Screener
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A screener is an advance screening of something or video or DVD copy of a film sent to critics, awards voters, video stores (for their manager and employees), and other film industry professionals, including producers and distributors.[1] Often, each individual screener is sent out with distinct markings (such as a digital watermark), which allow copies of a screener to be tracked to their source.
In 2003, the MPAA announced that they would be ceasing distribution of screeners to Academy members, citing fears of piracy. A group of independent film makers sued and won a decision against the MPAA. The MPAA later reinstated the screeners with the implementation of a new policy requiring recipients to sign a binding contract that they would not share the screeners with others.
In January 2004, Academy member Carmine Caridi was announced as a person of interest in an ongoing FBI investigation into video piracy. He was subsequently expelled from the Academy after he was found to have sent close to 300 screeners to a contact called Russell Sprague in Illinois, over a five year period. He was later ordered to pay Warner Brothers for copyright infringement of two of their films, Mystic River and The Last Samurai, a total of $300,000 ($150,000 per title).[2]
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