Man guilty of illegally recording in Scottish cinema

  • Published

A man has become the first person in Scotland to be convicted of illegally recording in a cinema and uploading films for profit.

Christopher Clarke pleaded guilty to a charge under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

The 25-year-old was sentenced at Glasgow Sheriff Court to 160 hours of community service.

Clarke was caught after an operation between police, Cineworld and the Federation Against Copyright Theft.

The Crown Office said it was a landmark conviction for illegal recording in a Scottish cinema.

John Dunn, area procurator fiscal for Glasgow, said: "Christopher Clarke repeatedly pirated films from cinema screenings and uploaded them to the internet for profit.

"Piracy is by no means a victimless crime - it undermines legitimate businesses and the arts sector as a whole, and can be used to channel money into organised crime.

"I hope this sends a strong message to all those who believe that they can remain anonymous solely because they commit their crimes over the internet.

"They should beware that the investigative authorities of Scotland work tirelessly to remain at the forefront of forensic computer analysis and technological specialism - we can and will track down those who pirate films, whether the profit is made in cyberspace or a marketplace."

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