Paramount Pictures cracks down on Godfather piracy

Movie giant Paramount Pictures is issuing warnings to alleged pirates of the Godfather movie. Released in 1972, the movie recently completed 44 years.

The Hollywood studio is sending out takedown notices to internet subscribers whose accounts have been found downloading and sharing Godfather. Anti-piracy firm IP-Echelon is helping out Paramount.

Paramount has reached out to ISPs (Internet Service Providers) asking them to disable access to the copyrighted material. It also wants subscribers to stop sharing the movie, suggests a report by TorrentFreak, which also has a copy the takedown notice.

"We are requesting your immediate assistance in removing and disabling access to the infringing material from your network. We also ask that you ensure the user and/or IP address owner refrains from future use and sharing of Paramount materials and property," reads the warning notice.

Additionally, Paramount is asking ISPs not to destroy any data, which could be required later if a lawsuit is filed related to copyright infringement.

"In complying with this notice, [ISP] should not destroy any evidence, which may be relevant in a lawsuit, relating to the infringement alleged, including all associated electronic documents and data relating to the presence of infringing items on your network, which shall be preserved while disabling public access, irrespective of any document retention or corporate policy to the contrary," the notice states.

Like other major Hollywood studios, Paramount also considers piracy a threat to revenue. But it does not usually file cases against individual file-sharers, even though it has sent such takedown notices in the past.