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20 second film clip could land girl in jail


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#1
sari

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Jhannet Sejas and her boyfriend were celebrating her 19th birthday by taking in a matinee showing of the hit movie "Transformers" at the theater at Ballston Common mall.

Sejas was enjoying the movie so much that she decided to film a short clip of the sci-fi adventure's climax to get her little brother hyped to go see it.

Minutes later, two Arlington County police officers were pointing their flashlights at the young couple in the darkened theater and ordering them out. They confiscated the digital camera as evidence and charged Sejas, a Marymount University sophomore and Annandale resident, with a crime: illegally recording a motion picture.


Sejas said she had no intention of selling the 20-second film clip. She just wanted to show it to her 13-year-old brother, who had said he wanted to see the movie. She was shocked when the officers showed up.

Sejas faces up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500 when she goes to trial this month in the July 17 incident. Arlington police spokesman John Lisle said it was the decision of Regal Cinemas Ballston Common 12 to prosecute the case, a first for Arlington police.


http://www.washingto...7080102398.html

I'm not for piracy, but I'm also very against zero-tolerance policies, as they usually eclipse common sense. It's a 20-second clip - it ought to be clear that it was not made for the purposes of piracy, especially when it taken in the middle of the movie. It seems to me that if they're really concerned about piracy, they ought to focus more on the distributors of illegally made movies, and the sources of those movies.
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#2
jaxisland

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Although its harsh for what she did, we have to respect that possession is 9/10ths the law. Your in a movie theatre with a digital camera, someone must of spotted them using it and did the right thing by calling the authorities.

Im not trying to argue but when I look at the issue, what would the admins / moderators on this site would do if she brought it home and asked for help to put it on her computer? Ive seen similar posts for a while now, and immediately they are closed with an explaination that this site will not aid and abed anyone with illegal movies, music, software, etc. Which of course is the right thing to do, I commend the admins / moderators for doing such a good job at keeping that stuff out of G2G.

This forum has a zero tolerance policy on the same issue. Its the right thing to do, dont bring a camera to the movies, if you have to, keep it off in a bag or the case. Do I think $2500 and 1yr in jail is excessive in this case, yes of course. But I do believe in the life ban and maybe $250 fine. Movies have a right to make sure their items are not stolen, they have to answer to a higher source as well.

My little opinion from my northeast part of the US :whistling:
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#3
dsenette

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Im not trying to argue but when I look at the issue, what would the admins / moderators on this site would do if she brought it home and asked for help to put it on her computer? Ive seen similar posts for a while now, and immediately they are closed with an explaination that this site will not aid and abed anyone with illegal movies, music, software, etc. Which of course is the right thing to do, I commend the admins / moderators for doing such a good job at keeping that stuff out of G2G.

This forum has a zero tolerance policy on the same issue. Its the right thing to do, dont bring a camera to the movies, if you have to, keep it off in a bag or the case. Do I think $2500 and 1yr in jail is excessive in this case, yes of course. But I do believe in the life ban and maybe $250 fine. Movies have a right to make sure their items are not stolen, they have to answer to a higher source as well.

...there's a difference between a 20 second clip and the full movie....

if someone came here wanting to get a 20 second clip off of their camera i doubt we would close it (i wouldn't)...if someone went to china and bought the pirated DVD...then wanted to know how to play it in their DVD player...that's another story
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#4
jaxisland

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Maybe 20 seconds was all she got before she got scared or noticed. Either way I still believe that if a thread was started that came out and said I have XX seconds of a movie I recorded at a local theatre there would be issues. I dont know, there needs to be a line drawn in the sand ya know. If we cant do zero tolerance than what is there, when things are left up to be interpreted thats when huge issues arise. Like our Constitution, which I dont want to discuss because that would definitely fall under:

Due to their volatile and sensitive nature, we will not allow discussions related to abortion, religion, politics, or sex.


But If there isnt a black and white solution than there is no solution. I think the movie theatre and the law needs to take a stand, and she is the example.

I dont know, setting the immediate example aside, what are the possible side effects of this, bag searches, no cameras, no phones, being frisked before going to a movie. Those arent beyond the realm of possibility in todays world, but that would not be something I would like to see. To me this is just as simple as any other crime like speeding or stealing. Whether is 5 mph over or 50 mph over, your still speeding. Whether its 5$ or $5000 its still stealing, whether its 20 seconds or 2 hrs, its still taking something thats not yours.

