MUMBAI: Louis Rene Hache was convicted on charges under the Criminal Code for the illegal reproduction of the film Dan in Real Life at a Montreal movie theatre.

Hache was sentenced to 24 months probation and will be required to complete 120 hours of community service. Under terms of the probation Hache is prohibited from entering a movie theatre, associating with anyone involved in movie piracy or owning any recording device. He is also required to forfeit the equipment used in the commission of the offence.

The judgment was issued in Provincial Court in Montreal by Justice Lacerte Lamontagne. In handing down the sentence, Lamontagne reinforced that this was not a victimless crime and that Hache’s actions had caused extensive losses to the movie industry.

"We applaud the judge’s ruling and we hope this sentence will send a strong message to others that camcording in theatres is a criminal activity that will not be tolerated. Before the law was enacted, law enforcement would not respond even when individuals were caught repeatedly camcording in theatres. With the new law in place, local police can now help prevent films from being stolen right off the screen," said Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association (CMPDA) North American Anti-Piracy Operations deputy director Steve Covey.