It transpired that the FBI, at the behest of the MPAA, had been investigating ‘maVen’ and had labeled him the ‘world leader’ in movie piracy. They handed their file to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in April 2006. By September, Geremi Adam was under arrest after ‘camming’ the movies How to Eat Fried Worms and Invincible. At the time, camming a movie in Canada wasn’t an offense so unsurprisingly, Adam was released.

Someone clearly wanted maVen out of action and Adam punished. One month later Adam was arrested again. The arrest triggered a chain of events which would lead to Adam, who had a history of depression, enduring a 14 month wait for any charges to be brought. He went on the run, was detained and eventually sentenced to jail. Adam began using drugs in jail to cope with his imprisonment and shortly after his release he tragically died of an overdose.

So who was pulling the strings behind the scenes to ensure that so many resources were spent on chasing Adam who, with his camming, wasn’t even committing a crime? Thanks to a US diplomatic cable dated 12th December 2006 and released by Wikileaks this week, we now have the answer.

The cable begins by revealing that having previously reported in March 2006 that 40 to 50% of all pirate movies around the world could be linked to camming in Montreal, by the third quarter of that year the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association’s (CMPDA) had revised that figure down to 18%.

The cable reported that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) considered camming to be a low priority issue and doubted the reports of how much damage it was doing to Canadian industry. As a result they preferred to focus their IP-related resources on dealing with serious issues such as counterfeit pharmaceuticals.

The RCMP had encouraged the CMPDA to finance their own civil action to enforce their rights. Although not detailed by name, it is clear that when the cable reported that the individual behind most of Montreal’s camming had been arrested twice, there could be little doubt it was referring to Geremi Adam. The RCMP, at this stage, had been clear – Adam would not receive jail time.

The cable goes on to bemoan the lack of effective legislation to deal with camming and at one stage even refers to it as a “high-tech pastime”. It describes how Adam operated, suggesting a “drag and drop” operation which allowed “films such as The Chronicles of Narnia [to] be shown in a Montreal theater and later sold in DVD form on big city streets within a matter of hours.”

According to the cable, proving distribution was the key to a successful prosecution. In end, the fact that Adam’s cammed copies appeared online was enough to land him in jail. His initial arrest, however, was prompted by less official means.

“With regard to the arrest of the individual who had been pursued by the CMPDA, RCMP officers stated that they arrested the individual ‘as a personal favor’ to a CMPDA official, and that they did not view theater camcording as a major issue’,” reads the US diplomatic cable.

“The officers said that IPR holders could pursue legal action against suspects engaged
in camcording via the civil code without needing to engage the RCMP. They acknowledged, however, that a conviction under the civil code would not result in prison time, and would usually involve a relatively small fine,” it continues.

The cable reveals that the RCMP carried out this “favor” despite believing that Adam was “a small player” who was not receiving “lucrative financial rewards for his work.”

“One RCMP officer expressed concern that the RCMP not be seen as ‘the enforcement arm of industry’, noting that the ‘industry comes to [the RCMP] more and more’ with requests for action,” the cable concludes.

The full cable can be read here.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Every day, millions of people download the latest blockbusters through file-sharing applications, and the majority of those come from so-called Scene groups. Despite the major impact the Scene has on modern day society, very little is known about the people who are part of it. After today, we might know a tiny bit more.

TorrentFreak had the chance to ask a few questions to a former member of a well-known Scene group. Our source (let’s call him SC) is a self-proclaimed expert at busting the watermaking techniques of the MPAA, and between 2003 and 2009 he was a member and supplier of a group responsible for hundreds of pirated movie releases online.

We got in contact with the former Scene member through Reddit, where he has been answering many questions about his ‘profession’ this week. As always, the true identity of SC will remain a mystery, but judging from the answers that were given and the knowledge the person has we can be fairly certain that he is indeed who he claims to be.

In his introduction, SC says that during his time in the Scene six close associates got arrested, 2 served prison time, 2 became informants and one killed himself. The latter case refers to Geremi Adam aka maVen, one of the best known movie pirates who died of a morphine overdose after he was released from prison.

Below, you can read the Q and A session we had with SC, which tells us a bit more about the Scene and the motivations and connections of the people in it. Those who want to ask something of their own, or who want to read more questions that were answered by SC, can do so on Reddit.

