"Transformers" was the first film where a moviegoer was charged under the new laws in New York City that stiffened the penalties for using a video camera in a theater without authorization.
The new law was signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg which increased punishment from a $250 fine to a misdemeanor that could land you in jail for 6 months, along with a $5,000 fine.
According to the Motion Picture Association of America, over 40 percent of all pirated films in the U.S. come out of New York City theaters.
Police arrested Kalidou Diallo when he was seen by a police officer sitting right behind him raising his arm once the film began. He was found with a video recorder and a body harness, along with a video player and remote control in the pockets of his jacket. He was searched right before the end of the movie.
"This is the first time someone has been arrested and charged with the new illegal camcording law," City Hall spokesman Jason Post said Thursday.
The MPAA asserts that pirated movies, which are typically sold shortly before the premiere of a movie or uploaded to the Internet, cost the film industry in the U.S. about $6 billion 2005. New York City piracy accounts for $1.5 billion in losses to the city alone, according to the agency.
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