2 nabbed for film piracy

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has arrested two people caught inside a Quezon City movie theater illegally videotaping a film being shown last weekend.

NBI officer-in-charge Pedro Bulaong identified the suspects as Jerryden Caylan Buhisan, 20; and Ariel Desuyo Dichoso, 24.

The suspects, currently detained at the NBI jail, were brought before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office for inquest.

The NBI said that on June 27, security officers at a mall in Quezon City caught the two suspects videotaping the film “Wanted” using MP4 players.

Buhisan and Dichoso were asked to show if they had permits to copy or record the film from the copyright owner, Solar Entertainment Corp., but they failed to produce any.

The Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council Inc. has requested the NBI’s assistance in curbing the rampant practice of illegally recording or copying of films, which has severely affected the local movie industry.

Last year, the NBI raided a Biñan, Laguna warehouse and seized digital video disc duplicating machines worth P600 million used to manufacture pirated DVD movies. – Sandy Araneta