Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Missouri
is it legal for a nieghborhood to show a movie to the whole neighborhod?
2 Answers from Attorneys
No, that is copyright infringement unless permission was obtained. However, it is unlikely this will be pursued by any movie label unless it is a really large neighborhood.
As a Franchise Attorney I think my colleague neglected to ask a critical question. What movie are you talking about. Is it a movie about the neighborhood produced by neighbors in the hood or what? If, on the other hand, we're talking about a copyrighted, Hollywood movie in DVD, etc. format, that's the copyright infringement issue attorney Bruce is discussing. Think about the big warning that appears before you see these movies. Read that warning; maybe a couple times. It says it all. Consult with a good copyright (or wrong) attorney or franchise attorney in your area for specific advice.
Mr. Franchise - Kevin B. Murphy, B.S., M.B.A., J.D.
Franchise Foundations, a Professional Corporation