Linked from Digg: http://www.politechbot.com/2005/11/04/how-the-mpaa/

That's going just a bit too far I think. Do moviegoers really need to be treated as criminals these days? Apparently so.

Since when does one theater = MPAA?

That's not the "Canadian MPAA". We share the same MPAA, they just don't have any legal representation up here.

One point the article failed to mention is that this was a press viewing - a preview. They offered reporters multiple tickets as a show of courtesy. They were searched for cameras and cell phones because these devices could be used to leak the movie early (which is a serious problem for them).

Having cameras in the theatre goes just a little far though.

As far as movie studios go, there isn't a single one I actually like. To be honest Fox is the least objectionable followed immediately by Universal. Disney/Miramax, Columbia Tristar (Sony Pictures), Alliance Atlantis/New Line are all a gigantic festering sack of Hitler.

I've almost been arrested at that theater

The management there is pretty strict. For a press viewing, this doesn't really surprise me at all, what with how rampant leaking is these days.

If this happened at a regular showing, I'd find it a bit more shocking. Packed with booze, the clothing of many teenagers often is.

most leaked copies of any quality worth mentioning originate from screener DVDS sent to movie critics.

It seems stupid to go to all of that trouble to prevent someone from making a low-quality CAM bootleg.

Not when you make $400 / bust.

If any theater management catches a person with some sort of recording device (basically, camcorders and the like), they get a $400 "finder's fee" from the studios.