It is legal to watch or show movies in a private website of news an enetertainment ?

Attorney answers (3)

1. 

   Pamela Koslyn

   Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Attorney

   Contributor Level 20

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   Answered December 19, 2010 09:37. To the extent I can understand your question, if your website performs movies without paying the owner of the movies, then you're infringing on the movie owners' copyrights.
   
   It doesn't matter that your customers are in a private club and low income and it's free to them -- it's still copyright infringement because you're essentially giving away something that isn't yours to give away.
   
   See your own IP lawyer before you base a business on someone else's IP.
   
   Disclaimer: Please note that this answer does not constitute legal advice, and should not be relied on, since each state has different laws, each situation is fact specific, and it is impossible to evaluate a legal problem without a comprehensive consultation and review of all the facts and documents at issue. This answer does not create an attorney-client relationship.
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2. 

   Daniel Ballard

   Sacramento Intellectual Property Law Attorney

   Contributor Level 19

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   Answered December 19, 2010 15:14. I don't understand your question.
   
   I think, however, that you need to understand a fundamental legal principal: No one -- not even a "non-profit" organization -- can lawfully copy, distribute, or publicly perform a movie or news or entertainment program without first getting permission from the owner of the copyright in those audiovisual works. Permission is granted very rarely and only to established companies with a large, established viewing public [cable television station owners, online distributors such as Netflix, Hulu, etc.] and only for a very large fee. This is true even if the person seeking permission intends only to show the audiovisual works to "members" of a group or to people with low incomes. The status of those viewers is irrelevant.
   
   The public has NO "right" to watch any movies or television shows created by private individuals. The creator of the movie or television show can chose how, when, where, and for how much money he or she will make the work available to the public. And once it is public, the creator STILL retains control over how, when, where, and for how much it will make the show available elsewhere. This is because the copyright in the audiovisual work is his or her personal PRIVATE property that no one else can lawfully take w/o permission from the creator. Based on your two questions, I don't think you understood this private property concept as it applies to movies and television shows.

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3. 

   Deepak Malhotra

   Spokane Intellectual Property Law Attorney

   Contributor Level 11

   Answered December 20, 2010 17:11. Yes, you can get into trouble. Having a private audience is not a defense to copyright infringement.
   
   What you charge is not relevant. Whether or not you are doing it for charitable reasons is not relevant.
   
   You will need to obtain licenses.

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