

Currently released so far... 12553 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
APECO
ASEC
AMGT
AFIN
APER
ACABQ
AORC
AEMR
AF
AE
AR
AGMT
AU
AY
ABLD
AS
AG
AJ
APCS
AX
AM
AMEX
ATRN
ADM
AMED
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AL
ASUP
AND
ARM
ASEAN
AFFAIRS
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
AODE
APEC
ACBAQ
AFSI
AFSN
AO
ABUD
AC
ADPM
ADCO
ASIG
ARF
AUC
ASEX
AGAO
AA
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
AIT
AADP
ASCH
AORL
AROC
ACOA
ANET
AID
AMCHAMS
AINF
AMG
AFU
AN
ALOW
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ACS
ADANA
AECL
ACAO
AORG
AGR
BEXP
BR
BM
BG
BL
BA
BTIO
BO
BP
BC
BILAT
BK
BU
BD
BRUSSELS
BB
BF
BBSR
BIDEN
BX
BE
BH
BT
BY
BMGT
BWC
BTIU
BN
CA
CASC
CFED
CO
CH
CS
CU
CE
CI
CM
CMGT
CJAN
COM
CG
CIS
CVIS
CR
CKGR
CHR
CVR
COUNTER
CIA
CLINTON
CY
CPAS
CD
CBW
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CDG
CW
CODEL
COUNTRY
CLEARANCE
COE
CN
CARICOM
CB
CONDOLEEZZA
CWC
CACS
CSW
CIDA
CIC
CITT
CONS
CL
CACM
CDB
CDC
CAN
CF
CJUS
CTM
CBSA
CARSON
CT
CLMT
CBC
CEUDA
CV
COPUOS
CTR
CROS
CAPC
CAC
CNARC
CICTE
CBE
ECON
ETRD
EIND
ENRG
EC
ELAB
EAGR
EAID
EFIS
EFIN
EINV
EUN
EG
EPET
EAIR
EU
ELTN
EWWT
ECIN
ERD
EI
ETTC
EUR
EN
EZ
ETC
ENVI
EMIN
ET
ENVR
ER
ECPS
EINT
EAP
ES
ENIV
ECONOMY
EXTERNAL
EINN
EFTA
ECONOMIC
EPA
EXBS
ECA
ELN
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
ENGR
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
ELECTIONS
EIAR
EINDETRD
EREL
EUC
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
ENERG
EFIM
EAIDS
EK
ETRDECONWTOCS
EINVETC
ECONCS
EUNCH
ESA
ECINECONCS
EUREM
ESENV
EFINECONCS
ETRC
ENNP
EAIG
EXIM
EEPET
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EUMEM
ETRA
ERNG
ETRO
ETRN
EINVEFIN
ICTY
IN
IS
IR
IC
IZ
IA
INTERPOL
IAEA
IT
IMO
IO
IV
ID
IRAQI
IEA
INRB
IL
IWC
ITU
ICAO
ISRAELI
ICRC
IIP
IMF
IBRD
ISLAMISTS
ITALY
ITALIAN
ILO
IPR
IQ
IRS
IAHRC
IZPREL
IRAJ
IDP
ILC
ITF
ICJ
IF
ITPHUM
INMARSAT
ISRAEL
IACI
IBET
ITRA
INR
IRC
IDA
ICTR
IGAD
INRA
INRO
IEFIN
INTELSAT
INTERNAL
INDO
ITPGOV
KWMN
KSCA
KDEM
KTFN
KIPR
KCRM
KPAL
KE
KPAO
KPKO
KS
KN
KISL
KFRD
KJUS
KIRF
KFLO
KG
KTIP
KTER
KRCM
KTIA
KGHG
KIRC
KU
KPRP
KMCA
KMPI
KSEO
KNNP
KZ
KNEI
KCOR
KOMC
KCFC
KSTC
KMDR
KFLU
KSAF
KSEP
KSAC
KR
KGIC
KSUM
KWBG
KCIP
KDRG
KOLY
KAWC
KCHG
KHDP
KRVC
KBIO
KAWK
KGCC
KHLS
KBCT
KPLS
KREL
KCFE
KMFO
KV
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFTFN
KVPR
KTDB
KSPR
KIDE
KVRP
KTEX
KBTR
KTRD
KICC
KCOM
KO
KLIG
KDEMAF
KMRS
KRAD
KOCI
KSTH
KUNR
KNSD
KGIT
KFSC
KHIV
KPAI
KICA
KACT
KHUM
KREC
KSEC
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KCMR
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KNAR
KNUC
KPWR
KENV
KWWMN
KWMNCS
KPRV
KOM
KBTS
KCRS
KNPP
KWNM
KRFD
KVIR
KTBT
KAID
KRIM
KDDG
KRGY
KHSA
KWMM
KMOC
KSCI
KPAK
KX
KPAONZ
KCGC
KID
KPOA
KIFR
KFIN
KWAC
KOMS
KCRCM
KNUP
KMIG
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KTLA
KCSY
KJUST
MOPS
MARR
MASS
MNUC
MX
MCAP
MO
MR
MI
MD
MK
MA
MP
MY
MTCRE
MOPPS
MASC
MIL
MTS
MLS
MILI
MAR
MU
MEPN
MAPP
MTCR
MEPI
MZ
MEETINGS
MG
MW
MAS
MT
MCC
MIK
ML
MARAD
MV
MERCOSUR
MTRE
MPOS
MEPP
MILITARY
MDC
MQADHAFI
MUCN
MRCRE
MAPS
MEDIA
MASSMNUC
MC
NZ
NZUS
NL
NU
NATO
NP
NO
NIPP
NE
NH
NR
NA
NPT
NI
NSF
NG
NSG
NAFTA
NC
NDP
NEW
NRR
NATIONAL
NT
NS
NASA
NAR
NV
NORAD
NSSP
NK
NPA
NGO
NSC
NATOPREL
NW
NPG
NSFO
OPDC
OTRA
OIIP
OREP
OVIP
OSCE
OEXC
OIE
OPRC
OAS
OPIC
OTR
OMIG
OSAC
OFFICIALS
OECD
OSCI
OBSP
OFDA
OPCW
ODIP
OFDP
OES
OPAD
OCII
OHUM
OVP
ON
OIC
OCS
PHUM
PREL
PGOV
PINR
PTER
PARM
PREF
PM
PE
PINS
PK
PHSA
PBTS
PRGOV
PA
PORG
PP
PS
PGOF
PL
PO
PARMS
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PAK
POL
