Schools, clubs filmshows: Umbrella licence now available

Representing over 400 producers and distributors from major Hollywood studios and independent producers across the globe, it is now available in South Africa.

Reportedly for the first time in South Africa, people who want to show motion pictures where the general, non-paying public can view them, do not have to track down and negotiate with a multitude of copyright holders around the world for authorisation to screen each film.

Sulona Reddy, GM of the MPLC, says without such an umbrella licence, people have to approach each studio or copyright holder individually and enter into a contract to exhibit a film in public. "This is time-consuming and costly, especially considering that in most cases, the rights holders are based in other countries. By negotiating agreements with all the major studios and producers in over 40 countries, the company saves the licensee the burden of dealing with each individual title holder. With the umbrella license, they fill in a simple application form, send a single payment and renew annually."

Supporting legal access

It is said to support legal access to motion pictures in more than 20 countries on five continents.

"It offers access to Hollywood studios and independent film makers. It licences more than 450 000 locations worldwide. These include multi-national companies, non-profit organisations, government departments, schools, prisons, private clubs, health care facilities, coaches and libraries."

MPLC South Africa is signing up local producers and content owners who stand to earn revenue from the public performance of their productions, both locally and internationally.

According to Reddy most people are unaware that they are violating the law by screening films in public without the appropriate permission. "We offer a simple, affordable way to comply with the law and compensate the creative community fairly. The long term survival of the film and television industry depends on a culture of compliance."

Combatting piracy

In South Africa, the company works closely with industry stakeholders such as the South African Federation Against Copyright Theft (SAFACT) and the Copyright and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC).

SAFACT CEO, Corné Guldenpfennig, says the company combats piracy on behalf of its members, including the major American film production companies and their subsidiaries, represented by the Motion Picture Association.

"We look forward to working with the MPLC to grow a culture of protecting intellectual property in South Africa. With its assistance, we can intensify our war against the screening, releasing and selling of unauthorised products. Joining forces means a more coordinated approach, which is also what government is looking for, rather than dealing with a fragmented industry."

Reddy says the MPLC offers a vital service to local businesses and organisations. "Public performance licensing is a critical link in the film industry value chain and we can now ensure that copyright holders obtain the revenue that is rightfully due to them."

For more, go to www.mplcsa.org.