(Please note that this definition does not condone piracy)

A criminal act of illegally copying a movie into another format (such as VHS, DVD and digitally) and then distributing it. It has existed since the days of silent movie, but grew more in the 1980s when analog camcorders became commonplace. It grew even further in the 2000s due to digital tapeless camcorders being silent and the internet being in the majority of households on the planet Earth. It grew even further in the 2010s with the availability of high-quality bootlegs on pirate websites.

This act causes financial issues, which studios may lose money. In some cases, some studios may get even get bankrupt.
"Movie Piracy is no party!" - Lampy from The Brave Little Toaster
by Ryan900USAYT April 12, 2022
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