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PREFA
PALESTINIAN
PBIO
PINF
PNG
PMIL
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PAO
POLITICS
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PTBS
PCUL
PROP
PNAT
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PROG
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PHUMPREL
PGOC
PY
PCI
PLN
PDOV
PREO
PGIV
PHUH
PAS
PU
POGOV
PF
PINL
POV
PAHO
PRL
PG
PRAM
POLITICAL
PARTIES
POLICY
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PGGV
PHUS
PSA
PHUMPGOV
PEL
PSI
PAIGH
POSTS
PBT
PTERE
RS
RU
RW
RM
RO
RP
REGION
RSP
RF
RICE
RCMP
RFE
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
ROBERT
RUPREL
RELATIONS
ROOD
REACTION
RSO
REPORT
SENV
SNAR
SCUL
SR
SC
SOCI
SMIG
SI
SP
SU
SO
SW
SY
SA
SZ
SAN
SF
SN
STEINBERG
SG
ST
SIPDIS
SNARIZ
SNARN
SSA
SK
SPCVIS
SOFA
SAARC
SL
SEVN
SARS
SIPRS
SHUM
SANC
SWE
SHI
SYR
SNARCS
SPCE
SYRIA
SEN
SH
SCRS
SENVKGHG
TRGY
TSPL
TPHY
TSPA
TBIO
TI
TW
THPY
TX
TU
TS
TZ
TC
TH
TT
TIP
TO
TERRORISM
TRSY
TINT
TN
TURKEY
TBID
TL
TV
TNGD
TD
TF
TP
TFIN
TAGS
TK
TR
UNSC
UK
UNGA
UN
US
UNHRC
UG
UP
UNMIK
UNHCR
UE
USTR
UNVIE
UAE
UZ
UY
UNO
UNESCO
USEU
USOAS
UV
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNEP
UNIDROIT
UNDESCO
UNDP
UNPUOS
UNC
UNAUS
USUN
UNCHC
UNCHR
UNCND
UNICEF
UNCSD
UNDC
USNC
USPS
USAID
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 06MONTREAL1220, Camcording in Montreal theaters: perspectives
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06MONTREAL1220.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
06MONTREAL1220 | 2006-12-12 15:50 | 2011-04-28 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED | Consulate Montreal |
VZCZCXYZ0018
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHMT #1220/01 3461550
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121550Z DEC 06
FM AMCONSUL MONTREAL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0365
INFO RUCNCAN/ALCAN COLLECTIVE
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
UNCLAS MONTREAL 001220
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
Ref: MONTREAL 365, Montreal 436
STATE FOR WHA/CAN, WHA/PD, EB/TPP/IPC, DS/IP/WHA
PASS TO USTR (SULLIVAN, MELLE, GARDE)
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON ETRD KIPR CA
SUBJECT: Camcording in Montreal theaters: perspectives
from industry and law enforcement
This message is Sensitive but Unclassified
¶1. (SBU) Summary and Comment: The Canadian Motion Picture
Distributors Association's (CMPDA) Montreal anti-piracy
division and the Montreal division of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) gave two different perspectives on
the scope and impact of camcording in Montreal theaters to
Econcouns and Econoff on December 6. The CMPDA continues
to stress the negative impact of theater camcording and the
lack of both law enforcement attention and legislative measures
to combat the problem. The Motion Picture Association now
estimates that through the third quarter of 2006, 18
percent of pirated movies sold around the world can be
traced to camcording in Montreal theaters--a revision of
the 40 to 50 percent figure given to Econoff in March (ref
A). The Association has not determined the financial
losses due to camcording, but estimates that CMPDA members
in Canada lost USD 118 million in 2005 due to general
piracy. The CMPDA also states that one individual may be
responsible for most of these camcorded movies. The
Association has lobbied the Canadian government to step up
efforts to stop theater camcording and to make it a
criminal offense.
