Classic Mode

Play Meter

Issue: 1979 June 15 - Vol 5 Num 11

Is it fair for the government to force you to give them a list of your
locations? Of course not.
What a disadvantage it is for such a competitive industry to have its
customer lists a matter of public record . That's all the "rip-off" artists need
to completely squash the vibrancy of our industry . With location lists
available to them, the "blue suede shoe" boys will have handy reference
charts for sticking unsuspecting locations with sub-standard cocktail table
videos and pinballs to the tune of three and four thousand dollars a shot.
We are well aware of the adverse effects direct location selling has on
the industry. An operator who is ousted from a location by a direct sale not
only loses weekly income but also finds himself with excess equipment that
either has to be relocated, sold, or stored away.
The location owner, who thinks he has made a great deal, ends up
paying $8,000 or so for a couple of machines. When these pieces break
down , and he discovers that the people who sold them are "out of
business," he begins, belatedly, to see the light, and the inherent problems
of the "100 percent take" myth. He has been rudely awakened to the fact
that 100 percent of nothing is zero.
He further realizes that his regular customers are cheated by this
scheme. Where once sat a shining new Bally Playboy and a Midway Space
Invaders now sits two XYZ cocktail table games , broken . Even if the
machines keep working they will never gross enough to compare with the
revenues generated by Playboy and Space Invaders. The play appeal just
isn't there .
To worsen the situation, the baffled location owner will keep these
games until the termites devour them .
In the end , the players who were once accustomed to playing the
machines in that location become disenchanted with the whole idea of
coin-op entertainment, and the location owner, operator, and
manufacturer all share in the loss .
There is little doubt that location selling is one of the biggest threats
facing the industry. It hurts the legitimate manufacturer , the reputable
distributor, the hard-working operator, the unsuspecting location owner,
and the dedicated player.
The Amusement and Music Operators of America has now sent its legal
force to grapple with the Copyright Royalty Tribunal over these required
location listings . As is all too common within this industry , a few are
fighting a battle for all. That battle, which will be decided in the U. S.
Supreme Court , will cost more than $100,000-that is the cost of fighting
the federal government.
It has never been more imperative for the industry to unite itself and
concert its support for the AMOA in its legal effort against this grossly unfair
copyright law. On behalf of the entire industry I urge each of you to send a
contribution to the AMOA Legal Action Fund; 35 East Wacker Drive ;
Suite 1940; Chicago, Illinois 60601.
Remember, this is not the AMOA's problem . It is your problem . And
you must do something about it.
Ralph C. Lally II
Editor and Publisher
4
PLAY METER, June, 1979
Cl{musement and _41usic Operators Cl{ssociation
35 EAST WACKER DRIVE
WAYNE E. HESCH
National President
•
SUITE 1940
ROBERT E. NIMS
First Vice President
FREDERICK M. GRANGER
Executive Vice President
VICE PRESIDENTS
JOHN H. CAMERON
•
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60601
JAMES I. MULLINS
Secretary
LEOMA W. BALLARD
Treasurer
VIC RYE , Assistant
Executive Vice President
Dear Music and Games Operator:
Newport News , Virgin ia
HAROLD HEYER
Seattle, Washington
JOHN W. STRONG
Chicago, Illinois
WESLEY S. LAWSON
Winter Haven , Florida
DOCK RINGO
Mineral Wells , Texas
A. L. WITT
Taylors, South Carolina
RUSSELL DOUGHERTY
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
GABRIEL ORLAND
Glendale, California
NORMAN PINK
Minneapolis, Minnesota
PAST PRESIDENTS
COUNCIL
DON VAN BRACKEL
Defiance, Ohio
GARLAND B. GARRETT, SR.
Wilmington , North Carolina
During the past 30 years, the Amusement and Music Operators
Association (formerly MOA) has saved the operators millions of
dollars by fighting jukebox copyright legislation. Since the
new law went into effect in 1978 requiring operators to pay $8
per box per year, the fight has intensified and moved to a new
arena - the federal court room. AMOA has always fought our in-
dustry's national legislative battles in Washington and will
continue to do so. But it was not forseen nor intended that
AHOA would have the costly burden of taking legal action against
the Copyright Royalty Tribunal and the Federal Government in order
to protect the vital interests of the music and games operator.
TED NICHOLS
Fremont, Nebraska
FRED COLLINS, JR.
Greenville, South Carolina
RUSSELL MAWDSLEY
Holyoke , Massachusetts
DIRECTORS
DONALD A. ANDERSON
Portland, Oregon.
WAL TEA BOHF:u.R,.JR.
Milwaukee, wiscorisin
JOSEPH R. 'GALLANT
Deer Lodge, Montana
NELS CHENEY
Coos Bay, Oregon
JERRY DERRICK
Since last November we have been in court fighting a reg ula-
tion of the Copyright Royalty Tribunal requiring operators to
submit location lists. We may have to go all the way to the U.S.
Supreme Court, which could cost in excess of $100,000.00 We
would like to continue this fight and we expect other problems
to arise in connection with laws and regulations affecting the
industry. We will fight these problems as they arise.
Charleston, West Virginia
JOHN ESTRIDGE
Lewisburg, Tennessee
KENNETH G. FLOWE
Greenwood, South Carolina
THOMAS GRECO, JR.
Glasco, New York
RICHARD HAWKINS
Rochester, Minnesota
IRVING HOLZMAN
Hicksville , New York
MAYNARD C. HOPKINS
Galion, Ohio
JOHN KNOX
Anchorage, Alaska
CLYDE F. KNUPP
Fort Dodge, Iowa
CLYDE B. LOVE
We now need financial assistance from the entire industry o f
music and games operators. Note: The submission of a list of
locations affects all of you~siness from the point of view of
confidentiality - music, games, any coin-operated equipment in
your locations. We are now asking you and all operators for a
substantial contribution for a special Legal Action Fund to help
us defray the heavy expense of carrying on the fight in behalf of
the nation's operators.
Visalia , California
WALTON LOWRY
Pittsfield, Illinois
AL MARSH
J~~~inJ~~'R's Washington
Great Falls, Montana
GEORGE MOUTON
Lafayette, Louisiana
CLAYTON L. NORBERG
Mankato, Minnesota
W. R. PATTON
Modesto, Celifornia
RICHARD N. PEERY
Roanoke, Virginia
JAMES B. REAVES
Whiteville, North Carolina
ED SCHULTZ
Lansing, Michigan
RICHARD SILLA
We ask you to base your contribution on the approximate number
of music and games you have on location at $1.00 per machine. We
have established six contribution categories: $100.00, $250.00,
Simply select the category that
$500.00, $750.00 and $1,000.00.
comes closest to the number of machines you have (at $1.00 per
machine).
If you would like to make a larger contribution, it
will greatly help our cause. Make out your check to AMOA Leg al
Action Fund and mail it to ANOA today. Every contribution will
be acknowledged.
Oakland, California
JAMES STEVENS
Vl~3'g~q: ~eJ~Y~ginia
Toms River, New Jersey
JAMES A. THORPE
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
ROSS J. TODARO
Bryan, Texas
ERNESTINE E. TOLISANO
Treasure Island , Florida
EUGENE URSO
Fund Committee:
Don Van Brackel, Chairman
Robert E. Nims
Leoma W. Ballard
Garland B. Garrett, Sr.
Wayne E. Hesch
National President
Madison, Wisconsin
June 1979
1979 Exposition, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, November 9-10-11
PLAY METER , June, 1979
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