People who secretly videotape movies when they are shown in theaters could go to prison for up to three years under a bill that cleared the U.S. Congress Tuesday.
The bill also toughens penalties for hackers and industry insiders who distribute music, movies or other copyrighted works before their official release date.
The House of Representatives passed the bill unanimously by voice vote. The bill has already passed the Senate, and President Bush is expected to sign it into law.
Copies of hit movies frequently show up on the Internet while they're still in theaters, allowing skinflint fans to see new releases like without buying a ticket.
Pirates sneak camcorders into movie theaters to tape films directly off the screen, while some industry insiders leak copies to tech-savvy hackers before they're officially released.
The U.S. Customs Department has estimated that these distribution groups are responsible for 95 percent of all pirated movies available online.
Those found guilty could face up to three years in prison, as well as lawsuits from copyright holders.
The bill also shields "family friendly" services like ClearPlay that strip violent or sexually explicit scenes from movies.
That provision is less popular with Hollywood, which says such services violate their copyrighted works by altering them without permission.
Nevertheless, a trade group representing large movie studios hailed the bill's passage.
Both houses of Congress approved slightly different versions of the bill last year, but could not reconcile their differences before the session ended.
