Kutcher Defends ‘piracy’ Promotion

ASHTON KUTCHER has defended his decision to ‘pirate’ the first 13 minutes of his new film KILLERS online, insisting internet piracy will soon be a thing of the past when movie executives figure out a way of cashing in on the idea.

The tech-savvy star broadcast the opening of the comedy direct to select fan sites from the premiere in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (01Jun10), prompting criticism from film experts and critics alike, who accused him of making light of a serious industry issue.

Some critics have even called on officials at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) to reprimand Kutcher.

But the actor insists he isn’t breaking any laws - he’s just promoting his own film.

He says, “The film’s good enough to sell itself. I just wanted to show people that… I think if we show the first 13 minutes of the movie and if people like it they’ll go see it.”

And, as for those who accuse him of piracy, Kutcher tells TV news show Access Hollywood, “Everybody calls people airing stuff on the web piracy just because they’re not making money off of it yet. If they (executives) can figure out how to make money off of it, they won’t call it piracy anymore.”