From Deseret News archives:
CleanFlicks plans to appeal ruling
The legal battle over editing movies to remove nudity, harsh language and other elements included 16 prominent directors, including Steven Spielberg and Robert Redford, and entertainment studios such as Disney, Sony, Universal, Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox. They filed suit in 2002 against companies mostly in Utah that edit DVD and VHS tapes for content.
"We're disappointed," CleanFlicks CEO Ray Lines said. "This is a typical case of David vs. Goliath, but in this case, Hollywood rewrote the ending. We're going to continue to fight."
U.S. District Judge Richard P. Matsch issued his decision Thursday, ending a three-year court battle. In his 16-page ruling, Matsch said cutting language, sex and violence causes "irreparable injury to the creative artistic expression in the copyrighted movies" and referred to the businesses as "illegitimate."
Unless an appeal is filed, those named in the suit, Utah-based CleanFlicks, CleanFilms and Family Flix USA and Arizona-based Play It Clean Video, must stop "producing, manufacturing, creating, designing, selling, renting" edited movies.
The judge also ordered the businesses to turn over their inventory to the movie studios within five days of the ruling.
"Having CleanFlicks shut down and the corporation shut down would destroy CleanFlicks," said Daniel Thompson, owner of the four CleanFlicks shops in Utah County. "I think it's ridiculous that you can't watch a movie without seeing sex, nudity or extreme violence. I don't understand why they're trying to keep that in there."
CleanFlicks and Family Flix USA are movie distributors that buy DVDs, edit them and burn the revamped version onto a blank disc. Those are then sold over the Internet to video stores such as CleanFilms and Play It Clean Video. They also are sold for use by airlines and network television.
Distributors of the purged movies say viewers, especially those with children, enjoy watching movies without questionable nudity and gory violence. But in his ruling, Matsch said that argument is inconsequential to copyright law.
Recent comments
I wish the studios would wise up and produce two versions of the...
Lynne | Nov. 23, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.
It's utterly appalling. I see where they're coming from, they want to...
Lee | May 24, 2008 at 5:59 p.m.
I agree that there's a large market for edited films in this country...
Darek | April 25, 2008 at 4:13 p.m.
- Madoff's yacht on auction block 10:23 a.m.
- Report: OSHA needs to improve 10:21 a.m.
- GM reports $1.2B loss 10:20 a.m.
- Bacall, 2 others receive early Oscars 10:16 a.m.
- '2012' has box-office bang of $225M 10:13 a.m.
- Cox ready to shriek in 'Scream 4' 10:11 a.m.
- 'Hair' opens London with B'way cast 10:10 a.m.
- 'Twilight' part of heartthrob history 10:08 a.m.
- Gershwin award going to McCartney 10:06 a.m.
- USAF expects UAE role to continue 10:00 a.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- MWC expand? Get rid of deadweight
- TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
- Bennett at center of GOP storm
- Win in New Mexico good for Y?
- BYU happy to escape with victory
- Relieved Cougs prep for Falcons
- TCU creams U.
- Jazz rookies had to grow up quickly
- Wounded Utes limp home
- BYU happy to escape with victory
231 - TCU creams U.
230 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
208 - Will state consider gay rights law?
151 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
131 - RSL heads to MLS title game
130 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - TCU stays 4th in AP; Y. 19th, U. 23rd
105 - Celtics crush Jazz
104 - 3A: Hurricane advances to title game
89
Sears is holding a special VIP night Sunday, Nov. 15, in stores and online.
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
Maybe you'll win in another 6 years...LOL!!!
Give me a break. This girl is probably going to end up in the media in a year...
Downtown SLC doesn't have a feel of friendliness anymore. It's like they're...
All I can say is...you gotta love the USU womens basketball team and where...
You all know that if she had started preaching Islam (or had even thanked...
Are these people really offended by the name? Or is just grandstanding? Why...
The key is the source of the mysterious powers or magical arts. "Aaron"s...
To "jackhp | 9:40 a.m." how about the thousands that die or are permanently...
Does any one know what the coaching staff is doing to get Fes and Koufos...
RE --- To: Me to Mr. Ash | 8:11 a.m ["Please give us your sources of...
