MoviePass wants to let you go to the theater once a day for $10 a month

Re:MoviePass wants to let you go to the theater once a day f... by tomjen3 on Tuesday August 15, 2017 @11:58AM (#15019388)

>We’re not open to the general public. Do we still need a license?

>Yes. According to Senate Report No. 94-473, p. 60, “performances in ‘semipublic’ places such as clubs, lodges, factories, summer camps and schools are ‘public performances’ subject to copyright control.”

https://www.mplc.org/page/faqs

That presumably depends on whether the screening is only for e.g your family. Consult a lawyer.

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Re:MoviePass wants to let you go to the theater once a day f... by schoen on Tuesday August 15, 2017 @12:07PM (#15019456)

The surprising breadth of "public performance" is the basis for the famous Girl Scout copyright royalty demand

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/12/17/nyregion/ascap-asks-royalt...

Movie theaters are familiar with risks in this area, so they might have their own rules about what you can and can't watch when you rent out a theater.

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Re:MoviePass wants to let you go to the theater once a day f... by Bartweiss on Tuesday August 15, 2017 @12:28PM (#15019682)

Thanks for the source! Also, wow. I figured "rent a theater with strangers for a viewing" would be over the line, but I didn't realize that showing a DVD at a summer camp is technically illegal.

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