IN THE NEWS: Man enters into plea bargain on movie piracy

In what may be seen as a stern warning to those who engage in the downloading and sharing of pirated films and series, a man recently appeared before the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of contravening the Copyright Act read with the Registration of Copyright in Cinematograph Films Act and for contravening the Films and Publications Act.

The accused had obtained an illegal copy of the film Four Corners (which is set in the violence ridden gangland of the Cape Flats) and uploaded it to the infamous Pirate Bay website for downloading by other users. The accused managed to negotiate a plea bargain for a suspended sentence of 3 years’ imprisonment for contravening the Copyright legislation and a further sentence of a fine of R3000.00 or a suspended sentence of six months’ imprisonment for contravening the Films and Publications Act. This seems to be a very favourable deal, as the actual fines prescribed by the Copyright Act can be very severe. A first-time offender can look forward to a fine of R5000.00 or a prison sentence of 3 years or a combination of both per illegal copy and a repeat offender may receive a fine of R10 000.00 or five years in prison or both per illegal copy. Clients are therefore cautioned to think twice before downloading that latest episode of Game of Thrones or Suits.

#Piracy #movies #criminallaw #pleabargain #copyright #GameofThrones #Suits #commercialcrime