Is it legal to open a Disney themed park?

[threeyoda]

Schools are also not allowed to show Disney movies because of license issues. Kinda sad that elementary schools cannot show Disney movies to Disney's target audience. But money is everything::sigh::

On the day before christmas break, the day before spring break, and the last day of school, some of my teachers show movies (the periods are only 19 minutes on those days). This year one of my teachers showed Finding Nemo, and another showed Monster Inc. Last year one of them showed the Lion King.

 

[MattC]

Not really. Schools should be teaching students, not showing movies.....unless its an education movie and Disney puts out very few of those anymore.

If a school is going to allow teachers to show movies in class and waste my tax dollars, I would prefer them just let my child come home.

Do you teach?

 

[Hakunamatata]

Do you teach?

As a profession, no.

 

[Bob Saget]

Schools are also not allowed to show Disney movies because of license issues. Kinda sad that elementary schools cannot show Disney movies to Disney's target audience. But money is everything::sigh::

Wait, what? We watched Disney films on several occasions throughout my school years growing up. Is this a new restriction or something?

 

[MattC]

As a profession, no.

Well, you are correct. Teachers should not be showing movies in excess. As children get older this is especially true. However, try to hold the attention of 21 eight year olds day in and day out for 9.5 months and you'll be praying for a movie to show. All of the teachers I know and work with only show movies as a reward for the children (elementary age) doing something big. For example: finishing a standardized test that determines if they pass or fail and have been preparing intensely for. Also we show movies sometimes the day before a big holiday, the kids have checked out and all their parents want us to have a party before the break so we show a movie during the party. Or the last day or two of school and all academic objectives have been reached.

I am fortunate enough to be in a school district with many great teachers. This is not true for all, but I promise you there are more good ones than bad ones.

 

[MattC]

Wait, what? We watched Disney films on several occaisons throughout my school years growing up. Is this a new restriction or something?

I'm not sure when it started. The first I heard of it, ironically, was when I moved to Florida two years ago. May just be a Florida thing.

 

[Larry Mondello]

I know this question is crazy but if licencing was bought or Disney made money off of it would it be legal for someone to open a Disney themed park kind of like the disney parks overseas?

There is no law that says you can't open a Disney themed park. So it's not a matter of legality it's a matter of civil liability.

 

[DisDadEddie]

This was exactly my thinking. But then I think perhaps DisDadEddie was referring to that scary knock-off that was also mentioned. Eek!




Tokyo Disney is far from fake...yet it was not built by Disney, is not owned by Disney, and is not operated or maintained by Disney. OLC has a licensing agreement + a contract with Imagineering. From everything I've read about the place, it ~smokes~ the US parks that Disney built, owns, operates, and maintains. Definitely food for thought. IMO, it wouldn't be that far-fetched for Disney to have a secret little wish that they had that same type of arrangement for the US parks. Don't stone me here. Take off the fan-cap and think about it purely from a business standpoint. There's a lot less risk when you just hold the licensing agreement (+/-). If the economy tanks you don't have to worry about going into the red or stress over how to keep the numbers up. Getting a fat paycheck regardless for that licensing agreement PLUS a healthy cut when times are good has to be one sweet deal. Wouldn't ya think?

Thank you! I was referring to the knock-off parks. Where maybe the fab five would be Mikey, Doofy,Ronald,Bluto,& Moonie.

 

[unkadug]

Schools are also not allowed to show Disney movies because of license issues. Kinda sad that elementary schools cannot show Disney movies to Disney's target audience. But money is everything::sigh::

Disney could not care less about teachers showing movies in the classroom...as long as the teacher is not charging for admission, it's considered fair use.

 

[J03Y]

I think this question would be better answered by Disney.

this ^ it's nice that people are willing to help answer this question, but it's better if you just ask the professionals this.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Disney could not care less about teachers showing movies in the classroom...as long as the teacher is not charging for admission, it's considered fair use.

Not exactly. Public viewing of movies comes under copyright law and public performance.

http://www.mpaa.org/contentprotection/public-performance-law

 

[maryszhi]

No, unless they buy the rights and other legal things from the corporation ( licensing) technically speaking, i believe the only parks owned completely by the Walt Disney company is the Disneyland resort California, and the Walt Disney World Resort Florida. the others are partially owned by other corporations, as well as the host country's government. I am not sure but if you want, contact Disney or Google to see the procedure. i think it would be neat to learn about the process, then again i am a nerd like that lol.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I would love to see a northern Disney Park, maybe even build one myself but I'm powerless LOL.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Not exactly. Public viewing of movies comes under copyright law and public performance.

http://www.mpaa.org/contentprotection/public-performance-law

Has anyone seen any actual examples of this out there on the Internet? As far as I can tell (certainly not a lawyer), it's legal. I searched the PDF that the MPAA linked to for "classroom".

