MANILA, Philippines - Even movies can be held hostage, according to a recent seminar on flicker piracy and ?film-napping.?

The seminar, held June 7 at the Kalayaan Hall 3 of Club Filipino in San Juan gathered 300 film producers, distributors and theater owners, reported Ric Camaligan, president of the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council (MPAPC), which spearheaded the event.

One of the speakers at the seminar was MLR producer Joji V. Alonso, MPAPC lawyer.

Alonso pointed out that there already is a law addressing piracy: RA 8293, otherwise known as Intellectual Property Law. But, she said, ?The problem with [that] law is that there is no specific provision regarding flicker or camcorder piracy.?

Alonso reiterated, ?Unauthorized camcording in cinemas is particularly damaging because it typically occurs at the start of movie distribution, affecting the economic opportunities for the film throughout its existence.?

She noted that the ?going rate? for flicker-pirated material is from P30,000 to P40,000.

Arrests difficult

?Camcorded material can be easily e-mailed to a pirate, who can then create thousands of optical discs that can be distributed to dealers around the world,? she explained.

Alonso cited ?Columbia Pictures vs Court of Appeals,? which defined infringement of copyright and piracy: ?Only the owner of the film can make copies of his work.?

She asserted that, although it is illegal to distribute pirated material, ?the current law makes it difficult to arrest people caught shooting with camcorders [or even cell phone cameras] in moviehouses.?

She agreed with Manny Nuqui, MPAPC vice-chair, who said there is an urgent need to put more teeth in the current law.

Alonso noted that, in the US, ?recording a film in theaters was made illegal by the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, which became a law in 2005, and increased penalties for copyright infringement.?

She said this US law ?provides theater owners and employees with both civil and criminal immunity for questioning suspected violators or detaining them while the police are summoned.?

She said the country needs a similar law. ?I understand that Rep. William Tieng already filed a bill on piracy. It would take time before this bill could become a law, so I suggest that different cities and municipalities come up with an interim remedy: ordinances that prohibit and penalize flicker piracy.?

Camaligan added that there is another form of piracy: ?Film-napping, which involves stealing a whole film print during shipment to and from the provinces.?

That's why some prints of Hollywood blockbusters are, in some cases, escorted by security personnel while being transported from one place to another, Camaligan said.

He added that producers and distributors have a policy of not providing prints to malls that sell pirated discs.

Camaligan, vice president for Operations of SM Leisure, related: ?No one is above that policy. SM was the first to be hit. Four SM Cinemas in Tutuban Mall had to close shop. Also affected were NE and Pacific Malls in Cabanatuan. Same with Alabang's Metropolis mall which is owned by Rep. Cynthia Villar.?

(E-mail: bayanisandiego@hotmail.com)