Warner Bros. Pictures is canceling advanced movie screenings in Canada as part of an effort to combat piracy.
The studio this week said it would immediately cease promotional and word-of-mouth new movie releases in Canadian cinemas.
The ban begins with the upcoming release of “Ocean’s Thirteen” and the July 13 release of “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”
“We regret having to cancel our screenings in Canada but our studio must take steps to protect not only our branded assets but our commitment to our filmmakers and to theaters all over the world,” said Dan Fellman, president, Warner Bros. Pictures Domestic, a division of Warner Bros. Distributing Inc., in a statement. “We’ve been working collaboratively with the exhibitors to encourage the government to put additional measures in place to deter and stop camcording.”
Warner Bros. is the first studio to take such an active stance in Canada against piracy, the company said.
The decision to end the screenings came after Canadian officials failed to enact legislation making camcorded films illegal.
Over the last 18 months about 70% of Warner Bros. titles released have been filmed by camcorders in Canada, according to the studio.
Warner Bros. Pictures is hopeful its movie screening prohibition will send Canadians a strong message.
“This is an important step towards curbing piracy on a global scale,” said Veronika Kwan-Rubinek, President of Distribution, Warner Bros. International, in a statement. “Piracy is the leading issue the international film industry struggles with every day and content recorded in Canada is the first place to take action, as Canadian recorded content is distributed and viewed everywhere.”
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