The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) has issued a CMC widescreen rights licensing checklist for persons planning to show cricket matches in 2007, including Cricket World Cup matches.
The guideline says that for any person who plans to show matches to the public outside of their home, whether it is done for profit or otherwise, it will be necessary to obtain a licence in advance of showing and if receiving the feed for the matches from terrestrial television, cable or satellite, a licence will be necessary in all cases.
And if anyone intends to do any advertising containing any of the event trade marks during the showing of the matches, prior approval must be sought from the CMC. If the official trade marks are used without the authorization, the action would constitute an infringement of the rights in the trade marks and would be subjected to legal action.
Blanket licences would be issued for all the matches and not for an individual match. Licences must be obtained from the Collective Management Organisation in a country or an individual who is acting as agent for the CMC which has the exclusive rights for the showing in public of the matches.
Licensing would be issued on a flat basis based on the audience size of the venue and it would not be dependent on any admission fees which may be charged.
The CMC said that licences would be necessary whether or not the matches are shown live and matches shown without the necessary licence constitute an infringement of copyright, and legal action would be taken.
In advertising the showing of the matches careful attention has to be paid to the wording, with restrictions to advertising that the viewings are anything but an opportunity for punters to view the games. Neither the licensee nor the sponsors may refer to, or associate with the CWC or appear in any advertising of the viewings.
The ads may state for example, “See the cricket A vs B here at X bar on X date from X time”. There should be no branding in ads and it cannot be stated for example, “Brought to you by X”. There must be no tampering of the feed and or insert of any ads or logos of the bar or sponsors and the screen showing the matches must be kept free of any buntings.
For more information, CMC Chief Operating Officer Errol Clarke could be contacted on telephone number 246-467-1000 or information could also be obtained at 246-435-1777 and 246-435-2777 or by e-mail at coscap@caribsurf.com
