Independent Film Producers Sue MPAA Over Screener Ban
from the trickle-down dept
The latest in the increasingly long saga about Jack Valenti's decision to ban DVD screeners for awards show (which was later slightly modified), is that a group of companies that produce independent films are now suing the MPAA over the ban. The argument they make is that in banning the screeners, it will be harder for independent films to win awards. As such, it will be even more difficult for independent films to raise money to make films... thus impacting their business. Take all that, and the group claims that the MPAA is trying to monopolize the film industry and block out the independent film makers. The lawsuit also points out that the ban is unfair in that it treats all movies the same - even though it's the big popular films that are at a higher risk of being uploaded to the internet. However, the independent film companies have been told they won't get distribution if they defy the screener ban.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
And now MPAA/RIAA wants anti-trust protection
[ link to this | view in thread ]