The Warner Bros. ban on promotional screenings in Canada is surprising, though understandable, and will have little impact on leading exhibitor Cineplex Entertainment in the short run, according to its president and CEO Ellis Jacob. The grave concern, he says, is that the Hollywood studio will go further and ‘do more radical things.’

‘If you read into their statement, [Warner Bros.] is basically saying they’re trying to work with us to encourage the government to put measures in place to stop camcording,’ Jacob says.

Fed up with what the Hollywood studio says is the ‘main source for most of the world’s film piracy’ through camcording, Warner Bros. on Monday cancelled all of its promo screenings in Canada, beginning with Ocean’s Thirteen, which is due in theaters on June 8, and including the hotly anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, out July 13.

Screenings for the press will continue, but not for the giveaways and contests meant to generate word of mouth that are often run through radio stations and other media outlets.

Jacob did not elaborate on what the next, more serious move might be, but this is not the first time he has fielded complaints from a U.S. studio. In November, Fox’s head of distribution reportedly threatened to end day-and-date releases of its titles unless something was done to stop camcording in Canada. In March, a pair of U.S. senators wrote to Prime Minister Stephen Harper calling for stiffer laws against such piracy, which is a felony in the U.S. but brings little legal action here.

Warner Bros. says 70% of recent camcordered movies come from Canada, though other estimates put the number anywhere from 20% to 50%.

Exhibitors and Hollywood studios have been urging Ottawa to pass new copyright legislation, though none has yet taken shape. Heritage Minister Bev Oda tells Playback Daily she takes the issue ‘very seriously’ and is currently working with Justice Minister Robert Nicholson on measures to address piracy.

‘Our government is aware of the problem of piracy and the role of camcording in contributing to that problem. We are committed to protect the work of creators,’ she says.

But with Parliament set to break for summer in a few weeks, it seems unlikely any progress will be made soon.

‘I would love to see this thing speeded up because it’s a much bigger issue than people understand, from the perspective of what it’s costing these studios around the world,’ says Jacob, adding that piracy worldwide has become a $6-billion to $8-billion problem.

Meanwhile, he says Cineplex is ‘not leaving any stone unturned’ when it comes to curbing the problem in its theaters, citing the stricter anti-piracy measures that were in place this past weekend for the release of Spider-Man 3, including checks of moviegoers entering theaters, signs in lobbies, leaflets, pre-show educational presentations, night vision goggles and added security.

‘We’re spending a great deal of money to protect the copyright on films like Spider-Man,’ Jacob says.