8mm Forum: Public Performance Rights

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Topic: Public Performance Rights

Ronald Green
Film Handler

Posts: 53
From: Delray Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2016

posted December 17, 2016 02:52 PM

How does one find out about Public Performance Rights. I have some feature films that are major studios such as 20th Fox,
RKO, Columbia. Is there a website?

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted December 17, 2016 04:48 PM

Generally speaking, your public performance rights are pretty much zero, but there are degrees of public performance that bring you more and more under the radar.

All public performance of copyrighted material without permission is illegal, but if for example you show a film to a bunch of friends at some kind of organization, the odds are excellent you'll never have any trouble.

You start publicizing the same event, you are getting into deeper water.

You start charging admission, you may see a fin break the surface near the horizon.

You do all this in a context of a business establishment, suits and briefcases will be there soon.

It's something like the Highway Patrol: as soon as you get to 56 MPH you are speeding, but in order to get the real bad guys, the law leaves the 65 MPH crowd alone and concentrates on the ones doing 80 and 90.

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Evan Samaras
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 513
From: Queens, NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2015

posted December 17, 2016 04:58 PM

"You start charging admission, you may see a fin break the surface near the horizon." Haha!

I would think it would be safest to find out which titles are now public domain. From my understanding there may be quite a few in the 16mm realm.

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...When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth...

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Ricky Daniels
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 587
From: London & Kent UK
Registered: Jul 2003

posted December 21, 2016 04:08 AM

Hi Ronald,

In the USA there are several agents who can help you licence films for public performances when charging an admission fee. You'll have to pay a minimum fee then a % of you box office taking. You may also have to provide proof of your takings too.

Try SWANK or MPLC to begin with, if they can't help with your titles I'm sure they'll point you in the direction of an agent who can...

http://www.swank.com

http://www.mplc.org

Merry Christmas,
Rick

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 21, 2016 10:00 AM

In the UK any exhibition of a 16mm film to an audience who pay a fee for entrance requires a public performance entertainment licence from the local council, unless the premises are already so licenced for public performances.

And, of course, the film renter must also give approval for such a hire subject to their fees/terms for public exhibition.

In addition, a music licence will also probably be required, but, as above, any premises which are regularly used may already have such a licence.

I, of course, do not know if the above would also apply to the US.

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Maurice

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Ronald Green
Film Handler

Posts: 53
From: Delray Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Nov 2016

posted December 23, 2016 02:56 PM

Thanks guys. Before I got you input, called 20th Fox, and they told me that if I show a feature film in my house or in my background with some friends; it's fine. There is a 16mm Free Loan Library called 16mm Enoch Pratt films library that has over 2,000 films and all have public performance rights. These films can be order through Interlibrary loan for any organization.
Show "Only" these movies at my clubhouse in Florida.

Thanks again,

Ron Green

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 24, 2016 02:41 AM

Ron
You must be envied by all the 16mm film users in this country by still having access to hire films, particularly free titles!
I believe that the only source of film hire still available here in the UK is the British Film Institute and a company called Filmbank who at one time had a massive collection of films for hire. I think they have some connection with Warners.
Regrettably, our free loan sources dried up years ago.

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Maurice

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015

posted December 24, 2016 06:42 AM

Maurice, I think both your suggested sources no longer deal with 16mm prints. As far as I'm aware, there are no library sources in the U.K.

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Dave

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Maurice Leakey
Film God

Posts: 5895
From: Bristol. United Kingdom
Registered: Oct 2007

posted December 24, 2016 08:44 AM

Dave
You may be right about Filmbank, however, BFI Distribution still hire out films on 35mm and 16mm. See my link.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/supporting-uk-film/bfi-distribution

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Maurice

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Dave Groves
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 508
From: Southend on Sea, Essex, UK
Registered: Feb 2015

posted December 24, 2016 09:50 AM

Interesting that BFI indicates they still hire 16mm yet I looked recently and couldn't even find a title. Perhaps they still hold a few titles that you have to 'request'. There won't be anything up to date I wouldn't think.

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Dave

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted December 24, 2016 04:19 PM

Sadly, the Filmbank library was destroyed roughly about 5 years ago, except for around 180 prints that were obtained by a library in Australia. They now only offer DVD/Blu-ray rights although I have thought of asking them if they could possibly offer rights to a collector screening a 16mm print.

The BFI definitely do still offer 16mm and I last hired a print from them last year. Their last addition that I'm certain of was 1999 although I did once see some evidence (that has since disappeared) on their website that indicated they might have a few foreign language films from around 2005. It's best to ask them about specific titles as it's true that they lack listings available to the public, and the amount of 16mm hire that takes place is so small that I'm sure they feel there's no incentive to compile details. One thing I did discover is that they acquired the former Artifical Eye 16mm library, so they have some good foreign language releases from around the 70s and 80s.

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Adrian Winchester

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