Boxoffice - June 2018

EXECUTIVE SUITE
deterring and detecting camcording, and escalation
to local law enforcement has led to arrest and
conviction that puts criminals out of business. The
Global Cinema Federation will share best practices
in theatre employee training and operational
practices, as well as successful models of local law
enforcement collaboration that can be adopted
across markets.
3 Cinemas are also the voice of the industry
to consumers, with the ability to build awareness
of the cost of movie theft. Theatre exhibitors have
a unique opportunity to humanize the cost of
movie theft and to enhance the perceived value of
commercial purchase. Exhibitors must be able to
show guests that the experience of seeing a film
in-theatre far outweighs any perceived “benefit”
of seeing a pirated version. Exhibitors should
thank guests for their patronage. The Global
Cinema Federation is preparing an online portal
to share best practice in-theatre marketing campaigns
and collateral.
4 Theatre exhibitors and the Global Cinema
Federation shall partner with local trade organizations
and advertisement companies to ensure that
legitimate advertising does not appear on cannibalized
content. (For example, in the United States
exhibitors shall work with the American Association
of Advertising Agencies.)
5 The Global Cinema Federation and members
shall continually and diligently advocate local
governments and law enforcement agencies for
laws criminalizing acts of piracy. In addition, the
Global Cinema Federation and members shall also
advocate for strict enforcement of these laws.
6 The Global Cinema Federation shall encourage
internet service providers to actively monitor
the services they provide for pirated material. In
the event that pirated content is discovered, internet
service providers must take immediate action
by removing the pirated content and coordinating
with the proper legal authorities.
Music Rights
1 The long-term goal is to remove entirely the
need for cinemas to enter into licence arrangements
with, and make royalty payments in respect
of music rights to, PROs; this is however hampered
by legal and structural challenges;
2 In the interim, the Global Cinema Federation
will support efforts to secure material
reductions in existing tariffs, by sharing information
and deploying both (i) factual data about
rates in other territories; and (ii) tactics and legal
and economic arguments which have succeeded
in other territories;
3 In all events, the Global Cinema Federation
will strenuously resist attempts by PROs to
seek higher tariffs and will do so using the means
described above;
4 While it may be legally problematic to have
a collective discussion with studios about the
allocation of music rights fees as between distribution
and exhibition, it is certainly permissible
to discuss with studios the extent to which the
relevant rights are already “fully cleared” so that
no PRO fees should be payable for that content.
Securing detailed information about how much
music within movies is actually vulnerable to a
valid PRO claim will be a useful tool in reducing
overall payments.
Accessibility
1 Cinema owners have long provided innovative
services to disabled guests on a voluntary
basis, and we encourage exhibitors to continue to
implement independent solutions that increase
access to guests.
2 Historically, voluntary solutions adopted
by exhibitors make government intervention and
regulation unnecessary.
3 In cases where the government chooses to act,
government processes to reform or adopt accessibility
laws should involve exhibition representatives
and the input of individuals with disabilities.
4 Cinema owners and moviegoers both benefit
from government standards with dynamic and
flexible mandates, including size of exhibitor where
appropriate, rather than static requirements that
hamper technological innovation and impose
burdensome costs.
5 Technologists and distributors creating accessibility
solutions should seek the input of exhibitors
to ensure that these solutions are compatible,
interoperable, complimentary, and affordable.
6 We encourage our distribution partners to
continue to provide accessibility tracks on all motion
pictures and trailers.
7 We encourage our distribution partners to
notify theatre operators of a film’s accessibility files
sufficiently in advance of a film’s release to allow
theatre owners to advertise this information when
ticket presales begin. n
18 BOXOFFICE ® JUNE 2018