- Shahnaz Mahmud

NEW YORK This week the Motion Picture Association of America will extend its "Get the real picture" poster campaign to New York subway stations in an effort to increase awareness about DVD piracy.

The initial campaign was created last year in partnership with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The MPAA has timed the next leg of its campaign to coincide with the start of the summer movie blockbuster season. "New York City is home to countless iconic movies, and with the start of the summer movie season, it's the perfect opportunity to remind New Yorkers that purchasing pirated DVDs impacts everyone negatively, whether it's measured in lost revenue to the motion picture industry or felt in the wallets of average New Yorkers who spend their hard-earned money on poor quality -- and not to mention illegal -- DVDs," said Bloomberg in a statement.

According to the MPAA, last year's campaign has helped eliminate some bootleg movie vending on New York City streets. The association said since the start of 2008, the New York Police Department has arrested nearly 80 people and confiscated 8,251 pirated DVDs. MPAA also found that some of the piracy has now moved underground.

The effort utilizes mock movie ratings, including "RO" for ripped off, "PS" for poor sound, "SP" for stupid purchase, "OV" for obstructed view and "F" for fake. The campaign slogan is: "Get the real picture: Don't buy illegal DVDs off the street." Images of poor quality video from films such as Titanic and The Sixth Sense are used to emphasize the copy points.

"This next phase of the campaign and the mayor's commitment to helping fight piracy in New York are much needed during the summer when so many great movies are being released," said Dan Glickman, chairman and CEO of the MPAA.