NEW YORK, May 2 (UPI) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed an anti-piracy measure that increases penalties and fines for illegally taping and selling black-market videos.
The mayor urged the movie-watching public to support the industry by buying legitimate videos or watching a movie in the theater, Variety reported Wednesday.
Under the new law, violators can face up to $5,000 in fines and six months in jail.
"This is not a victimless crime. Not only does piracy drive up the costs of videos and movie tickets and harm our economy," Bloomberg said, "but every New York consumer is being cheated by poor-quality goods."
Bloomberg unveiled a public service announcement campaign designed to combat bootlegged films in New York. The campaign plays off the movie ratings system, using "RO" for Ripped-Off, "PS" for Poor Sound, "SP" for Stupid Purchase, "OV" for Obstructed View and "F" for Fake.
"(The) New York economy has much to gain by fighting movie piracy at its source, and changing behavior regarding movie piracy among New Yorkers," said Motion Picture Association of America Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman in a statement.
