Is the sale of Movie Posters Illegal???
Massmoneyinc
picture posters is illegal in general, not just on ebay. For instance, the
people online that obviously must work at theaters and get all of the
promotional items that they do. Please e-mail with replies. Thanks!!
LeftCoast C.C.
> picture posters is illegal in general, not just on ebay.
It is not illegal.
--
"This administration is doing everything we can to end the stalemate in an
efficient way. We're making the right decisions to bring the solution to an
end."-- President GW Bush, Washington, D.C., April 10, 2001
"Massmoneyinc" <massmo...@cs.com> wrote in message
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The Dave
LeftCoast C.C. wrote in message ...
Ridwan Hughes
<t%6C6.339$Te2....@news-west.eli.net>...
> Does eBay not allow this?
I've bought a couple of movie advertising related "NOT FOR RESALE" stamped
items through eBay without trouble.
--
Rid
LeftCoast C.C.
Sure hope so! I just paid for an auction where I bought a movie poster
featuring a hometown local who's made it fairly big in Hollywood. My stupid
photography dept. lost the photo they ran with my 2-year-old story, but a
woman on eBay was selling the poster featuring the EXACT studio art we used
with the article. So I can scan it, reduce it and add it nicely to my clip
files :)
--
"I think we're making progress. We understand where the power of this
country lay. It lays in the hearts and souls of Americans. It must lay in
our pocketbooks. It lays in the willingness for people to work hard. But as
importantly, it lays in the fact that we've got citizens from all walks of
life, all political parties, that are willing to say, I want to love my
neighbor. I want to make somebody's life just a little bit better."-- our
president, Concord Middle School, Concord, N.C., April 11, 2001
"The Dave" <thed...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Astroboy
wrote:
So many movie ushers are selling posters on ebay now that most of the
recent stuff has no value. Old posters are often sold for high prices
at legit auction houses, many for thousands of dollars each.
There is really NO movie memorabilia that is "illegal". Movie
previews, even copies of the movies themselves are legal but the movie
companies are adamantine about prohibiting the market in these items.
They were too late to stop posters but they activily harrasse sellers
of other items, particularly anything on actual 35mm film, press kits,
screening tapes etc. And so ebay doesnt want this type of item posted
and will probably end your auction if you post it. Believe me, I know.
When ebay says an item is "unlawful to sell" they sometimes mean
"according to what a big company feels the law should be".
Astroboy
What people often fail to realise is that just because somebody
stamps or prints something on an item, it doesnt mean they can enforce
it. What if you wrote "not for resale" on your car; would that mean it
couldnt ever be sold again? These items are covered by the "First
sale doctrine" which basically states that if you can buy it, you can
sell it. It usually applies to stuff you are given, free of charge.
Since most advertising material is sent to theaters unsolicited, and
eventually thrown away, its tough to make a claim that the recipient
promised not to resell it or throw it away. If you find it in the junk
certain salvage laws apply. Movie companies do an end run around the
law by approaching the case from a civil position. They threaten to
sue the seller and that usually scares them off.
LeftCoast C.C.
No, but there ought to be :)
--
"I think we're making progress. We understand where the power of this
country lay. It lays in the hearts and souls of Americans. It must lay in
our pocketbooks. It lays in the willingness for people to work hard. But as
importantly, it lays in the fact that we've got citizens from all walks of
life, all political parties, that are willing to say, I want to love my
neighbor. I want to make somebody's life just a little bit better."-- our
president, Concord Middle School, Concord, N.C., April 11, 2001
"Astroboy" <astr...@nospam.com> wrote in message
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Ridwan Hughes
<n1ljdt80a0f9u7gar...@4ax.com>...
[snip interesting info]
> Movie companies do an end run around the
> law by approaching the case from a civil position. They threaten to
> sue the seller and that usually scares them off.
Has anyone to date challenged movie companies on this? to me it would seem
like bad publicity if a movie company tries to clamp down on general
cinema-only related advertisment selling.
--
Rid
The Dave
>> There is really NO movie memorabilia that is "illegal".
>
>No, but there ought to be :)
Why?
Ridwan Hughes
Well for starters Titanic movie memorabilia should be made illegal, so
should Celine Dion for that matter!
--
Rid
LeftCoast C.C.
> >
> >No, but there ought to be :)
Because some of it is really crappy!
--
"Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." -- Gov.
GW Bush, LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
"The Dave" <thed...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
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Astroboy
Some people did back in the late 70's/early 80's when the movie
companies got the FBI to "interview" just about anybody who collected
films, with the obvious intention of scaring the hell out of them. A
few collectors refused to knuckle under, turn over their films, plead
guilty, whatever and I think in most cases the charges, if any, were
just dropped. By then, the people were so happy to be left alone it
was never carried further.
You realise, the term "pirate" which is so often applied to software,
books, music, etc started with the collecting of movies back then and
at that time, copying films was rare. Most collectors obtained
cast-off prints, usually from the movie company trash can. Prints were
discarded as not needed, not because they were damaged or worn
out.This material was usually sold legally as scrap. Later, when the
movie companies found out what the buyer did with the film, collect
them, they went ballistic and claimed all the film had been somehow
stolen, tons of it. Even tho collecting seldom had any relation to
robbery or theft, the term stuck and is now applied far more widely
than anybody thought possible.
The Dave
anybody's hands. ;>)~
Ridwan Hughes wrote