Romney Signs Bill To Combat Film Piracy

By Associated Press, 11/17/2004 16:58

BOSTON (AP) Pirating movies by videotaping them in a theater is now a felony in Massachusetts under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Mitt Romney.

Under terms of the law, anyone found guilty of recording any part of a movie on any type recording device faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

Several states have passed laws against stealing copyrighted films, but Romney's office says Massachusetts is the first to make film piracy a felony.

Film piracy costs the entertainment industry about $3.5 billion per year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.

The law also makes it a felony to secretly photograph or videotape anyone who is nude or partially nude in a presumably private location, including bathrooms, showers and locker rooms. The law includes photographs taken with the increasingly prevalent camera cell phones.

The law exempts stores that use electronic surveillance in changing rooms, as long as the stores clearly display signs informing customers that cameras are in use.

The legislation was sponsored by Sen. Susan Fargo, D-Lincoln, and Rep. James Vallee, D-Franklin.