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countries tc bar films which are considered objectionable, on protest by a friendly country or vice versa. However, Estonia adheres to the convention for facilitating internation?! circulation of motion-picture films of an educative character which was concluded at Geneva cn October 11, 1933. This convention was ratified by Estonia by a law issued by the President-Regent as a decree on March 30, 1938, and published in the "Riigi Teataja" (Official Gazette) No. 37 of April 14, 1938. This law contains a declaration to the effect that while adhering to the Convention, referred to above, Estonia reserves to itself the freedom to make use of such import restrictions and prohibitive measures as it may deem proper in order to protect the domestic market from being flooded by films of foreign origin.
COMPETITION
German fi]m productions are the largest competitors of American screen plays in the Estonian market. During the 12 months ended March 31, 1938, German screen plays censored for release in Estonia represented 23.53 percent by number and 34 percent by length of the total censored films.
Fiscal Periods | ! Films Released for screen in Estonia
April 1 to I Total | American ^ German |_A1] others
March_31 [ number ] Number ] Percent | Number j Percent ] Number | Percent
1932 33 1 516 1 255 \ 49 \ 205 | 40 j 56 | 11
1933 34 1 539 \ 322 1 60 1 138 j 26 j 79 1 14
1934 35 1 719 1 467 \ 65 1 146 1 20 \ 106 1 15
1935 36 I 892 1 237 ] 27 1 345 j 39 j 310 1 34
1936 37 1 810 1 264 1 33 | 235 j 29 j 311 1 38
1937 38 I 939 1 293 j 31 \ 221 j 23 | 435 ] 46
During the 12-months period ended March 31, 1938, American film productions represented 31.20 percent by number and 35.56 percent by length of the total films censored for release in Estonia. In the preceding fiscal year American films represented a share of 33 percent by number, in the tctal. The highest share which American film productions enjoyed in the total number of all screen releases in Estonia was recorded at 65 percent for the fiscal year 1934-35.
American screen plays are well received in Estonia. The best-liked American films in the original English are those portraying phases of American life in the form of good musical features, farces, and melodramas. It is believed that during 1938 only about 15 percent of the foreign film productions reaching Estonia were destined for reproduction only in Estonia. The others were intended chiefly for all three of the Baltic States. Since only news reels are produced locally, all feature films have to be imported.
COPYRIGHT RELATIONS
Copyrights are observed, and foreign producers are protected from piracy in Estonia under the terras of the Bern Union.
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