Multiple camera-recorded prints of ‘Avengers: Endgame’ have been leaked online, and are being distributed through file sharing sites, it has been reported. The leaks are said to have originated in China, where the film opened two days ahead of the US, on April 24, and have since spread to other territories.
Torrent Freak reports that it had put mechanisms in place to track possible leaks, and confirms that the first files began appearing online between 4 and 5 pm China time. Within minutes of the file appearing online, ‘dozens of exclusively China-located users’ began sharing it. Shortly afterwards, the file was circulated on non-Chinese platforms such as The Pirate Bay and India’s Tamil Rockers.
The film has already been released in China, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Korea, and many other countries.
Torrent Freak shared a screenshot from the leaked file but limited it to the film’s title card so as to not reveal spoilers. While the initial copy was said to be extremely poor in quality, there have been new uploads recently - located to Russia - that are of significantly better quality. “The image flickers constantly throughout. It’s semi-rotated and is littered throughout with watermarks for a gambling site that spins around the screen,” Torrent Freak quoted a source as saying. The first version has English audio with Chinese subtitles.
For ‘cam rips’ of films to be leaked online immediately after release isn’t an unusual practice, and considering that Endgame has already made close to $100 million in China is an indication of just how many people watched - thereby increasing chances of piracy.
Hindustan Times
