 Transformers is based on the hugely popular toys |
Kalidou Diallo, 48, has been charged with unauthorised use of a video camera in a cinema.
Under upgraded legislation, he could face six months in jail and fines of up to $5,000 (£2,487) if found guilty.
Meanwhile, Transformers has broken 4 July US box office records with takings of $29.1m (£14.48m).
The movie - based on the popular toys that debuted in the 1980s - chronicles a war between two factions of giant shape-shifting robots that bring their battle to Earth.
The cast includes Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Josh Duhamel and John Turturro.
Secretly taped
Mr Diallo was arrested after allegedly smuggling a video recorder, video player and remote control into a preview of the film in the Bronx.
He was later released without bail and ordered to return to court on 20 September.
"This is the first time someone has been arrested and charged with the new illegal camcording law," City Hall spokesman Jason Post said Thursday.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) says more than 40% of bootlegged films in the US are secretly taped in New York cinemas.
The copies are frequently sold for mass reproduction or posted on the internet, sometimes within hours of the film opening.
Pirated films cost major US film studios more than $6bn (£2.9bn) in 2005, according to the trade association.