News: Hulk film thief pleads guilty

[mysticgohan17]

Hulk film thief pleads guilty

Kerry Gonzalez is charged with copyright infringement for posting a copy of 'The Hulk' on the net.
June 25, 2003: 4:41 PM EDT



NEW YORK (CNNfn) - A New Jersey man pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal copyright infringement for stealing a preliminary copy of "The Hulk" and posting the movie online.

Kerry Gonzalez, 24, of Hamilton, N.J., got a "work print" of the film from a friend who had been loaned a copy by another person at a New York City advertising agency.

Universal Studios, currently part of Vivendi (V: up $0.25 to $18.50, Research, Estimates), had sent a rough version of "The Hulk " that did not include some special effects to several advertising agencies with the explicit understanding that the copies not be shared.

Nonetheless, Gonzalez obtained the work print, made a digital copy, removed the Universal Studio logo from the print and ran the film through a program in an effort to defeat an encoded security tag. Gonzalez then uploaded the illegal copy of "The Hulk" to a file sharing Web site June 6th, two weeks before the public release of the movie June 20th.

Gonzalez entered his guilty plea in U.S. District Court. He faces up to three years in prison, and a fine up to $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense. He is due to sentenced Sept. 26th.


this is proof, guilt will get to you.

[The village idiot]

I'd like to know more about this encoded security tag.

[BJ_M]

do a search in news -- i posted details of it before .... it works really well ..

[The village idiot]

That would be here if anyone else wants to know.

Anyone know of software to view this watermark? As in free software.

[rhegedus]

I'm still doubtfull.

I think knowing how he got caught would answer a lot of things: i.e. were they able to trace a ul/dl to his computer (in which case the encoded security tag is irrelevant) or was the copy traced back to the ad agency?

Let's face it, ther are much more profitable films (whose piracy would cost millons on lost cinema seats) around than The Hulk: Matrix Reloaded, LOTR2 etc. I'd have thought that this new technology would have been applied to these films instead - have there been any pirates of these films caught?

[BJ_M]

the technology has been apllied to some of those films ..

what it has done is prevent taping of stuff before it hits the general public ..

the private screenings for the press and industry types are all tagged as well as the guest list ..

i was at one recently were they even used metal detectors ...

after a movie goes for general release -- if they are or not tagged is a moot point as no one knows who is IN theatre .. though some other things are monitored (like maybe projectionists)

[The village idiot]

.. though some other things are monitored (like maybe projectionists)

You think they would notice the Cineon in the corner?