Chris Weitz defends 'New Moon' pirate; Summit stays mum

By Eriq Gardner

Is three years in prison too much for a Chicago woman who was caught using a digital recording device during a screening of "The Twilight Saga: New Moon"?

Samantha Tumpach, 22, claims she was merely filming scenes at a Chicago-area Muvico Theater for her sister's 29th birthday party. Now, after being arrested and charged with a rarely invoked felony designed to prevent movie bootlegging, Tumpach has attracted an ally in her defense. "New Moon" director Chris Weitz tells the Chicago Sun-Times that "the case seems to me terribly unfair and I would like to do what I can to address this."

Weitz' quotes put the film's distributor, Summit Entertainment, in an uncomfortable PR spot. Even though it's the theater chain — not the studio — pushing the charges against Tumpach, Weitz says he has reached out to Summit to get involved. So far, Summit has remained publicly silent.

Our sympathy towards Tumpach is tempered by an annoyance at those who talk during movies. Who was it that suggested locking up theater gabbers and throwing away the key? 

It's also worth noting that "New Moon" may not have been the most valuable entertainment copyright infringed by Tumpach and her gathering that day. During the screening, the gang sang "Happy Birthday" and we doubt they bought a license from ASCAP to publicly perform this lucrative copyrighted song. What does Time Warner, who reportedly holds the publishing rights to "Happy Birthday" think about the injustice here?

OK, maybe Tumpach should get some leniency for not having sound mind to contact the theater owner and clear the act of taping within the establishment. Muvico obviously wanted to make a point and now that the Florida-based chain has gotten reporters everywhere to convey that the penalty for bootlegging carries "up to three years" in prison, it should probably back off — before Weitz shows up in court, a judge lets Tumpach off the hook, and the ordeal sends an entirely different public relations message. 

Comments

[js]

Go to watch-movies.net. It shows ALL the movies illegally filmed by Samantha Tumpach. This insane story- just the fact that this girl was put in jail for even one second--is an example of what an amazingly @#$@#"d up world we now live. Kudos to the Director!!

[Becky G]

Glad she got off but maybe next time she will think twice before she brings a recording device into a movie again.who does that anyway?