TF: Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into the movie piracy world?

SC: I got into movie piracy after being an avid downloader. I distinctly remember in fact, getting a hold of my first movie over a 4 day leech on a 56k line. It was wicked. I loved it, and quickly realized there was some sort of underground in control of all of this. It piqued my interest, and I was determined to get to the top of it. Seemed a little far fetched at the time, and I cant really fathom still how far it snowballed, but its pretty cool none-the-less.”

TF: You mentioned your connection to maVen, can you say anything about other groups you’ve worked with?

SC: I dont think it’s fair on my part to say to be honest. It would be foolish and unnecessary – but lets just say I worked with most during my time. Any that dealt with theater rips/prints at least. I mentioned maVen because the police would have a hard time getting information from a dead individual.

TF: What was the main motivation for you to join the movie piracy Scene? What about the others?

SC: Pride and ego was my main motivation. Most sceners are male, between 18-30, generally white and well educated. Most are middle/upper middle class, students and young professionals.. Pride and Ego fuels almost 90% of their motivations. You are able to achieve a level of status online that you probably could never in the real world; you are respected and feared, and the mystique of it all helps. Sounds foolish now; but at the time it didnt seem so.

TF: Over the years, have you noticed any significant changes in how groups and suppliers operate?

SC: Massive significant changes. At some point maybe 10 years ago, I knew of major groups who had public IRC channels! at a time all of this required some technical wizardy, and you had to be fairly knowledgeable in order to do it. As time went on, with the advances of technology, this changed, bringing it to a much wider audience base, and also with newer distro methods (Torrents, etc). Laws have changed pretty dramatically worldwide also.

TF: Did the increased monitoring and safety measures in theaters change anything? A delay in release time for CAMs perhaps?

SC: I would say the changing technologies and the learning curve are more to do with any delays. Some releases can take far more time then others.

TF: Could you tell a bit more about the process that’s involved from the theater to a pre-ready release?

SC: A cammer will go to a theater and retrieve a print. Ideally, he is wanting to see the whole frame of the film – cropping can be done afterwards. Ideally he is sitting centered, mid level/back level, with an unobstructed view. Another very important factor is the camera doesnt move – ideally sitting stationary 100% of the release.

The next process is removing the watermarks. Ideally this is done by several individuals looking over the print, tagging the dots, and checking with each other. After a few good guys look it over you can be pretty sure you got most of them.

Once the final release is encoded, the watermarks are removed, the audio is done, its packed/checked and spread to affiliates. Some short time later, its pre’d, and released upon the world.

TF: What kind of precautionary measures did you take so you never got caught?

SC: Secrets to not getting caught… those might possibly get me caught! Lets just say, seeing the bigger picture, watching your tongue and understanding the way people are connected helps dramatically.

TF: You say that you were both a supplier to, and a member of, a group. Is this common?

SC: Yes. Very Common. Since its quite possible you will never meet members, you are all colluding to commit crimes together. A great way to ‘keep it in the family’ is to essentially make the guy next to you just as guilty. In this case I’ve seen members take on many many roles, it also helps with the breakdown of the group and the overall structure. I would say its common among the top echelon.

TF: Have you seen any changes in the Scene in recent years?

SC: The scene has changed dramatically since I first entered it. There was a time saying the wrong thing would immediately make you lose your access and become an outcast; if you were not contributing, you were a nobody. this mentality has changed dramatically; its not so hush hush, or technically proficient as it has been in past years. The ease of it all has also made it a more risky hobby.

TF: Are there any commercial interests linked to groups that you’ve been connected to or heard from?

SC: Yes. Absolutely. Money and those accusations have gone on for years. I can attest with certainty that I know groups that have sold – but to sit here and spout their names endangers them and is just slander. Its unecessary for me to publically shame them all. Except maVen. He’s no longer here; and his motivation was money almost 100% of the time.

TF: What do you think the future holds for movie release groups?

SC: Nothing good. Cam/telesync/high quality theater rips are dead pretty much. Retail DVD video is impossible to track; that shit will be here forever.

