Ron Mia
ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp., mother company of Star Cinema Film Productions, is preparing to sue hundreds of netizens who illegally uploaded copies of the hit rom-com film The Achy Breaky Hearts.
According to an insider, ABS-CBN has already gotten the list of netizens who will be indicted most likely for violating the anti-cybercrime law and/or the Philippine copyright law.
Last July 5, ABS-CBN’s Film outfit Star Cinema released an official statement condemning the illegal upload and sharing of the film on social media.
Before that, the film’s director Antoinette Jadaone took to twitter to vent her frustration regarding the piracy of her film The Achy Breaky Hearts. Jadaone didn’t mince words in lashing out on those who uploaded and shared the movie’s link online.
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/749971028143583232
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/749974961788362753
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/749982287589101570
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/750112234790014976
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/750120107657965568
https://twitter.com/tonetjadaone/status/750142537625579520
In 2014, ABS-CBN also sued 18 sites for pirating ABS-CBN TV Shows.
Piracy has been a long-standing problem of the local movie industry. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the number of films produced in the country has gone down by half compared to the previous decades. From 1,490 films in the ’60s it was cut to only 732 in 2009. While the recent rise of indie films in the country has given the Philippine movie industry some new life, piracy is still rampant and is hurting not only the film producers but all involved in filmmaking.
Based on the 2008 annual survey of Philippine Business and Industry, workers in motion picture and video production, animated films and cartoons production, and audio and video projection represent about 0.10 percent of total employment in the domestic economy.
