The underdog pirates seem to be ignoring the "You can click, but you can't hide!" smack, as after six rounds movie sharing is still fighting strong against the heavy weight champ movie studios. Led by the trade organization known as the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) another round of lawsuits has been levied against internet pirates in a hope to dissuade the sharing of copyrighted movies.
The MPAA announced its plan to sue a new round of individuals in a press release issued Monday. Feeling buoyed by the Supreme Court's decision to remand on June 27th, both the MPAA and RIAA have stepped up their efforts to increase the visibility of their campaign. Whether a more definitive pro-P2P ruling would have changed that is another matter.
“In the recent Grokster decision, the Supreme Court of the United States stated categorically that those who steal movies using peer-to-peer software are not above the law" said Senior Vice President and Director of Worldwide Anti-Piracy John G. Malcolm.
The MPAA press release did not specify which networks were pursued. However, when the MPAA released the names of five Waco, Texas men brought to full trial last week, they were caught using BearShare, LimeWire and Kazaa to trade movies.
While the MPAA's lawsuit campaign appears similar to the RIAA's, the MPAA has been more animated in their educational efforts to thwart piracy. Virtually every movie released by a company represented by the MPAA has some kind of anti-piracy message - whether in the theater or on DVD/VHS rental.
In the MPAA's press release, John G. Malcolm conveys reluctance to sue individuals, stating he would rather see people spend money in the theaters or on legal DVDs rather than on lawyer fees. In addition, Mr. Malcolm states "we will go as many rounds as is necessary until people get the word that the online distribution of stolen movies is illegal and harmful..."
That wish appears to have come largely true, as current research dictates most individuals are aware that trading copyrighted material is illegal and...well lets just stick with illegal.
