Oscar Voters, Academy Near Compromise In Movie Dispute

A compromise is being worked out between critics and the Motion Picture Academy to send Oscar voters tapes of films nominated for Oscars. “The plan would call for the studios to send out only videotapes of the films, not DVDs, and each tape would be coded with the recipient’s name for tracking purposes. If a tape is illegally copied, or “pirated,” for resale on black markets or digitized for Internet downloading, the tape’s recipient would be sanctioned, and punishment could include dismissal from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards the Oscars, the U.S. film industry’s top honors.”