FDA to target UK cinema audiences with anti-piracy campaign

A series of three ad spots, starring UK actors Martin Freeman, Jaime Winstone and Matthew Horne, will run for three months immediately before the British Board Of Film Classification certificate that precedes the film.

The campaign comes after the recent Digital Britain report failed to include any measures to tackle with camcording in UK cinemas. According to the Motion Picture Association, 90% of first unathorised versions of films can be traced back to cinema recordings. Currently, cinema operators can eject people caught with camcorders or other recording devices in cinemas, but cannot confiscate the equipment.

FDA president, Lord Puttnam, said: “These engaging messages are part of a wider initiative which aims to restrict the damaging impact of digital film theft and to celebrate the vibrancy of film and cinema – two sides of the same coin.”

Tim Richards, chief executive of cinema chain Vue, who has spoken out about Digital Britain’s failure to deal with camcording, added: “We are fully supportive and appreciative of the FDA’s new anti piracy initiative – we have always maintained that the best way of attacking piracy is through a combination of education and effective anti-piracy legislation”.