British movie industry hoists red flag on film piracy issues

LONDON — Britain’s film industry will launch a campaign today to highlight how organized criminals are cashing in on the growing trade in unauthorized copies of films and videos, a trade industry organization said.

The Federation Against Copyright Theft, or FACT, will show a 30-second trailer in theaters, warning that piracy costs Britain’s film industry $700 million a year.

“Piracy is straightforward theft, and it deprives the copyright owners of the means to invest in creative work,” a FACT spokesman said.

Three in 10 videos being bought in Britain are pirated, and a growing appetite for copies of DVDs -- particularly recent films that have not been released yet on video or DVD -- has fueled the trade.

Earlier this month, British police uncovered a major distribution ring when 250,000 pirated DVDs imported from Asia where found at a London address. The haul included pirated DVD copies of the hit film “Love Actually” starring Hugh Grant, which has not been officially released on video or DVD.

The DVDs were destined for flea markets at resale prices of just $8 per copy. DVDs tend to cost more than $25 in the stores.

FACT urged audiences and film lovers to be their “eyes and ears in the street” and report suspicions of copyright theft and illegal pirate sales through its website. A similar trailer shown on most U.K. home videos has resulted in a dramatic increase in the reporting and interception of piracy, FACT officials said.