I guess I'll have to tape Alan Tudyk on CSI so that I can be there.

embers | October 27, 09:10 CET

I have to ask, is this something you've organised darkling?

Simon | October 27, 12:39 CET

Not to put a red cape if front of a charging bull, but with resent events not sure this is something that you would want to put up a notice about. Unless they have gotten written permission from FOX, because showing it in public even for free can constitute a violation of Federal copyright laws. Just pause that little FBI notice at the start of the DVD. We all know how FOX and now Universal are seriously taking it copyright protection.

RavenU | October 27, 19:12 CET

RavenU, I would assume that the Parkway Speakeasy paid for the use of the show and is planning to make up the money in the sales of beer and pizza (it is a pizza parlor/movie theater, funky but very fun and comfortable). They do these sorts of things frequently so I assume they know how to do it legally.

embers | October 27, 19:21 CET

Someone may want to ask them, remember last year when someone tried to put on the play and FOX came down on them, they even were going to do it for free and were told no, or the resent conventions that recieved C&D orders becaused they advertised it, which constitutes commercial use. Unless they have the express written permission of FOX, they are not doing it legally. I figure more than likely, like other places they do it under the radar so FOX doesn't take notice, but now they might. I didn't see a link on there site stating that they have legally obtained permission from FOX to do this. With the way the resent events have gone, I worry that stuff like this will also be stopped. We all know FOX doesn't take copyright infrigiment lightly.

RavenU | October 27, 19:35 CET

For what it's worth, this show already played in New York at the IFC Center--unless someone can report something different?? When I heard about this last month, I sent a note to the Music Box Theatre in Chicago asking them to consider doing it.

Valsadie | October 27, 19:56 CET

Hi, Simon. I wish I could claim I set it up, but the Parkway did all of this, and, as embers noted, they do many special shows like this.

If you live in the Bay Area check out the Parkway. They're opening a sister theater in Emeryville in November. Most of the shows are adults only, the food is good and plentiful, beer and wine are served, and they toss troublemakers. It's always a good time.

darkling | October 27, 21:33 CET

The sister theater is not in Emeryville, it is in El Cerrito. (www.cerritospeakeasy.com)

potential | October 27, 23:18 CET

Woot! 10 minutes away! I'm goin. I don't think they can shut this down (with a good reason) because they're just showing a legally released DVD of the show, not an actual production.

Angelica | October 28, 02:23 CET

This weekend the show is in Vancouver, BC. And it's already played in Austin and Pittsburgh. So I'm thinking if it was a problem, it would have been stopped lonnnng before now.

Valsadie | October 28, 02:50 CET

Actually, FOX may not have been aware of it being shown in public, they have a lot of property to watch over. However, because of all the other C&D's floating around the verse these people may end up calling attention to themselves and others.

Also Angelica if you read the DVD FBI warning, it clearly states for home use only, another exhibition of the DVD needs writen permission to be used.

I don't want to see these things stopped but by being advertised will only call attention to it and make the FOX lawyers come down harder them and anyone else, showing it. If they have Fox blessing in writting then great, if not they could be in trouble. In light of a lot of copyright changes, it's better to cya instead of being screwed.

RavenU | October 28, 03:32 CET

It seems like these are professional movie theaters that are doing these sing-a-longs. I have assumed that they did the paperwork and paid the fees they needed to pay just like they would on all the other things they show. It is after all their business...at least it seems to be the business of the place in NYC.

newcj | October 28, 06:13 CET

Vulkon was doing the same OMWF thing as the rest of these places were doing since 2004, they didn't attract FOX's attention until this year. So just because these places are doing it doesn't mean they got the correct permission from FOX to do it. These seem like independent houses, that are doing it for fun but by advertising it on the internet they leave themselves open to the FOX suits finding them. Hopefully they got permission, all I am saying is with increasing C&D orders being sent out by FOX & Universal. We might just be seeing the beginning of a tidal wave of C&D's. Now especially since they are still marketable properties and we all know how much FOX like to Exploit that potential. They will tighten there license hold and their copyright by going after the little guy. Plus don't put it past them to see a trend as a threat to their bottom line and put a stop to it.

RavenU | October 28, 07:48 CET

How about one of these [underground] shindigs is arranged on the East Coast?

MySerenity | October 29, 07:55 CET

RavenU, this is probably before your time in its origin, but do you know what made possible the "midnight movie" phenomenon, like Rocky Horror, or more infamously Killer Tomatoes? I also seem to remember Heavy Metal, and Wizards with a lot of people showing up in costume. The owners of those films let them be shown, it seems like everywhere, and in the case of Rocky Horror often along with live performance. Do you know what their business rationale was, and if it could be recreated for TV series episodes? Did they have some way that the studio could benefit from this? And if so, why can't people who want to sing along with a TV show episode get to do it?

I do realize that things have changed since the 70's.

dreamlogic | October 29, 09:44 CET

Yes things have changed since the 1970's - such as who owns the rights to what. Not to much before my time but since then there are a lot more revenue routes since the 70's remember most of these films were released before even the invention of Betamax or VHS. Now a days, it a far different beast and the profit margin are slimmer for studios and they want to squeeze every cent they can get from what they own. Plus with resent copyright suits the laws made in the 1971 (Berne Convention) and then updated in the US in 1989 are about to undergo another update within the year. So a lot of studios are becoming even more protective of their copyrights, if they don't enforce their copyrights they stand a chance of having those rights weaken when they do try to enforce them. It's a matter of protecting future rights as well as preserving current ones.

Here is an interesting reading about :
The Legality of iCraveTV Webcasts in Canada
Intentional Inducement of Copyright Infringements Act of 2004

The one thing to concider is there is a whole different sphere of copyright for TV (OMWF) than for film (Serenity), basically developed because of bars airing sporting events.

RavenU | October 29, 22:58 CET

Damn, you're really a scholar on this issue, RavenU. I guess it is just the changing times (and law, and technology). I can't help being a little nostalgic, though, over the times when the entertainment companies weren't necessarily owned by huge conglomerates and seemed to be more focused on, y'know, entertainment.

dreamlogic | October 30, 15:47 CET