The story about a showing her brother, she has the ability to use a digital camera, but not that ability to google "transformer trailer" and watch a legal copy that the studio uses to hype the movie?

Edited by jaxisland, 02 August 2007 - 10:10 AM.

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#5
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Thats is a tough one. If I were the Judge I would probably just give her a small fine, but keep a record of the incident, then if it happened to her again, I would be very suspicious. I would not want to be the Judge on that case. Here again, the law is the law. And why film a clip of it any ways? There are so many trailers out there like jaxisland said.
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#6
koulidakos

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you would have to give her some sort of punishment, maybe not a jail sentence, because if you didnt, it would make way for other people being able to try and get away with doing the same thing, and if they where caught they would probally get away with it.
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#7
coxmaster

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The girl does deserve to be punished. Although she isnt pirating the entire movie 20 seconds is still illegal. Saying that because it wasnt the entire movie she doesnt deserve the entire punishment is just wrong. She says she only was filming 20 seconds.... but we dont know that to be completely true. Also what if somebody is driving dunk and says "But i was only driving for 20 seconds to get home" Its still illegal. A crime is a crime and should be treated as such.
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#8
don77

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The story about a showing her brother, she has the ability to use a digital camera, but not that ability to google "transformer trailer" and watch a legal copy that the studio uses to hype the movie?


Dead on :whistling:

Sejas was enjoying the movie so much that she decided to film a short clip of the sci-fi adventure's climax to get her little brother hyped to go see it.


I think they movie industry does a pretty good job of getting people hyped to see a movie.

A line needs to be drawn putting her in jail for a year and the fine seems excessive but a nice 30 day trip or a few weekends spent behind the iron certainly would prevent her form doing it again and possibly prevents others from doing so
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#9
Transience

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I'm not for piracy, but I'm also very against zero-tolerance policies, as they usually eclipse common sense.

Agreed 100%. It seems like she does deserve to be punished because as has been previously stated a crime is a crime, but a year of your life and $2500 is ridiculously excessive for 20 seconds of a harmless act that was well-intentioned in the first place.

If there isnt a black and white solution than there is no solution

I'm not so sure that that's true. In the case of there being no black and white solution, those are the times when intellectual conversation happens and a solution is reached based on the contributions and ideas of the people who take a genuine interest in the situation and have opinions to express. That's what democracy is all about and should be encouraged, not the reverse.

Edited by Transience, 10 August 2007 - 01:50 PM.

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#10
Guest_MarkN_*

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There is no reason to ruin this girls life over a small incident like this. A small fine and a record of the incident is sufficient. Some of the judges out there are rediculous and some are very fair. I hope she gets one with some common sense and is easy on her. One innocent act is no reason to punish her for ever. A felony on her record would destroy the rest of her life and this does not need that type of action. I don't believe a 20 second clip is piracy, the commercials and trailers for it were longer.

Edited by MarkN, 10 August 2007 - 02:07 PM.

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#11
coxmaster

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A felony on her record would destroy the rest of her life and this does not need that type of action.


The purpose of laws and regulations are to make people think about what they are doing before breaking the law. She apparently did not think about the consequences. So why should she be cut any slack?
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#12
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Gee I don't know every law in existence do you? First offense and it seemed to be an innocent mistake. Thats why I would cut her some slack. I am glad you are not a judge. 50% of the country would be in jail.
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#13
coxmaster

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Gee I don't know every law in existence do you?

Nope, never claimed to either

I am glad you are not a judge. 50% of the country would be in jail.

Why? Because i believe that laws were written for a purpose? I didn't say the girl should get the maximum i said she should be given a fair, BUT REASONABLE punishment.
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#14
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Thats pretty much what I said. I did not imply to let her off scott free. I said give her a small fine and keep a record of it for future reference. But to give her a felony charge for a 20 second clip. Come on! Just because there is a law doesn't mean it is fair or right..
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#15
coxmaster

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Alright, lets imagine this situation.... me and my 30 online friends all across the country go to see a new movie. We each take a camera and film cetain parts. We all film in incriments of around 20 seconds, and plan on putting them together when we get back and then putting it on the internet. If one of us gets caught we show the police we only had a 20 second clip and they will never know that we were infact pirating the movie. Its still illegal no matter how u look at it
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