Fans urged not to download films

[Akasha]

The kids are out of school, more people have high-speed Internet connections at home, and the Motion Picture Association of America is concerned many might try to kill time this summer by downloading unauthorized online copies of movies. Tuesday, the MPAA began an education campaign to urge kids to respect copyrights. Jack Valenti, the outgoing CEO of the MPAA, spoke about Internet piracy with USA TODAY's Jefferson Graham.

Q: What's the goal of the campaign?

A: To inform, educate and hopefully persuade. We're running newspaper ads, spots in movie theaters and working with colleges so that when students return in August and September, they'll see new codes of conduct to explain the dangers of infringing copyrights.

We also want to make it clear to parents that there is an inherent danger when their children open their computers to file-swapping sites. Their private information can be passed along to the outside world and expose them to viruses.

Q: In your ad, you say that downloading is illegal. Some legal scholars disagree, and say downloading can fall under "fair use." The recording industry is suing uploaders, not downloaders, for copyright violations. Why do you believe downloading is illegal?

A: Every law firm we've consulted with tells us that when you take something that doesn't belong to you, without the permission of the copyright owner, you are violating the law.

Q: Your critics cite the Supreme Court Betamax case as proof that downloading � taking a song or movie off a Web site � is akin to the "substantial non-infringing use" of a VCR.

A: It was a 5-4 decision, and the Supreme Court said you could not copy any work for any other issue than time-shifting (recording for later viewing). That's all Betamax said.

They didn't say you could take something off the Internet, because it didn't exist then.

Q: Let's talk about the consequences of downloading a movie from a peer-to-peer Internet site. Beyond the record company lawsuits, no one has been arrested for swapping media online. The movie industry has yet to sue. Will you?

A: We're not ruling out any future legal action. Right now, we're trying to persuade people that this is morally wrong, an illegal act.

Q: Why should a student be concerned? The only way Internet cops find people swapping media is through uploading.

A: Many companies are working with us, scouring the Net, trying to find the most accurate way to deal with this. Right now, that's on the uploading side, but as technology advances, there will be more and more ways.

Q: Can Internet piracy be contained?

A: It costs us $3.5 billion a year, but it's not going to go unchecked. We have the best brains working on this. I'm optimistic that in the next eight months to two years, we'll have this thing under control.

Q: You announced in February that you will be stepping down from your job after 38 years.

A: We have a search firm looking for candidates. I can tell you that I'm not retiring, just stepping down. I plan on still being connected to the movie industry and very active.

Information Source : USATODAY.com