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thebitterguy

Torontoist article on NBC cancelling the Fox screening of Battlestar Galactica finale

On the phone they said something like, 'this isn't about being nice.'"

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thebitterguy and

toronto

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From:

saltedlithium.livejournal.com

Sorry dude, I know how much you were looking forward to seeing Tricia Helfer dry hump someone for the last time. I didn't like the whole "copyright law is bad when we want stuff" angle in the Torontoist piece though.

"While the whole thing seems like an open-and-shut case of copyright law gone insane..."

The person with the copyright gets to decide where and when their work is played, just because some executive says "well... maybe" doesn't make things so. There should have been a written contract from the beginning.

There's not really a whole lot more on, is there? Buffy, Angel, Farscape, Firefly, BSG... I don't think we'll have that good a run for a while. What are you watching now?

From:

noizangel.livejournal.com

I wanted written permission, and went through about five people to get it, only to be deferred with the answer in the article. The guys at the Fox took that on good faith.

I went to Space, first and foremost - and they were very interested in it, perhaps thinking they could do the Fandom Forum special there. Space sent me up the chain to NBCU, and I spoke to their rep by phone and clarified each point: a public screening, with ticket sales going to charity. If there's anyone at fault, it's me for getting the guys to do this, and for not getting the Fox directly in touch with my contact.

They have every right to say where and when their show can be screened, but the fact is there's a party on St. Clair West that hasn't been threatened with legal action. There's theatres in Portland and Austin showing it. They have every right, but it's unfair and it just penalizes their fans.

Now we have a cancelled screening and Space is sending one of their on-air people to cover the public (and therefore illegal) screening in Vancouver.

I hope I don't sound pissed - I'm just sort of crushed. I just wanted to see it in a theatre and help a good cause, and I did everything I could to ensure it was kosher. And still.

From:

thebitterguy

I guess that guy who said to get forgiveness, not permission had a point.

From:

jeffreyab.livejournal.com

From what I have read it is impossible to do public screenings of television shows because their production contracts are not set up for it.

Similar to the reasons that television shows like WKRP and Frank's Place have to obtain all the rights for the music in them or cut the music out of syndication and DVD's.

From:

thebitterguy

Right now not much. I watch mostly sitcoms (How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Little Mosque). Heroes is apparently still on, but that just invovled more and more disappointment.

And Terminator just got less enjoyable with every episode.