Alina Smirnova Writes about Movie Pirating - Photo Courtesy of Dreamstime.com

By Alina Smirnova

Canada may see its first jail sentence for breaching cinematic copyright laws.

On March 16, a Montreal man known as the country’s biggest movie pirate will be sentenced for distributing illegal copies of Hollywood films, CBC reports.

The 27-year-old Geremi Adam pleaded guilty to two counts of disseminating copyrighted materials online.

The exact number of movies Adam recorded in theatres and sold over the Internet is not known, according to CBC, but he had a reputation for cheap but high-quality movie copies under the name “Maven.”

According to authorities, he copied and sold two films in August and September 2006 – Invincible and How to Eat Fried Worms, CBC reports.

Recording movies in theatres became a criminal offence only in 2007, punishable by a fine up to $25,000 and a six month jail sentence.

The defense lawyer asked for community service on the grounds that Adam is struggling with depression and a troubled childhood, CBC reports. The Crown prosecutor, however, suggested a four-month jail sentence.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/16/film-pirating-sentencing.html