After screengrabs and video from upcoming The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn movies went viral this spring, filmmakers went on a rampage to track down the source of the leak. Summit Entertainment announced Monday that a four-continent investigation has resulted in criminal charges being filed against a woman in Argentina.
The alleged pirate, Daiana Santia, is also being subject to "civil actions" filed in the United States, according to the studio.
Digital piracy detective agency Kroll followed clues in North America, Europe and Australia before locating the suspect in the northern Argentina town of Posadas.
In contrast to Summit's approach, studios generally keep a low profile with their piracy investigations. Warner Bros. has kept mostly mum about its inquiry into last year's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows leak, while 20th Century Fox quietly pursued its investigation after a rough cut X-Men Origins: Wolverine went online in 2009.
So why is Summit playing hardball? "We cannot ignore that property was stolen," Summit's Executive Vice President David C. Friedman said in a statement. "It is not fair to the majority of fans that want to see the final chapter of the Twilight Saga film franchise fully realized by the filmmaker and dedicated cast and crew to have these images out and available on the internet."
What do you think? Should people who leak be punished to the full extent of the law or treated leniently as overzealous fans? Weigh in below.
See Also:- Studio Execs Call Theory That Warner Bros. Leaked Potter Footage 'Absurd'
