Film theft

Updated: July 14, 2010

In 2009, financial losses to the cinema industry due to copyright theft were estimated to be around £144m. That equates to over 15 per cent of box office, or some 26 million attendances.

Film piracy - whether through camcording, the trade in illicit DVDs or through illegal downloading - is theft. It means that those whose talents and efforts went into making the film go unrewarded and therefore has a direct impact on the quality and quantity of films likely to be produced in the future.

There is also now strong evidence linking traffic in illegal DVDs with those involved in organised crime – including drug-dealing, people trafficking and pornography.

Illegal camcording remains a significant problem for the UK film sector with UK remaining a key source of illegal camcords around the world. Evidence from other countries suggests that where camcording is criminalized, such as in the US, this has a significant effect on the level of the problem (and often drives it to those territories without such legislation).

For all these reasons, the CEA continues to lobby Government for a change in the law so that the camcording of a film in a cinema becomes a criminal offence. Click on this link to find out more about the specific issues behind camcording.

The cinema exhibition sector is already doing a great deal the tackle the issue of IP theft, ensuring that theatre staff are provided with training on what to look for and what to do if they find someone illegally camcording a film in a theatre.

The CEA also supports the work of a range of partner organizations in tackling the wider issues of IP theft, whether they impact on cinema or the home entertainment market. Key strands include:

• helping to fund FACT, which employs experienced professionals to gather intelligence and undertake investigations, working closely alongside HM Revenue and Customs, the Police, Trading Standards and other anti-piracy organizations;

• working with FACT to provide training and guidance to staff on tackling illegal camcording activity. Best Practice Guides were launched in 2006 and distributed to every cinema in the UK. FACT/the Film Distributors’ Association (FDA) and cinema operators give awards to staff involved in the successful prevention of camcording; and

• supporting the drive by the Industry Trust for IP Awareness to raise awareness of the impact of illegal downloading and camcording on the film industry, through for example the You Make the Movies campaign.

The CEA strongly encourages anyone who witnesses film IP theft or has suspicions that it is taking place to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Further information on those involved in the fight against film theft can be found through the links page.