Major motion picture studios filed four lawsuits in Texas Aug. 2 against individuals sharing unauthorized copies of movies through peer-to-peer services, the Motion Picture Assn. of America announced.
In San Antonio and Del Rio, federal copyright infringement lawsuits were filed against Richard Chavez, Shannon Cockrell and Luis Medina. In Houston, a lawsuit was filed against Kevin Hazelton. Last week, other individual P2P users were sued in Waco, Texas as well. The studios seek damages and injunctive relief.
“With these lawsuits, our message to Internet thieves becomes loud and clear: ‘You are not anonymous, we will find you, and you will be held responsible,'” says John Malcolm, MPAA Worldwide anti-piracy director. “You can click, but you can’t hide.”
The federal government continues to support the entertainment industry in its fight against piracy. Last week, President Bush created the first-ever Coordinator for International Intellectual Property Enforcement. A Smith Barney study said that the motion picture industry lost up to $5.4 billion this year due to piracy.
