MANILA, Philippines — Bus companies are in hot water after their units were caught showing pirated copies of local and foreign blockbuster movies during a raid at the Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITx).
The Optical Media Board (OMB) said Metro Manila Bus Co., Saulog Transit, and SanTrans Corp. could be charged for violating the Optical Media Act since their buses were captured red-handed – screening illegally reproduced copies of “Hello, Love, Goodbye” and “Avengers: Endgame.”
“Buses operated by Metro Manila Bus Co. and Saulog Transit were caught in the act of exhibiting (‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’) on their televisions. OMB agents were able to confiscate USB flash drives containing multiple pirated movies including ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’,” OMB said in a statement Wednesday night.
“A SanTrans Corporation bus was also caught showing a pirated copy of the movie ‘Avengers’ saved in a USB flash drive,” it added.
According to the law, piracy is punishable by up to six years imprisonment as well as fine of up to P1.5 million.
OMB earlier said it already tapped the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) to take action on the proliferation of bootlegged “Hello, Love, Goodbye.”
READ: OMB taps PNP-ACG over ‘Hello, Love, Goodbye’ online piracy
/kga