Year book of motion pictures (1951)

the gradual development of a voluntary method of title registration in a central agency by the members of the Association. The present procedure for the registration of titles was established by the Association in 1936 for its members and such non-member producing and distributing companies as desire to use the service. In all the years the title registration service has been operating few companies once using the registration service for its titles have ever requested it be discontinued for them. Now 168 motion picture companies use the services of Title Registration Bureau, submitting for registration an aggregate average of 4,000 titles a year. Each company using the Bureau receives a daily report of all title registrations. The registration of motion picture titles to prevent duplication and harmful similarities serves a dual purpose: first, it enables the theater going public to readily identify the motion pictures it wants to see without confusion or misleading similarity between titles; and second, it protects the valuable titles of published books and plays acquired for motion picture production, and original titles with popular appeal, against the use of identical or unfairly similar titles by any producer or distributor that is a party to the title registration voluntary agreement. By such agreement each participating company undertakes to refrain from using such registered title until the prior registration is terminated or otherwise released for use. Titles that are considered to be salacious, indecent, obscene or otherwise offensive are not accepted for registration. Differences of opinion on similarities and other title controversies are adjusted first by direct negotiation and discussion between the regfistrants in\ohed, but may be referred to the Association for possible mediation. If this fails to adjust the dispute it is then referred to arbitration for a final decision. In the past year 516 formal protests were filed with the Bureau against the registration of titles deemed to be too similar to a title already registered. All but 12 of these protests were adjusted by friendly negotiation between the companies and by mutual agreement without resorting to an arbitration of the dispute. By agreement the producers and distribu CONSERVATION THIS department of the Association was organized primarilv for maintaining adequate fire and personnel safety in domestic film exchange operation. In recent vears, its functions have been steadilv expanding. They now include the supervision of logistical problems that occur in the distribution of films to the nation's theaters and providing technical services that pertain to the servicing, handling and storage of films, particularly of original negative material and film subjects archival in character. tors who participate in title registration limit the number of original titles which any company may have in registration at one time, so that an unreasonable number of titles will not be reserved indefinitely but not used on a produced picture. Of course as the pictures jre produced and released the titles are taken off the "priority registration" and placed on the release index or list of produced motion pictures. Whenever movies are produced under titles based on a copyrighted work, such titles are automatically placed on a permanently protected list. In addition to these, any studio may ask permanent protection for up to 250 original titles. Beyond these, all titles registered and used for released pictures are protected for a four-year period. During the period of such protection, no other company may use the title unless it obtains clearance from the prior registrant. Titles of pictures intended for production are granted indefinite protection if affixed to copyrighted material. Otherwise, if in an original title classification, a one-year period of protection is afforded. Each registrant is limited to one hundred original feature titles and 200 original short-subject titles at any one time. If an original title is not used within the year and the registrant cannot show evidence of intention to produce the subject within the succeeding six months, the title becomes available to any other company which has expressed interest in the identical title. The indexes of titles of motion pictures produced and released by member companies keeps growing every year. In 1937 there were 36.000 titles of feature pictures and short subjects registered on the release index, today there are over 50,000 titles registered, and the index file used to call attention to similarities with titles previously registered, based upon the use of key words, now has over 150.000 cards in it. For those companies who do not register titles with the Bureau, titles are considered and approved for suitability in connection with the Code of Production Standards. Last year 188 titles were thus approved, and since 1937 over 4,529 such titles have been considered bv the Bureau for use on pictures that have received Code approval. DEPARTMENT The conservation safety program, developed along self-regulatorv lines, again demonstrated its worth to .Association members in that no reportable fire loss occurred during 1950 in any domestic film exchange. In fact, a perfect record has been maintained for the past five years. Close adherence to the conservation plan prescriptions by Association members has resulted in a steadily descending annual fire loss record with the result that it now averages less than $200 per annum for the period 1926 to date.