It shall be unlawful for any person, or persons, firm or corporation, who owns, operates or controls, either directly or indirectly, any motion picture theater, or room, hall, auditorium or place where motion pictures of any kind are exhibited in one or more towns or cities in this state, where competition exists, to contract for, lease, license, rent, buy or acquire more motion pictures or films than can and will be exhibited in their theater or theaters in such town or city within the twelve months next following the date of the purchase, rental or license contract for such motion pictures.

And it shall be unlawful for any exhibitor to buy, lease or otherwise acquire, or for any distributor, or any other person, to sell, lease or supply any picture or pictures in or for a competitive situation with the intention or knowledge that each or any of the picture or pictures will not be exhibited or used, and every exhibitor in a competitive situation shall exhibit all pictures under contract within six months after the producer and/or distributor announces such picture or pictures, ready for exhibition or showing. All contracts or agreements for the sale, license or rental of motion pictures shall be in writing, and shall be signed and either attested by two witnesses or sworn to by the parties thereto before some person authorized to administer an oath, and a copy thereof shall be filed by the producer and/or distributor in the office of the state corporation commission [public regulation commission] within ten days after the approval thereof, which said contracts or agreements shall contain a list of all pictures covered thereby; that the said corporation commission [public regulation commission] shall have the right to demand of any exhibitor a copy of his or its contract or contracts for the purchase, license or lease of any picture or pictures, which said copy shall be furnished by the exhibitor within fifteen days after the receipt of such notice; that said copy shall be identical with the original, together with the consideration paid or to be paid for each picture covered thereby. Any person, firm or corporation, who violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this section, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

History: Laws 1933, ch. 177, § 4; 1941 Comp., § 51-2704; 1953 Comp., § 49-5-4.

Bracketed material. — The bracketed material was inserted by the compiler and is not part of the law.

Laws 1998, ch. 108, § 80 provided that references to the state corporation commission be construed as references to the public regulation commission.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — Moving-picture distribution contracts, 19 A.L.R. 1004.

Monopoly in moving pictures, 26 A.L.R. 369.

58 C.J.S. Monopolies §§ 155 to 157.