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following are not infringements of copyright:
(1) performance or display of a work by instructors or pupils in the course
of face-to-face teaching activities of a nonprofit educational institution, in
a classroom or similar place devoted to instruction, unless, in the case of a
motion picture or other audiovisual work, the performance, or the display
of individual images, is given by means of a copy that was not lawfully made
under this title, and that the person responsible for the performance knew or
had reason to believe was not lawfully made;

And this about Fair Use:

In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—
(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a
commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if
such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

I think it's legal if it meets a few criteria: in a classroom-type room (not the school auditorium), at a nonprofit school, and a legal copy of the movie. Also, if you look at the list for fair use, it seems like a teacher showing a movie in a classroom would not be very high on the list of problems.

 

[Cosmic Commando]

Wow..very cool. That's crazy..I just lost myself for a few minutes looking through those pics. Love stuff like that.

Here's a trip report from Nara Dreamland from 2004 when it was "open". I say "open" because it sounds like it was well on its way to being abandoned by the time these people visited. There are five pages.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/japan2004/nara1.htm

 

[ShookieJones]

Here's a trip report from Nara Dreamland from 2004 when it was "open". I say "open" because it sounds like it was well on its way to being abandoned by the time these people visited. There are five pages.

http://www.themeparkreview.com/japan2004/nara1.htm

Wow! Thanks! I'm on page 3 and loving it. This is place is amazing in it's totally cheesy rip off way especially in it's nearly post apocolyptic state....while still being open.

 

[WEDway1975]

Found this article about the abandoned Nara Dreamland.It closed in 2006.
http://www.imagineeringdisney.com/blog/2010/10/29/if-this-doesnt-scare-you.html
Doesn't this castle look familiar?Hmmm......

SHOCKING!!!! lol

Look at the map for Nara Dreamland.

MAIN STREET

1. Main Entrance
2. Dreamland Station
3. Flower Clock
4. Railroad Coach
5. Double Decker Bus (OmniBus Clone)
6. Grand Fountain
7. Port Town
8. Steam Train
9. Replica of first Train Imported to Japan

FANTASYLAND

1. Castle of Medieval Times (Sleeping Beauty Castle Clone)
2. Merry Go Round
3. Tea Cups
4. Pirate Ship
5. Fantasy Land Station
6. Haunted House

FRONTIER LAND

1. Sail Boat
2. Castles of Worst Europe
3. Flower Clock
4. Railroad Coach
5. Double Decker Bus (OmniBus Clone)
6. Koromshi
7. Ainu Village

ADVENTURE LAND

1. Sail Boat
2. Castles of Worst Europe
3. Flower Clock
4. Railroad Coach
5. Double Decker Bus (OmniBus Clone)
6. Koromshi
7. Ainu Village

TOMORROWLAND

1. Bobsled
2. Monorail
3. Ropeway
4. Freeway
5. Loop the Loop
6. Astrojet
7. Rotor
8. Hovercraft
9. Grand Open Theater
10. Las Vegas
11. Large Playground

 

[EvilQueen-T]

your pics are hysterical. talk about no new ideas. i would think they could probably get away with a knockoff amusement park, even here in the states, as long as they didn't use disney trademarked images etc... but i bet they'd be hit hard in advertising about them being just a knockoff kind of thing. i lived in orlando for about 20 years and disney use to go hard after places like daycare centers that use disney images on the outside of the buildings as part of their advertising.

and to the people talking about florida schools...i grew up going to school in orlando and mostly remember the occasional disney documentary but never a regular disney movie but when my daughter took spanish in high school they watched finding nemo in spanish. i figure the occasional movie is like a day when the boss is out at work or you take a few minutes to read these forums instead of doing real work...sometimes you just need a breather, especially since they almost never send kids out to play or to pe anymore they need to blow off steam somehow. i'd rather they watch the occasional disney movie than some of the other choices out there.

 

[WEDway1975]

Also, found some more familiar castles.

Unfinished knock off castle.

Not to offend anyone but guess where all of these knock-offs are at(Expect the first one) .............. China.
Glad they're build Shanghai so maybe all these knock-offs will closed once and for all.

 

[flynnibus]

Wait, what? We watched Disney films on several occasions throughout my school years growing up. Is this a new restriction or something?

No - but people are a lot more concerned about compliance these days then they were 20 years ago.

We put on public viewings of movies in our community using an outdoor projection setup - including Disney films. We pay licensing fees to a broker (Swank). The movies that can be licensed for public showing are limited, and we have additional restrictions on WHEN we can show Disney films vs others.