¶2. (SBU) Montreal RCMP officers consider theater camcording
to be a low priority, and focus their IPR enforcement
resources on violations that have a public safety dimension
(such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals) or that cause serious
financial losses. The officers expressed skepticism as to
the scale of the camcording problem and its impact on
Canadian industry. The RCMP has encouraged industry
representatives such as the CMPDA to undertake their own
investigations of movie piracy and pursue civil litigation
under the Copyright Act. Using casework developed by the
CMPDA, the RCMP has twice arrested the individual believed
to be behind most Montreal camcording. The Crown Prosecutor
may bring charges early next year Q but even if convicted,
the alleged perpetrator will not receive jail time,
according to the RCMP.
¶3. (SBU) The lack of an anti-camcording provision in
Canada's criminal code introduces a significant "gray area"
into the legality of bringing a video recorder into a movie
theater. This aside, the lack of hard figures about the
extent of camcording in Montreal theaters, the impact of
this camcording on movie piracy worldwide, and especially
the financial injury this piracy inflicts on the
entertainment industry in Canada have hindered our case in
advocating the introduction of anti-camcording provisions
in Canadian law. Given the RCMP's little interest in
pursuing camcording, the lack of deterrent penalties for
filming in theaters, and the ever-improving technology of
cameras and computers, we would be surprised if this high-
tech pastime disappears anytime soon in Montreal.
End Summary and Comment.
--------------------------------------------- ----------
Industry Sees an Acute Camcording Problem, Urges Action
--------------------------------------------- ----------
¶4. (SBU) A representative from the CMPDA's anti-piracy
operations in Montreal told Econoffs that his organization
has revised its statistics with regard to the role played
by Montreal camcording in movie piracy worldwide. While
previous statistics based on Motion Picture Association
(MPA) figures estimated that between 40 percent and 50
percent of all pirated films could be traced to Montreal
theaters, new figures indicate that this percentage is
closer to 18 percent. This percentage is based on MPA
estimates through the first three-quarters of 2006 showing
that 54 of 60 theater camcordings in Canada occurred in
Montreal--out of a total of 295 camcordings worldwide.
The MPA based its data on examinations of movie watermarks
in pirated DVDs that can be traced back to specific
theaters (see ref A). (Comment: The Canadian government
and the RCMP have questioned the industry figures in the
past. The CMPDA claims that the contrast between the
40-50% estimate of pirated films from Montreal theaters and
the current 18% estimate is a result of the MPA taking a
Qmore globalQ approach to its study of pirated films, and
incorporating the contribution of other geographical areas--
especially Europe--to worldwide movie piracy. The lack of
hard data regarding the extent of theater camcording in
Montreal and its financial impact is a source of difficulty
in conveying the need for the inclusion of an anti-
camcording provision in CanadaQs criminal code. End
Comment)
¶5. (SBU) The CMPDA representative laid out a picture of
camcording in Montreal theaters as the product of one well-
organized individual with links to global piracy circles.
According to the CMPDA, the individual camcorded movies at
five large theaters in the greater Montreal area, usually
on the first afternoon of a filmQs release. Using a high-
quality webcam, the individual recorded films directly to
his computerQs hard drive to capture a high-quality image.
