Don’t mess with 20th Century Fox! They’ll get their man in the end. Variety report a suspect has been arrested in relation to the Wolverine case. The what? Back earlier this year, an unfinished copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was uploaded and posted on the world-wide-web for all to see. According to 20th Century Fox’s figures – a total of 15 million people downloaded it. Did it affect the box office takings? Perhaps.

Fox issued a statement, saying:

“We support the FBI’s actions and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement to prosecute individuals who steal our movies.”

Interestingly, it does not clear up the mystery of how the film came to be in the thieving mitts of the alleged villain. Gilberto Sanchez (the accused) has no known links to the film industry and Fox also concur they are mystified too. Is this a case of a mole? Did Sanchez get a midnight call from a man with a 40-a-day voice telling him where and when he could access this film?

This piracy incident was big news earlier in the year. It caused major upset and panic to both the studio and star Hugh Jackman. You’d think the studio execs would have had more complaint with Gavin Hood’s finished product than the piracy incident. However, laws have been broken (and not just against cinematic taste) and the man’s been caught. He could receive up to three years in the jailhouse (harmonica not included) and a heavy fine.

The case, however, is grander than the incident. Just how is piracy affecting the film industry: globally and locally? It used to be videotape-based, but with the advent of the internet, it has gone into greater realms. The quality and proliferation of pirated material has shot through the roof. The lowering of ticket prices may be the answer or movie budgets could stop increasing to ridiculous figures (yes, I’m accusing you, James Cameron). Or what about global release dates for all films? Will this problem ever be solved?