"TALKIE" TROUBLES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 17 July 1929, Page 8

"TALKIE" TROUBLES

COSTS TOO HIGH EXORBITANT COPYRIGHT FEES PROBLEMS FOR EXHIBITORS A host of troubles for New Zealand exhibitors have followed the advent of the "talkies" in New Zealand (writes a Wellington correspondent). When it was apparent that the talkies had cume li> stay, exhibitors were of opinion tliat the price they were being charged for wiring their theatres and talkie reproduction costs wore, too'high.. As soon as agreement was reached on that point, it was found that the Western Electric Company had made* an arrangement with by far the greater number of talkie producers in the United States that the new films, which were made under the Western Electric system, would not be released in any theatres where the reproducing apparatus was inferior to the Western Electric Company** own. The company, it is stated, was made the judge of the standard of the apparatus. This caused much tumble, but a settlement was arrived at onlv a week or so ag«. Now. to their consternation, exhibitors find that'the Western Electric Company is purchasing for cash the rights of reproduction of musio used on the films, and proposes to charge an extra fee for this. . . In existing circumstances, exhibitors pay a set fee to the International Copyright Association to cover musical performances at theatres, this fee being calculated at a rate of so much per 100 seats. The newest, development means that an exhibitor may he placed in tho extraordinary position of having taken a film and being unable to screen it because, though ho has tho film, ho has not the right to the "talkie" part of it without payment of an extra fee. It is stated that New Zealand exhibitors consider the fees being asked much too high. A conference has been called in Wellington, and the New Zealand Exhibitors' Association, representing over 90 per cent, of the motion picture exhibitors of the country, will meet there this week. The association intends to approach the Government to ask for legislation on the same lines as the Copyrights Act of last Parliament. This .Act limited the fee which would be paid bv the Radio Broadcasting Company for the performance of copyright music, and an Act of similar nature with reference to the talkies is desired.