions clean up at the oscars  |  IP: Logged Paul Konen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 981 From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-14-2004 08:30 AM                     They found another one. "The Last Samurai" is the latest film. Here's the story: Click Here --------------------------------------------- LOS ANGELES - A second movie sent to Oscar voters has turned up on the Internet. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (news - web sites) announced the discovery of an unauthorized Internet copy of the Tom Cruise (news) film "The Last Samurai" on Tuesday, a day after announcing a probe into an unauthorized copy of "Something's Gotta Give," starring Diane Keaton (news) and Jack Nicholson (news). 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.  |  IP: Logged Brad Miller Administrator Posts: 17775 From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall) Registered: May 99 posted 01-14-2004 12:07 PM                     quote: The academy said that Warner Bros. had not identified a source of the Internet copy of "The Last Samurai." And why not? To hell with hidden codes, these tapes should have had their name burned in over the picture plain as day. quote: About 80 percent of them returned the forms And yet they sent the tapes anyway?  |  IP: Logged

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