Studio Sues eBay Movie Pirates

DVD R:

The Motion Picture Ass. of America have filed seven lawsuits in Los Angeles federal court against online auctioneers in four US states who they allege have been selling counterfeit DVDs of popular movies such as “Batman Begins” and “Million Dollar Baby.”

“People who abuse online auction sites like eBay to sell counterfeit DVDs are not only cheating their buyers, they are committing a crime and will be held accountable,” said John G. Malcolm, the MPAA’s executive vice president and director of worldwide anti-piracy operations.”

Individuals operating online auctions in California, Illinois, New York and Texas were targeted in the lawsuits which are part of the MPAA’s overall efforts to combat piracy on the Internet.

“Our goal is to raise awareness and protect unsuspecting consumers from dishonest auctioneers in the online marketplace,” Malcom said. “Profiting from the sale of someone else’s creative property is illegal, and we will not tolerate any form of copyright theft.”

Other movie titles involved in the lawsuits include “Sideways,” “Stealth,” “13 Going On 30,” “Scooby Doo,” and “Ice Age.”