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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, January 5-7, 2005 The Park Record C-8 Covert online groups behind bootlegs ( ( LOS ANGELES (AP) In not- relatively easily, it takes more too-secret online forums, Wesley than a casual effort to even begin Snipes' latest movie, "Blade: to find the right place to downTrinity," is the subject of intense load a movie. discussion and evaluation. "The scene is a very close netBut unlike typical movie fan work. Everybody knows everysites, the chatter from visitors to body else but they haven't met Web sites like VCDQuality.com them," said Bruce Forest, a (60 minute session) doesn't key on the vampire film's Norwalk, Conn., digital media plot, acting or bloody visual consultant who says he belonged to the scene for years and now effects. Instead, computer users dish advises entertainment compaout praise or criticism on the cal- nies. "It can take years until you iber of video and sound achieved can get access." by online groups whose sole misTypically, large movie files are sion is to make available unau- broken down into text that thorized copies of Hollywood appears to the naked eye as gibfilms within a day or two of a berish. Files are distributed through news groups or made . (Near Rite Aid & Albertsons) i movie's debut, if not before. For these online bootleggers, available through so-called top authorities say represent the ' sites or private computer servers Call 435-^^5-^44^ t° make an appointment "who top of a distribution pyramid for accessed by File Transfer Open 7 days a week 10.00 am tog-.OOpm pirated movies, software and Protocol, or FTP, an early conmusic, it's all about the bragging duit for exchanging data on the rights for being first to copy a Internet. hot title or releasing the bestOnly trusted members of the quality replica. scene, or those who help gel "On the top sites, on those early copies of movies, software really private sites, the sport is and music, are granted access to about the next film and the next private FTP links where the and highest-quality game," said Marc Morgenstern, newest vice president and general man- bootlegs are available. The use ager of Overpccr, a unit of of online nicknames and anonySeattle-based Loudeye that mous e-mail accounts is comcombs the Internet for pirated mon. content on behalf of entertainThese files eventually trickle ment companies. "That's where down to file-sharing services those gangs put feathers in their such as BitTorrent, and from cap. 'They score even more there titles can be copied further points if they do it before the given their higher number of Ooh La La is proud to be part of release date." users. Members of these so-called Trading of large movie files the Park City business scene, ripping groups, also known as isn't as much a problem as the ware/ groups, have created a swapping of far smaller music and one of the top hair salons in town. community referred to as "the files, but Hollywood film studios scene." It exists primarily on the want to focus attention on it now We have our loyal clients, friends and Internet's back alleys - private before the problem gets worse as Internet Relay Chat, or IRC, broadband usage grows. family to thank for a great year. which is a precursor to the modThey prefer to stem it at the ern instant messaging software, source. Once movies migrate We just want to say thanks and or Usenet news groups that func- from the scene to P2P, the entertion like bulletin boards. tainment companies are left few Happy New Year! Unlike popular file-swapping options: Sue computer users and networks where millions of files follow the music industry's tactic Ooh La La...aaahh, now you look mot! - mostly for music - are shared of flooding the P2P networks The Basic Knead 875 Iron Horse Drive, Suite G * with spoofed, or bogus, files to screener copies provided by a make bootlegs tougher to find Hollywood insider. and download. Many of the Web sites, news On VCDQualily and other groups and associated IRC disWeb sites, ripping groups with cussion boards openly discournames like "Pirates of The age any overt mention of bootTheater," "The Empire Group," legging, banning people who do. and •"VideoCD" advertise the Discussions are typically framed movies they have available. as advice for making legal backIndividual groups even sport ups of DVDs or software. their own logos or tags, images Web sites like VCDQualily often reminiscent of the low- advertise themselves as informaquality gray and black graphics tion clearinghouses and don't used on old online bulletin host any files. boards more than a decade ago. Nonetheless, a recent scan of The groups are typically very the movies listed by groups at hierarchical, with tiers of leader- VCDQuality turned up several ship, said John Malcolm, head of films released within the past the Motion Picture Association four weeks, including "Meet The