Last year, SC decided to leave the Scene he had been part of for such a long time. We did of course ask him why he made this decision, but SC told us that it was “the eternal question.”

SC continued his life outside the Scene and doesn’t contact his former group members and associates anymore, although they are not out of sight completely.

“I can find them and they can find me,” SC said. “But I think everyone prefers a bit of an arm’s length approach at some point.”

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

In 2006 all that came to an end when ‘cammer’ Geremi Adam was arrested after he recorded the movies “How to Eat Fried Worms” and “Invincible” at a Montreal movie theater.

Last month that process came to an end when Adams was sentenced to two and a half months in prison. His lawyer had argued for community service because Adam suffered from depression and a troubled childhood, but despite these arguments the prosecution insisted on a prison sentence. That request was granted by the court.

In the end, Adam served 7 days of his sentence but according to Cynthia Laporte, his partner of 2 years, in that time he started taking morphine to cope with his incarceration. He was also taking prescribed anti-depressants and tranquilizers.

Laporte said that Adam had continued using morphine after his release, a habit he tried to hide. On Sunday he was taken ill and an ambulance was called, but it was too late. Just before midnight, Adam – aged just 28 – died from a suspected drugs overdose.

“We had plans,” said Laporte. “Geremi wanted to buy a duplex and move in and have tenants.”

Laporte added that Adam was proud of being the best movie pirate around. Illegality of his activities aside, most people familiar with his work were suitably impressed by his technical achievements which may never be bettered.

It will take one to two weeks for the authorities to establish the exact cause of death.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

An FBI investigation into ‘maVen’ had been running for some time and was handed to the Canadian Police in April 2006. A few months later Geremi Adam was arrested after he allegedly recorded the movies “How to Eat Fried Worms” and “Invincible” at a Montreal movie theater.

They seized his laptop and other equipment and later released him, only for him to be arrested again at another theater just a month later. According to the police, Adam had been selling copies of movies on the Internet using the alias ‘maVen,’ which were then re-sold on the web and the streets.

Following Adam’s arrest came a 14 month wait as the police combed computer systems and equipment looking for evidence to convict him. The FBI had labeled him the ‘World Leader’ in Internet piracy and his case went before court several months later.

Today the verdict came in, and the Court sentenced Adam to two and a half months in prison – the prosecution had demanded four. The defense lawyer had argued for community service because Adam suffers from depression and a troubled childhood, but despite these arguments, the Court decided to opt for a prison sentence.

As of today there are still dozens of ‘maVen’ releases available on BitTorrent, although most of these files have no active downloaders anymore.

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.

Following an FBI investigation into ‘maVen’, his file was handed to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in April 2006. By September of the same year, Geremi Adam was arrested by police outside a Montreal theater after ‘camming’ the movies ‘How to Eat Fried Worms’ and ‘Invincible’. They seized his laptop and other equipment but later released him. A month later he was arrested again outside another theater.

Facing a $25,000 fine and six months in jail, Geremi Adam was ordered to appear in court on 30th January. Clearly unimpressed by the prospect of being locked up and/or bankrupted, he failed to appear in court and has gone on the run.

“We have a warrant and the police officers will try to find Mr. Adam,” said federal prosecutor Yacine Agnaou in a statement. “When he is found, he will be mandated to appear in court.”

Meanwhile, outside the court a demonstration was taking place by a group calling themselves ‘Hors-d-Oeuvre’ who say that ‘maVen’ is being unfairly treated and that all media should be available on the Internet for free. “Free Geremi!” they chanted in unison.

Fortunately for Adam, he committed the alleged offenses before new tough legislation was introduced to punish movie cammers caught in Canada. He will likely escape the severe punishment of 2 years in prison, a fate awaiting fellow cammer, Louis-Rene Hache. RCMP Staff Sgt. Noel St-Hilaire said: “Unfortunately at the time there was no legislation that forbid anyone from filming in a cinema. There’s not much we could do then other than issue a warning.”

Although not turning up at court is likely to inflame the situation, it’ll be interesting to see if the mounties are prepared to put any serious effort into ‘getting their man’ in this instance.

More photographs from outside the court house are available, thanks to burns1de

Source: TorrentFreak, for the latest info on copyright, file-sharing and anonymous VPN services.