Charges Dropped Against Accused Twilight 'Pirate'

By Prescott Carlson in News on Dec 11, 2009 4:40PM

Cook County prosecutors this morning agreed to drop the charges against 22-year-old Samantha Tumpach, who was facing a felony conviction after being arrested for after filming a small portion of the movie Twilight: New Moon. Prosecutors were vague on why they decided not to continue the case. Tumpach had insisted that while she was filming inside the theater, it was only as part of a surprise birthday party for her sister, recording was brief, and she wasn't trying to "bootleg" the film. Even the Twilight director came out in her defense, saying there was a "difference between trying to protect the copyright of a film and making an unfair example of someone who clearly seems not to have any intentions towards video piracy."