JAMES CAMERON - FOX CHIEF CALLS FOR "THREE STRIKES" LAW IN U.S.

FOX CHIEF CALLS FOR "THREE STRIKES" LAW IN U.S.

Fox Filmed Entertainment Chairman Jim Gianopulos has urged the U.S. to pass a law similar to France's "three strikes" rule that would allow a judge to order Internet service providers to disconnect users who download copyrighted material. The British government has also signaled that it is ready to pass a three-strikes law as well. Gianopulos told a news conference in Athens Monday "If we [the U.S.] can do that, it would be a big victory against piracy." In a separate interview with Reuters, Gianopulos also attempted to knock down reports that the James Cameron 3D epic Avatar will wind up costing $500 million, including production and marketing costs. "That's a ridiculous number," Gianopulos told the wire service. "It has actually no relationship to the actual cost of the movie." He declined to disclose how much the actual budget for the movie was, saying only that "the movie was quite expensive" but that it was "money well spent."

24/11/2009