Hollywood Blackout

Abstract

This Article will focus on particular emerging copyright laws and their effect on the film industry. Section II will begin with a brief overview of the film industry as well as a brief discussion of the reasons people watch films. The Section will then proceed with a discussion on the importance of filming locations, as well as how the industry has changed in its perception of filming locations. Section III will detail what the current copyright law is, as well as exceptions the courts have used in determining copyright infringement. Section IV will then describe the Freedom of Panorama laws that many countries have enacted to help filmmakers and other industries avoid copyright infringement. The Section will also detail the new copyright laws discussed around the world in addition to what these new laws mean for Hollywood and independent filmmakers. Finally, Section V will propose a solution to these new copyright laws that will be equally beneficial to both the copyright owners and the film industry. The solution calls for a heightened and more descriptive de minimis requirement that creates a more element-based approach as opposed to the factorbased approach used now.