On The Legality of Public Viewing?

bobej1977 asks: "I'm looking into opening a technology-centric cafe/bar, and am wondering about the legality of showing different types of media in the cafe. Specifically, I'm interested in using a PVR to build a library of popular television shows (Futurama, Simpsons, Enterprise, etc) and making it available to patrons of the cafe. Many establishments show live sports events or even popular shows but where exactly is the legal-line that a business shouldn't cross? While I'm at it, what about showing DVDs in the cafe? While I'm sure that doing so is prohibited, would it be tolerated since I wouldn't be charging to watch them? The precedent I'm thinking of is that some electronics or video rental stores that show movies, in the store. If not, what kind of arrangements could be made to get permission, if I'd like to have a LOTR-a-thon?"

Comments

How many times do we have to say IANAL?

[Anonymous Coward]

SLASHDOT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL ADVICE.

Get a lawyer. It's cheaper to do it right the first time than get your pants sued off and lose your business.

Re:Read carefully the FBI warning at the beginning

[greenhide]

IANAL, but I don't think this is the case. I say this because my local school system actually got in trouble with Disney because it played a Disney animated video on the bus during a field trip. Apparently, that video had was not a version that was "licensed" for public viewing, and thus was an infringment. I don't think it matters *why* you are making a video available for public viewing -- only *that* you are doing it. If public schools have to get special licenses to show videos, I'll bet you do too.

You're screwed

[twoflower]

Legally, you need to license the public performance rights for any program you want to show. This is really, really simple -- talk to a lawyer.

Ask a lawyer, not a bunch of Linux geeks

[CaptainStormfield]

You wouldn't trust your lawyer to write some software for you; why would you trust a bunch of programmers/geeks to give you good legal advice? Remember, you are betting your financial well-being on the answer.

Re:Ask a lawyer, not a bunch of Linux geeks

[nathanh]

You wouldn't trust your lawyer to write some software for you; why would you trust a bunch of programmers/geeks to give you good legal advice?

For many reasons:

• Slashdot isn't entirely populated by geeks and programmers; there are real lawyers (or so they claim) who read and post on Slashdot.
• Other geeks might have done this before so he's intelligently asking for some pointers on where to start. Lawyers aren't the sole source for that sort of information.
• The answer might be really simple, eg FILL OUT FORM 1209127 AT RIAA DEPT 2387. You don't need paid legal advice to tell you that.

Time for the rant... I'm getting really sick of people like you who leap at EVERY opportunity to say IANAL or HINAL or SINAL. No fucking shit. Do you think people are so retarded that they're not going to know this already? The fact is, if people like you had their way then Ask Slashdot would be nothing but questions about computers. Some of us have hobbies outside of a computer screen. Some of us do know other stuff. Slashdot is News for Nerds, not News for Computer Nerds. I'm fricking sick of you nitwits assuming that everybody else is as dull as you are. If you don't have any valuable input then SHUT THE FUCK UP.

Slashdot *can* be useful

[Anonymous Coward]

There are reasons to ask Slashdot *and* a lawyer:

1) Some lawyers are better than others. Yours might suck.

2) To find one fully versed in technology law is difficult or expensive. You might be 'po

3) lawyers are human (or humanoid at least), and they can use input into the creative process of saving you from the evil megacorp or slimeball patenter. Some of the comments might have novel suggestions.

It's one thing to say that they should ALSO have a lawyer and take the comments with a grain of salt. It's another thing to say they shouldn't ask at all.