Senate Passes Film Anti-Piracy Bill

The Senate approved a bill that would make it a federal crime to record a movie as it played in a theater.

Passed by unanimous consent, the bill -- the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act -- would create a maximum penalty of three years in prison for anyone convicted once of making an audiovisual recording in a cinema, and up to six years for repeat offenders.

Hollywood studios have been lobbying hard for the measure, arguing that “camcording” pirates cause billions of dollars in damage to their industry.

The bill, which has yet to be considered by the House, would also clarify that DVD-playing software does not violate copyrights if it enables viewers to skip limited portions of a movie without changing the underlying disc. The provision is designed to protect products that let viewers avoid potentially offensive scenes of sex and violence.

-- Jon Healey