The movie studios are playing Grinch to Internet pirates selling unauthorized DVDs as holiday gifts over online auction sites.
The Motion Picture Association of America filed federal civil lawsuits against people in eight states Tuesday, accusing them of copyright infringement for offering hundreds of pirated DVDs over auction sites. The lawsuits mark the first time the MPAA has focused on sales over such sites. They were filed against people in California, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama, Florida, Nevada, Kansas and Connecticut.
Many of the DVDs were illegally copied from legitimate DVDs, while others were bootleg copies of first-run films not yet released on video or DVD, the MPAA said.
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