Movie Licensing

Why do you need to license at all? Most people think that once they purchase a DVD or VHS tape, they have the right to show the movie to whomever they choose, wherever they choose. Factually, the FBI warning you see on all entertainment movies states that the movies are for "Home Use Only". Once you take the movie outside the home setting, you must be licensed to do so. This applies not only to schools, colleges, and public libraries, but parks, cruise ships, airplanes, motor coaches, trains, museums, hospitals and all businesses and non-profit organizations.

The reason for this is royalties. Royalties are paid by Movie Licensing USA to the studios for the rights to show their movies. Royalties do not just go to the studios and actors/actresses. They are paid to directors, screen writers, costume designers, makeup artists, cinematographers, grips, and countless other people that contribute to the creation of a film. The concept of "Public Performance" is central to copyright and the issue of protection for "intellectual property." If an author, computer programmer, musician or movie producer does not retain ownership of his or her "work," there would be little incentive for them to continue and little chance of recouping the enormous investment in time, research and development, much less profits for future endeavors.

We recognize that there are many more questions regarding copyright and movies. For more information please Contact us and we can direct you to: Swank Motion Pictures inc. www.swank.com Swank Motion Pictures inc. is the world's largest non-theatrical distributor of motion pictures for public performance and the acknowledged leader in the field.

Swank Motion Pictures provides both public performance licensing rights and licensed movies to numerous non-theatrical markets, including worldwide cruise lines, U.S. colleges and universities, K-12 public schools and libraries, American civilian and military hospitals, motor coaches, Amtrak trains, correctional facilities and other markets such as parks, art museums and businesses.