Selling a 35mm theater print? That's gotta be illegal right?

[Through the Stones]

So I'm trolling one of my favorite websites and someone is trying to sell an original 35mm print of Beauty and the Beast... someone tell me this is illegal because I can't image Disney being to pleased with a multi thousand dollar film print being sold.  I also can't imagine this kid isn't being looked for by the theater he probably quit and stole it from.  Those suckers aren't light.

When I managed for Kerasotas and Mann we would grab trailers but even then, distribution companies would request that a film be out of theaters before trying to sell them on eBay.  What do you all think?  Can you legitimately own a print like that?

[paul waines]

It's a grey area, I'm sure Mel will know the full legalities of it, but You can own a print of a film. However you don't own the copyright. It is possible to buy 35mm prints from distributors, but you aren't aloud to give a public performance of it.
It's the same with 16mm over here, but the U.S. is more forgiving with regards to that format.

[Through the Stones]

That's crazy.  I heard back from the guy and he said it was given to him from his theater when they switched over to digital projection.  It just doesn't feel right.  I mean, I was projectionist and manager for a few years and if we even had damaged reel we were required to send them back.  I know they don't just store thousands of prints of a single title, they usually get recycled for the silver in the emulsion but even if they switched to digital, those distributors probably wanted their prints back for copyright protection and stuff right?  Somewhere along the lines, his theater company paid for that print and his just walking off with it just seems like theft even if it was given to him.  Anyhow, he wants $1000 for it or trade for something valuable.  Also, part of reel 5 is missing so you don't even get the whole thing.

[stewart boyle]

I can`t think of a good reason why a print of BATB would still be on the premises during a digital refit..
The rental money of the print would be $$$$$$$.

Stew

[erik1925]

So I'm trolling one of my favorite websites and someone is trying to sell an original 35mm print of Beauty and the Beast... someone tell me this is illegal because I can't image Disney being to pleased with a multi thousand dollar film print being sold.  I also can't imagine this kid isn't being looked for by the theater he probably quit and stole it from.  Those suckers aren't light.

When I managed for Kerasotas and Mann we would grab trailers but even then, distribution companies would request that a film be out of theaters before trying to sell them on eBay.  What do you all think?  Can you legitimately own a print like that?

Get in touch with Ed Poole from LAMP (http://www.learnaboutmovieposters.com/). If anyone would know for certain, it would be he. He has been researching and writing about copyright issues for posters and the like, for decades.

[paul waines]

The films that were re-cycled for the silver were old nitrate prints, Celluloid, and Polyester stock doesn't have silver in. The problem is, you can own the print, but technically if the studio wants it back it is theirs (unless you can prove it was bought through the distributor)  . It's only a crime if you have stolen it, or are showing it publicly.

It is a very grey area, I have several T.V. episodes that the BBC want back and have been threatened by several people that they will take action, but as of yet nothing has come of it. So it's more complicated than you would think. On the whole I find 35mm a lot cheaper than 16mm to buy film prints of, as not many want to take the chance with 35mm, or don't have the room to set up a 35mm projector...  

[Louie D.]

It's legal.

[archie leach]

Yeah, most of these 'fell off of a truck' somewhere along the lines. I also know people that would dumpster dive at the local NSS office and cobble together full prints from non-major studio releases. NSS would pull one reel from each print and throw them away separately, making it very difficult to get a full print.

Also, I have a few slightly damaged replacement reels that were never picked up by the studios. Most felt it not worth the bother.

A friend of mine bought, and then re-sold, well over 100 35mm films, including the Star Wars trilogy, most of the Treks, The Princess Bride, Back to the Future, The Terminator, Aliens, Tron, The Dark Knight, Point Break, Titanic, The Last Star Fighter, Night of the Comet, The Sure Thing, Closer, Transformers, Match Point...

Anything handled by Technicolor post-NSS (late '90s on) is very hard to get a hold of, while for Disney it is nearly impossible. 

[Through the Stones]

Wow, you learn something new everyday!  It's funny when you mention setting up a 35mm projector cause those things are massive and require major power to operate, the xenon bulbs in even a medium size theater is 5000 to 6000 watts so your talking at least 50 to 60 amps.  However, back in the Mann theater days, the company fired a projectionist because he was stealing parts with the grand design of building his own at home... kinda like that old Johnny Cash song about stealing enough car parts to make a car.   

[jayn_j]

Wow, you learn something new everyday!  It's funny when you mention setting up a 35mm projector cause those things are massive and require major power to operate, the xenon bulbs in even a medium size theater is 5000 to 6000 watts so your talking at least 50 to 60 amps.  However, back in the Mann theater days, the company fired a projectionist because he was stealing parts with the grand design of building his own at home... kinda like that old Johnny Cash song about stealing enough car parts to make a car.  

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