Prerelease Star Wars III – Go To Jail

Congress passes bill S.167, the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act, targeted at those who record movies in a “motion picture exhibition facility.”

Forget about taking advantage of your early access to the conclusion of George Lucas’s saga and hosting a prerelease party. Bill S.167 has cleared Congress and will go to the White House for the President’s signature. The bill, sponsored by longtime Hollywood friend Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, allows for federal sentencing of up to three years in prison if one is caught in the act of recording a movie in a theater. Hollywood and the recording industry have long wanted to close what they view as a loophole in existing copyright law with this bill.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.