New York City has the dishonor of producing more than 40 percent of the nation’s bootleg movies—that is, those blurry, shaky DVDs illegally recorded in theaters and then brazenly sold on our streets and throughout the world. Since Bloomberg couldn’t figure out how illegal film distribution fits into his quality of life campaign, he explained in a recent statement that the City will begin using public nuisance laws to go after those involved in such truly amateur filmmaking—in other words, the owners of buildings where film piracy is organized and the products sold. In addition, the City will push for state legislation to enact more severe penalties for those who sneak video cameras into theaters with the intent of recording films. Ideally, the Mayor hopes to make the act a misdemeanor for first-time offenders and a felony for the old pros. We wonder what city kids will do if they can’t eat trans fatty snacks while chatting on their cell phones, smoking cigs and watching illegally obtained videos.
