Forget film fans illegally downloading movies - ‘cyberlockers’ have become the new piracy threat to Hollywood.
These illegal subscription sites, which can cost as little as £3 per month, allow users to watch streamed videos of the new Hollywood blockbusters.
However, these sophisticated sites may look reputable at first glance – complete with advertising banners from the likes of Kentucky Fried Chicken (unwittingly, we hasten to add) – but they are often run by foreign criminal gangs, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Paramount Pictures chief operating officer Fred Huntsberry said, “Cyberlockers now represent the preferred method by which consumers are enjoying pirated content. Sometimes these sites look better than the legitimate sites. That's the irony.â€
Films can pop up on these illegal subscription sites within days of their release – with better quality versions uploaded when the DVD comes out.
And it’s not just Hollywood that could be hurt by these cyberlockers. It’s claimed that users of the sites are also at risk of having their credit card information sold on.
The UK government vowed recently to toughen up piracy laws with the approval of the controversial Digital Economy Act, which will see those caught downloading pirated material run the risk of having their Internet access cut off for a period of time.
What aload of crap if you ask me - streaming has been around for years :D