Warner Bros has sued talent agency Innovative Artists for running an internal-use Google Drive folder that let its clients and staff review movies in the course of their duties. They say the company ripped "screeners" (DVDs sent for review purposes) and put them on the server, whence they leaked onto torrent sites.
Warner goes on to allege that Innovative Artists staffers swapped movie files with other agencies to get copies of movies they were missing. Warner is seeking the statutory maximum: $150,000 per file distributed, plus fees.
Innovative Artists has apologized and vowed to never do it again.
The practice of copying movies for professional use is very common in the entertainment industry. In Kirby Dick's 2006 must-watch documentary about MPAA ratings "This Film is Not Yet Rated," Dick learns that the CEO of the MPAA, former congressman Chris Dodd, has made illegal copies of Dick's own movies. Dodd assures him that there is nothing to worry about, because the pirated movie is "in his vault."
Warner Bros. Claims Agency Ran its Own Pirate Movie Site [Andy/Torrentfreak]
