Posted on 02/01/2007 7:38:48 AM PST by pctech
Fall Creek Baptist Church Family...
We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel our bash to view the Colts game this Sunday in a family friendly environment due to the fact that the NFL believes we would be in violation of the Copyright Act, because we had planned to show the game on a screen bigger than a 55 inch diagonal. We have appealed to their legal counsel and exhausted all options without success. We have been informed that the only exceptions to view the game are given to sports bars and restaurants. While we have argued that we only intend to provide a family oriented environment that will make no profit from the showing, the NFL claims that our event cannot proceed by law. Therefore, we have no choice but to challenge this in court or cancel the event. We choose to cancel the event. We deeply regret that we have been prohibited by the NFL from providing a family friendly environment for celebrating the Colts great season.
Pastor John
This will only serve to anger people and if it gets a wide dissemination it could backfire on them big time. I hope it does!
I agree, although my church is doing the same thing. I am wondering how they are going to handle the half-time show and the commercials which have historically featured offensive, ungodly content.
But it's still the broadcast of a trademarked copyrighted program. The NFL still owns the show, even if it is broadcast over the air. Networks do own their news images, and the RNC does own its convention images.
Understand what's really being restricted here. They aren't saying people at the church can't watch the game, they aren't even saying they can't watch the game on a big TV, they're saying the church can't specifically advertise a Superbowl (trademarked name) party with the intent to charge people (gaining revenue) to watch the game (copyrighted content) on a big TV (making the whole thing desirable to consumers). There's a lot of layers to this, remove one or two (like don't advertise the SB and don't charge) and they're probably OK. Also remember the church sought out NFL permission, when you seek permission you are agreeing to abide by their rules, the NFL established these rules a while ago (there's one or two of these stories every year, though they don't usually involve a church group) and everybody that matches these conditions gets a no.
That is awesome. Character is what you do when nobody is watching. Unfortunately, I was secretary at my church for 5 years and it is sad how ofter the "everbody does it" and "nobody will know" mentality has creeped into the church and even the pastor.
NFL= NO FUN LEAGUE.
This needs to be repeated. It's not like the NFL is giving sports bars "an exemption" and picking on a Church. The sports bars pay for the rights of the games they show.
Actually yes. The NFL tries hard to disassociate themselves from gambling, especially during the Superbowl, as much as possible. This includes not allowing tourism ads for Los Vegas during games, and according to some rumors not allowing NBC to advertise their show Los Vegas during games.
LOL...yeah, instead of 6 billion people watching, it will only by 5.99999 billion.
I said this on another thread specifically about the tailgating ... I've only been to one Super Bowl, XXI in Pasadena. Even though I flew across the country by myself, I found the tailgating before the game to be as much fun as the game itself. And because I had a seat in the top row in the Rose Bowl I could see that the tailgating continued during the game. My guess is that there were about 20,000 people partying outside the stadium while the game was going on. I was sorry I didn't get there sooner, and that I had to leave for my return flight as soon s the game was over.
ML/NJ
With the Colts and NFL blackmailing our state for billions since 1984, you'd think they would be ok with fans watching the game. Guess not.
I find that hard to believe unless they're doing this as a fund raiser. A church in this area projected the game on either the side of a building or a big screen outside last year.
They can hide behind the laws all they want, but they know this was not an issue to get bent out of shape about. This is all about not being able to line their pockets with money they assumed was theirs and ensuring a christian message doesn't get associated with their product as alluded to by the testimonies by Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy. The NFL ought to be ashamed at what they've done and issue an apology forewith.
Arkinsaw - But you aren't charging for that, are you? And you aren't having a SB party, you are having a political discussion group where the TV happens to be on. AND you are in your own home - not a GROUP gathering place. Let's keep it apples to apples, shall we?
I wasn't aware that the league held intellectual ownership of Tony and Lovie's religious views.
HEY4QDEMS - They don't, but they have the right to not allow their broadcast to be "attached" to a particular view. Did you actually read the article?
Those are 'NFL rules' (not 'copyright law' as previously stated)? How are those enforceable? What licensing agreement...blahblahblahblah
atomicpossum - Great name by the way. The article states they were using copyrighted materials to advertise the party - the NFL is pretty picky about that. As far as the other stuff you're straying from the premise pretty far so there isn't any point in arguing the point with you.
The only point I was trying make was that the original poster did the same thing we accuse the MSM of doing all the time - taking a scenario out of context to promote an agenda. I don't care either way whether the church broadcasts the game or not - but if we're going to discuss topics, let's discuss the WHOLE topic; intelligently and considering all the facts. Otherwise we aren't any better than the people we rail against.
Interesting that the NFL tries to downplay gambling, though I doubt this has much effect on the local bookies' action.
Actually I can see why the League would try to stop groups including churches from charging money to see the game. This does cross a line. Some of the other rules strike me as dicey, though. Can the NFL really dictate what size screen people watch on? And if sports bars get a pass, how can others be stopped from charging for snacks?
It's not really downplaying, they just want there to be no official or semi-official association. Basically it's tunnel vision, in the NFL views of the world there's no gambling, you can tell because they don't even believe Las Vegas exists.
It's not really dictating what size screen people use. The size of the screen is part of the overall "forbidden" by the NFL package, that goes along with charging and advertising and such. The sports bars get a pass because sports bars pay for their TV signal by the seat, so eventually the NFL (through the cable carriers and cable companies when they're involved) gets money for it.
I'd like to know who pays for the Air Force fly over and the extensive security. THe NFL is a welfare queen when it comes to getting government money and favors such as government built stadiums. It would be nice if someone in government made a call to the NFL and tell them to layoff this church.
LOL!!!
This is a joke, right..? This is insane, why couldn't a church provide (like millions of other events by Americans) a FREE avenue to watch the Colts (WIN): Yes I am from Indiana the Superbowl, this is idiotic, if true..
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