He would then transfer the movie file to high-capacity
storage hard drives in his home. The CMPDA stated that a
select group of individuals involved in the pirated
industry around the world--including in the United States
--could then gain access to the hard drives and merely
"drag and drop" the full film file onto their own hard
drives. The high-tech nature and relative simplicity of
this system helps explain how films such as "The Chronicles
of Narnia" could be shown in a Montreal theater and later
sold in DVD form on big city streets within a matter of
hours.
¶6. (SBU) The act of camcording in a theater is not illegal
under Canadian law, and only becomes an offense when a
camcorded movie is distributed on the internet or in
another form, according to the CMPDA. The CMPDA has urged
the Canadian government to introduce an anti-camcording
provision in the criminal code, which would give both local
police officers and RCMP officers the power to arrest
individuals caught camcording in theaters. The CMPDA says
that currently, only the RCMP (CanadaQs federal police) can
act against individuals camcording movies and only if the
camcorded movies are subsequently distributed for sale.
Even if a theater manager spots someone camcording a film,
local police will refer inquiries to the RCMP. The CMPDA
says that in order to convict someone under the Copyright
Act, it is not enough to see someone in a theater with a
camcorder in order to bring a case against him or
her. One must actually prove "commercial intent" on the
part of the person filming, who might claim that they are
simply recording a copy for personal use. "We need to
catch [the person filming] while they are actually setting
up," the CMPDA official stated, and then be able to prove
that the movie in question appeared in pirated form
afterwards.
¶7. (SBU) The CMPDA has helped train theater employees at
key Montreal-area theaters to detect camcording. The
Association says it is difficult to spot individuals
camcording for commercial use given the ease of set-up, the
small size of webcams, and the fact that they have no red
light or other telltale indicator. Furthermore, even if
law enforcement stops an individual during the course of
the movie, he can press a "stop" button to avoid saving the
film, and his computer will have no record of wrongdoing.
However, if law enforcement officials are able to catch the
suspect while he or she is leaving the theater, after
having recorded the film to his or her hard drive, they
might have a chance of pressing charges, the CMPDA said.
----------------------------------------
Major Player Arrested and Released Twice
----------------------------------------
¶8. (SBU) According to the CMPDA, this was the case in the
beginning of September when the CMPDA collected evidence
that facilitated the RCMP's arrest of the individual whose
recordings had been allegedly transformed into pirated DVDs
around the world. The RCMP released the individual after
questioning, with the caveat that he was not to return to
movie theaters in the city. Although the number of
camcordings traced to Montreal dropped significantly for
one month following the arrest, it gradually increased
again. Convinced that the individual had resumed his
camcording, the CMPDA collected further evidence and
convinced the RCMP to arrest him for a second time in
October. The CMPDA official noted that the suspect was
again released after being questioned by RCMP officers and
with the understanding that he could not enter a movie
theater. The CMPDA official stated that it was unclear how
much money the suspect had received for each incidence of
camcording.
--------------------------------------------- ----------
Arrests -"A Favor" to Industry; Camcording "Not a Major
Problem," According to Law Enforcement
--------------------------------------------- ----------
¶9. (SBU) A discussion with a superintendent and a staff
sergeant combating intellectual property crimes at the
RCMP's Montreal headquarters yielded a different
perspective on camcording and the best means of tackling
the issue. The RCMP states that it focuses its limited
IPR-dedicated resources to issues that have health and
safety components (e.g., counterfeit pharmaceuticals) or
that have a large, demonstrable financial impact. The RCMP
is currently undertaking a "fact-finding mission" on all
IPR issues as part of its mission to combat "economic
Crime" to determine what sorts of problems exist and how
best to address them with existing resources.
¶10. (SBU) With regard to the arrest of the individual who
had been pursued by the CMPDA, RCMP officers stated that
they arrested the individual "as a personal favor" to a
CMPDA official, and that they did not view theater
camcording as "a major issue." The officers said that IPR
holders could pursue legal action against suspects engaged
in camcording via the civil code without needing to engage
the RCMP. They acknowledged, however, that a conviction
under the civil code would not result in prison time, and
would usually involve a relatively small fine. The RCMP
officers also took a different view of the camcording
suspect, seeing him as "a small player," being manipulated
by a larger piracy organization(s), and not receiving
lucrative financial rewards for his work. One RCMP officer
expressed concern that the RCMP not be seen as "the
enforcement arm of industry," noting that the "industry
comes to [the RCMP] more and more" with requests for
action. Although the RCMP officers suggested that industry
representatives could pursue litigation through the civil
code on their own, they commented that proving an
individual had a commercial purpose to his camcording could
be difficult.
Marshall