of America's antipiracy unit. Fockers," "Ocean's Twelve," "There are many of them out •'Fat Albert" and "Finding there, highly organized, very Neverland." clandestine," Malcolm said. The site's administrator did "They're lough nuts to crack." not return repeated e-mail The groups arc oflen dedicat- queries for comment. ed to converting video shot While users of file-sharing inside movie theaters or copied programs like Kazaa, eDonkey from studio screencr DVDs into and LimeWire are relatively easy a certain format, such as video to track and identify, the covert CDs. Others focus on acquiring nature of the scene has made and copying prerelease DVDs. going after warcz groups more of To get the latest film or soft- a challenge. To gather evidence, ware, the groups seek out and investigators must peel away the maintain contact with layers of technology the groups Hollywood sludio insiders,- hide behind. employees at CD and DVD In 2002, the U.S. Justice pressing plants, marketing staff Department shut down a group with access lo early copies and dubbed "DrinkOrDie." which anyone else who can get them gained its fame by releasing a prerelease movies, openly adver- pirated copy of the Windows 95 tising for them on bulletin operating system two weeks boards, Forest said. before Microsoft Corp released While entertainment compa- it. More than 20 people in the nies have targeted popular file- United States were convicted. sharing services and their users Authorities don't have a fix with litigation in recent years, on how many groups exist. they have not been able to dis'There are a lot of similarities courage insiders who supply the with the drug war," said David ripping groups with their crop of Israelite, chairman of the U.S. advance film screeners, DVDs Justice Department's and other content. Intellectual Property Task Force. In one highly publicized case "You never really are going to in April, an Illinois man pleaded eliminate the problem, but what guilty to copyright infringement you hope lo do is stop its for distributing online the growth." 'Fockers' garners record number of moviegpers HAIR STUDIO - BOUTIQUE LOS ANGELES (AP) Moviegoers embraced the dysfunctional family comedy "Meet the Fockers'' for a second straight week as the star-studded sequel earned $42.8 million to retain its No. 1 slot at the weekend box office. The film, which teams Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Barbra Streisand and Dustin Hoffman, 1811 Sidewinder Drive (next to Blind Dog) : 655-2680 PS If you're interested in joining our growing leom give us a coll. We're always looking for gieot people, we con figure out what job is best for you offer we meet. has grossed more than $163 million during its 12-day run, according to studio estimates. The film's success could help produce record box office revenue for 2004, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of the industry's tracker Exhibitor Relations. "We've had a much stronger than anticipated final week of the year that helped the industry end on a high note," Dergarabedian said. Unofficial figures compiled by Exhibitor Relations showed overall revenue for 2004 topped $9.4 billion, up 1.4 percent from the 2003 total of $9.27 billion. Official year-end figures, as well as three-day weekend totals, were scheduled to be released Monday. "Meet the Fockers" set records for the biggest gross on New Year's Eve, with $f2.2 million, and on New Year's Dav, with SIS million. The previous New Year's Eve record was set in 2000 by "Cast Away" with $8.5 million. "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" had held-thc New Year's Day mark with $12.8 million. With no new major releases the final weekend of 2004. "Meet the Fockers" crushed the competition, including "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," which finished in second place with $14.7 million, and "The Aviator," which earned $11.2 million for third place. This weekend's top 12 films grossed an estimated $125.4 million, a 4.3 percent increase compared to $120.1 million for ihe same weekend last year. "Meet the Fockers" saw jusi a 7 percent decline at the box office from its opening week. The film has attracted an older audience interested in seeing De Niro, Hoffman and Streisand, as well as younger fans who like Stiller. Several movies debuted in limited release, including "A Love Song for Bobby Long," "The Merchant of Venice," "The Assassination of Richard Nixon" and "In Good Company," starring Dennis Quaid and Scarlett Johansson. "Good Company" opened Wednesday and grossed $229,000 on three screens nationwide. It will expand to 1,600 theaters on Jan. 14. Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera" jumped one spot to ninth place, earning $4.8 million over the three-day period and S16.2 million to date. Disney's animated hit "The Incredibles" passed the $250 million mark Saturday. 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