LTC organizations secure discount for movie night licenses

The industry’s leading associations—including the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), the American Senior Housing Association, Argentum, LeadingAge and the National Association of Activity Professionals—have joined to negotiate special rates for their memberships on the 2016 license required to show films in public.

It may seem easy to pop in a DVD and show a film in the recreation room, but doing so without a license is a violation of federal copyright law. It doesn’t matter what format the film is in (DVD, streaming, etc), and it doesn’t matter whether the facility is for-profit or not-for-profit. Even if the entrance and popcorn are free, it still counts as a public performance and requires a license.

The Motion Picture Licensing Corporation (MPLC) has issued licenses for thousands of producers and distributors from the silver screen to television and independent studios for more than 30 years. The MPLC offers Umbrella Licenses with variable pricing based on the type of senior living community, including nursing homes, assisted living, independent living and adult day centers. It also offers separate pricing structures for showing films to multiple rooms over closed-circuit television or to a group in a single common room.

Under a special terms announced this month, association members will be able to get the Umbrella License at a discounted rate of up to 40 percent off for the rest of 2016.

For price breakdowns and rates, read the terms of the 2016 MPLC agreement for senior communities and healthcare facilities. For more information on how to obtain a license, contact MPLC at www.mplc.org.

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Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.