How to Open a "Movie Cafe"?

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Posted by Cliff on Tuesday October 22, 2002 @12:11PM from the new-ideas-in-entertainment dept.

tunari asks: "Here in my neck of the woods (Cochabamba, Bolivia) there are hundreds of Internet cafes and Nintendo salons, where you can rent games by the hour. I would like to open a movie salon. I imagine a central CD/DVD jukebox and either dumb terminals or, if possible, TVs. Users would need basic control over playback, and, if possible, some automated way to request new titles. Cost is a big issue, as we will probably be charging less than a dollar per hour. What are some of the ways we could set this up?"

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Re:Biggest cost by quintessent · 2002-10-22 12:53 · Score: 3, Insightful

Then again, these will probably be the biggest costs:

1) Cost of fines after judge awards huge sum to the MPAA because you used technology to provide a new service to customers without their blessing.

2) Cost of attorneys.

MP3.com was fined exhorbitant amounts for letting people listen to their own music.

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Wait a minute by Samus · 2002-10-22 13:29 · Score: 4, Insightful

Hey guys I don't think this guy has too bad of an idea. He is essentially opening up a video store where the movie is returned within hours instead of days. The turn around time is great. The biggest problem would be real estate and infrastructure. I think you would need at least 20 - 30 rooms to fill possible demand. Each room could seat say 8 people and there would be some kind of terminal to order food and what not. You would also have to install cameras to keep people from leaving nasty stains on the couches too. Still if the facilities were nice enough I think I would catch a flick or two at my own private theater/resturaunt.

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In Republican America phones tap you.
1. Re:Wait a minute by karnal · 2002-10-22 15:40 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  We had this in a little po-dunk city back home. Basically, they'd rent out a room with a tv, and vcr, and also sell snacks.
  
  What they did finally get closed down for was that they'd copy all of the first run movies, to make more of a profit... This was back when the initial run VHS copies were 100$ or more, IIRC.... Renting a copy is a no-no, and I'm not sure where "servers" would stand, unless you had a copy (i.e. a license) for each movie used. Would probably have to keep a pretty good journal....
  
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  Karnal
Re:Biggest cost by Anonymous Coward · 2002-10-22 13:39 · Score: 3, Insightful

(Cochabamba, Bolivia)
does the fbi have jursidiction?
Re:Biggest cost by leviramsey · 2002-10-22 19:07 · Score: 3, Insightful

What about going at it from the other angle? Have a free library of movies available. Movies can not be removed from the library, similar to how libraries do not allow certain books to be taken home. The cafe would charge for use of the movie viewing equipment.

That doesn't get around it. The law's position (at least as interpreted by the courts) has essentially been that any time money changes hands and a movie plays more than an incidental part in the transaction constitutes sale of a viewing of a movie with the accompanying requirement of a license. Video stores do have to receive licenses from the studios to play movies at the store (though such licenses are generally part of the license to rent the film, as the studios have found that having the video playing in the store helps the rental revenue).