Thread: Teenager Charged Over Movie Clip

Teenager Charged With Recording 20-Second Movie Clip

Written by Gary Reals
9NEWS NOW
Created:8/1/2007 6:32:00 PM

Jhannet Sejas was arrested on her 19th birthday and charged with violating a relatively new and little known Virginia law that forbids tape recording movies in commercial theaters. Her's is the first such case to be prosecuted in Arlington County where her trial date is set for August 21st.

Ms. Sejas is entering her second year at Marymount University, works two summer jobs, and is the daughter of two hard-working Bolivian immigrants.

She readily admits recording approximately 20-seconds of the movie "Transformers" at the Regal Cinema at Ballston on July 17th. Jhannet tells 9NEWS NOW her only intent was to show her younger brother the clip. She says she was "shocked" when an Arlington County Police Officer approached her in the theater, eventually confiscated her camera and cited her with violating the law. Arlington County Police say the movie theater managers were "adamant" that they wanted to press charges.

Sherwin Siy, of the public interest group "Public Knowledge," says the arrest of Ms. Sejas is "ridiculous. It's not what the law was designed to prevent. The law was designed to prevent people from pirating movies that would take value away from them." Ironically, Ms. Sejas says her intent was to spark the interest in her brother to go see "Transformers."

She says, "I'm very, very worried about what's going to turn out to be. I just hope what's going to be is better than what I'm thinking."

A Class I misdemeanor in Virginia carries a maximum sentence of 1 year and a fine of $2,500.

http://www.wusa9.com/news/news_article. ... ryid=61384

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http://www.regalcinemas.com/corporate/comments.html

We have so many NEW laws and no-one knows the extent of how those laws can be used and abused and what they really mean.

A midol for cramps hardley constitutes "drug posession".

Little Billy in kindergarden chasing Betty around the playground coz he likes her......isn't a sexual preditor.

Plus random enforcement of these laws hardley makes people take them seriously.

Awwww....Let's see, taking a camera into a movie theater? Yep that would be a case of copyright infringement. And yes, it is agaisnt the law.

No kidding. What kind of idiot would think they would be ALLOWED to do this?
She probably only got 20 secs. of camera time because she was caught.

Originally Posted by AngryTX

Awwww....Let's see, taking a camera into a movie theater? Yep that would be a case of copyright infringement. And yes, it is agaisnt the law.

Does the Seja's house not have a tv where her younger brother could possibly see a commercial for the movie? Somethings fishy here.Also what does her parents nationality have to do with the story?