Matthew Lisett has admitted in a UK court that he waltzed into a Salisbury theater with hidden camera equipment, recorded four films and then sold copies of them online. Additionally, the 32-year-old man uploaded early copies of three other films before their theatrical debut, ratcheting up his criminal offense count to eight.
Anti-piracy group FACT, which aided the case's investigators, applauded the outcome.
"This conviction was the result of a painstaking investigation by FACT and Wiltshire Police along with Odeon that identified the source of a pirated copies of films that had been recorded by Lisett and uploaded to the internet for downloading, sharing and streaming by millions of people globally," said Kieron Sharp, FACT director general. "The fact that he was also receiving payment for those recordings is further proof that piracy at this level is an organized criminal activity, with profit as a motive."
Lisett, a South Wiltshire native, made £1,798 (around $2,400) from the illicit endeavor. Only three of the four movies he illegally recorded were confirmed: "Resident Evil: Afterlife," "Devil" and "Going the Distance."
"Film Piracy has a significant financial loss to the film and cinema industry, which many people rely on for employment," said Simon Thomas, criminal justice investigator, Wiltshire Police Fraud Investigation Team. "Wiltshire Police will continue to work with FACT and take all complaints of fraud seriously."
Lisett received two years of conditional discharge. (via FACT)
