Thursday 16 December 2010

Broadstairs Cinema

by Dr R. L. Symonds

Here in Broadstairs we have an excellent small independent cinema, with an enthusiastic film society, showing a weekly art or indie film. The cinema also shows the usual general release films the rest of the week. For the last two weeks however, we are unable to see our film society films, because the cinema proprietor is prevented from showing them by Warner Bros.

This multi-billion pound international company insists that when the cinema shows the latest of their 'Harry Potter
productions, they will show no other film, and of course the cinema has to comply because they fear retaliation when they next want to show a Warner Bros film.

It seems Warner Bros, who could buy up many small countries, without really noticing, resents losing even a few pounds income. I suspect that this practice is illegal, even though the proprietor admitted it was in his contract with Warner Bros - although it could be said that such a contract is hardly freely entered into. However, the law counts for nothing against the powerful.

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