We assisted the Kino pavasaris Vilnius International Film Festival in removing counterfeit copies of the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” from illegal torrent sites available in Lithuania. The movie was included in the programme of the digital festival held from 19 March–2 April 2020.
Some infringers promptly removed the content voluntarily upon demand, while others required us to go through the special administrative procedure before the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission, which issued administrative orders ‒ later sanctioned by the courts.
But by then, several thousand people had seen “Parasite” illegally, resulting in the film’s distributor in Lithuania “Kino pavasaris” suffering a loss of tens of thousands of euros. Says the festival’s executive director Agnesta Filatovė: “It is important to combat pirating and understand what is legal and what is not and why it is crucial to behave respectfully, conscientiously and pay for content found virtually.”
Lithuania’s biggest cinema festival ‒ moved online
Vilnius International Film Festival Kino Pavasaris is the biggest and most important cinema event in Lithuania. Over 25 years, the festival has become a well-attended cultural phenomenon. In 2020, the festival ‒ adapting to measures enacted by the Lithuanian government to combat the spread of the coronavirus ‒ moved more than half the movies in its programme to streaming platforms, becoming the first digital film festival in Lithuania.
Our services and project team
Our team assisting the client in all matters related to removing illegal copies of the movie from the websites consisted of partner Daivis Švirinas with counsel Stasys Drazdauskas and legal assistant Paulius Mockevičius.
