A woman poses in front of a billboard of Avatar in a Beijing cinema yesterday. [China Daily]

The recent blockbuster Avatar by James Cameron is one among a string of new movies to come out during a period now being called the "3D renaissance." But has the 3D format cut down on the amount of movie piracy as Hollywood hopes? It doesn't look like it.
"While Hollywood claims 3D movies will slow piracy, they are only partially right," said Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, a US-based marketing research and consulting firm.
He said if pirates try to use a regular video camcorder to record 3D films, it would result in the images coming back in double. While this makes the process of filming movies inside the theatre much more difficult, those with knowledge of video equipment can get around the 3D deterrent, he said.
"These methods are probably going to also reveal a watermark. There may be other piracy-prevention methods I don't know about, but in principle, it is not that hard," Chinnock said.
Chinnock's assessment seems to hold true. More than a week before Avatar was set for its China release, copies of the blockbuster were shelved in pirated DVD shops throughout Beijing.
He also speculated that the lack of impact on the pirate market might be because the film was also released in 2D.