66
votes
Accepted
Why is there a disclaimer about not accepting money from tobacco companies at the end of movies?
According to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, 1998, tobacco companies cannot pay for tobacco brand placement in movies.
Additionally, there is a history of litigation for “negligent ...
- 8,522
22
votes
Accepted
Why is the video game footage "re-created" (badly) in the AVGN movie?
This was never done in the normal episodes, so why in the movie?
As you suspected, it's for legal reasons.
Why is it different because it's a movie? I couldn't think of any more "fair" use ...
- 22k
15
votes
Accepted
How is Return to the Blue Lagoon legal if Milla Jovovich was 15 when it was shot?
It was not unlawful. First of all, child pornography is illegal, but child nudity is not. A nudist family may have images of their children, nude, and it is not considered pornography nor is in in ...
- 266
14
votes
Can they make a digital copy of Lance Reddick for the "Continental" TV series?
Can it be done?
Yes.
It would be much easier if he had recently posed for a photogrammetry, 3D scanning session…
This takes under 30 seconds to do, with >200 individual stills cameras, but idk how ...
- 53k
13
votes
Accepted
What would happen if a show would remove its disclaimer?
That disclaimer -- at least the real version you usually see at the end of movies -- is called the all persons fictitious disclaimer. (The one that South Park uses is slightly different, see below.)
...
- 35.5k
12
votes
Accepted
Are trailers copyrighted or not?
Yes, essentially all produced art is copyrighted simply by being created.
Is it fair use? I am not a lawyer, but in the US "fair use" covers typically low fidelity reproduction for the ...
- 4,135
10
votes
Why is there a disclaimer about not accepting money from tobacco companies at the end of movies?
From Warner Bros' website, it appears to be their policy not to do so. For what it's worth, Universal have a similar policy.
As for why they place the notice at the end of movies? A cynical view ...
- 217
8
votes
Accepted
Why MPAA warning also present in 80s movies?
Piracy started before internet sharing, in the vhs underground market, stolen film etc.
William Friedkin in his autobiography talk about some cinema that had "The exorcist" without buying it by ...
- 96
7
votes
Did American Pie have to license the name from Don McLean?
Maybe. We don't know the details but according to a press release:
Singer-songwriter Don McLean, whose song "American Pie" is among the most popular in pop music history, issued a statement today ...
- 67.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Do actors get paid if their digital image is used in a movie?
the tl;dr is that it's complicated. A lot of it depends on preexisting contracts and legislation, but a lot of laws are lagging behind the advancements being made in technology. Some studios and ...
- 33.5k
6
votes
Can they make a digital copy of Lance Reddick for the "Continental" TV series?
Just adding a cent to what Tetsujin has said:
And, largely what he has described is traditionally done in post production.
But what if all of that was done before, prepped, and then applied to a body/...
- 8,052
6
votes
Accepted
Reason for the uncommon German license plates in "Hanna"
This is specifically for German legal reasons detailed here at the wiki
There is not an English language version of the article, and my translating skills aren't the best,
However the main reason(s)...
- 4,879
6
votes
Are trailers copyrighted or not?
Yes, they are copyrighted. The precedent-setting case was filed by the Walt Disney company, so you should definitely get their permission first.
See Trailers are not ‘fair use’ of movie copyrights
On ...
- 1,582
5
votes
Accepted
Were there any legal issues due to McDonald's references?
Update related to first question, from Wikipedia's "defamation" entry:
For McDonalds to have a claim, McDonalds would have to be able to prove it was damaged by the statements. And to the extent the ...
- 23.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Is it legal to show kids reaching orgasm with clothes on?
In the US, at least, the law is reasonably clear. Child pornography, which is unlawful, is defined as
any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor
Sexually explicit conduct ...
- 2,008
4
votes
Fiction disclaimers on Non-Fiction movies
It's not a non-fiction film. From the IMDb page:
A very realistic interpretation of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.
It is a fictionalization of the actual events.
Nearly all - ...
- 26.4k
4
votes
How is Return to the Blue Lagoon legal if Milla Jovovich was 15 when it was shot?
Nudity is not, in itself, pornography.
If only one person is present in a scene (a photo, a film set, whatever) you ordinarily do not have pornography, as it generally requires the presence of two or ...
- 1,172
4
votes
Accepted
What happened to the lawsuit over Django Unchained?
The case is still going on.
The latest order was on July 7, 2016. The order granted "Consent Motion for Extension of Time to Answer" by the defendants (Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.)
Here is ...
- 5,573
3
votes
Are TV Producers and Youtubers allowed to use Hidden Cameras without consent?
I'm not a lawyer but have looked into the laws regarding photography and video recording in the US. (This is not legal advice, etc. etc.)
In the United States the laws vary by state and possibly ...
- 5,182
3
votes
Accepted
Were the Jokers (Impractical Jokers) fined for tearing money?
As far as I know, there were no legal consequences for the Jokers destroying that money. It's unlikely they even did anything illegal, and even if they did, nothing worth the federal government ...
- 35.5k
2
votes
Why is it Okay for movies / TV shows, to show that their story is based on real events when it is actually not?
I believe that these statements, used as potential advertising in order to sell a product (the show), are in violation of FTC regulation as per: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-...
- 45
2
votes
Accepted
Was Rachel Zane talking about a poison pill?
Yes, the target of the acquisition had a poison pill in place to discourage a takeover.
A buyout is an attempt to acquire a controlling share (>50%) of a company. If the other stockholders do not ...
- 7,357
1
vote
When can companies (or other entities) be directly referenced?
In my opinion...
I always start like that, as it helps keep the lawyers off my back. :-)
In 1933, Twentieth Century Fox lost a landmark lawsuit in America, when they released a movie which ...
- 1,172
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