Play Meter

Issue: 1985 October 01 - Vol 11 Num 18

Operator convicted on
video game copyright
Tom Goss of Coaltown Amusement
in Harlan. Kentucky. was convicted
August 29. 1985. on criminal charges
of dealing in counter1eit coin-operated
amusement machines in violation of
U.S. copyright law.
Gross. a 37-year old operator of
video games. was arrested in April
along with several others. including
the recently convicted Tim O 'Reilly of
Montreal. as a result of an undercover
FBI opera1ion targeting importers.
manufacturers . distributors; and
operators of counter1eit video games.
Glenn Braswell. executive director
of the American Amusement Machine
Association in Alexandria. Virginia.
said that the success of AAMA's efforts
in aiding the FBI during their Atlanta
undercover operation has established
the association as an ettective law
enforcement tool tor both current and
tuture government investigations
directed at other video game pirates.
"The conviction of an operator
rea1tirms AAMA's position to comba1
this criminal activity at all levels in the
industry." said Braswell.
Gross is scheduled tor sentencing in
October and laces a maximum
penalty of S250.000 and/ or two years
in prison.
According to the report. the
examiner urged the operator to con-
tact the copyrtght proprietor identified
on the videotape's copyrtght notice or
to seek guidance !rom the per1ormlng
rights societies.
"In order to properly license the
public per1ormance ot the audio
visual work." the U.S. Copyrtght Ottice
reportedly said. "one would have to
negotiate two licenses- one tor the
video portion and one lor the audio.
The Copyrtght O!tice apparently
made its decision based on a stipula-
tion in the Copyrtght Act which said
the jukebox license " must be used tor
no purpose other than the per1or-
mance ot non-dramatic musical works
by means ot phonorecords."
According to The Location report .
that "would exclude coin-operated
radio and television sets. as well as
devices similar to jukeboxes that
per1orm musical motion pictures." •

Jukebox copyrights don't
cover video jukeboxes
The U.S. Copyrtght Office has con-
cluded thai a video jukebox does not
quality as a "coin-operated phono-
record player." according to the
national operators· association AMOA.
The September. 1985 issue of The
Location . AMOA's membership news-
letter. reported an operator learned of
the non-qualitication through a licens-
ing examiner. The examiner retunded
the operator S 150 in license tees "since
the provisions of the law do not provide
for the licensing of video jukeboxes."
8
the Chicago tirm September I .
In concluding his takeover. Skor
said he had lull confidence in the
tuture ot the· coin machine industry
and predicted a signiticant growih tor
World Wide Distributors in the ydars
ahead.
Skor said. "We are going torward
with certainty that we are entering a
new period ot development and
strength."
World Wide was tounded 42 years
ago exclusively as a distributor ot
games. phonographs. and vending
machines.

W1111ams reports upturn
in game business
Williams Electronics has reported
its tirst ope ra1ing protit in two years.
In the company's third quarter
earnings report tor the period ending
June 30. 1985. the Chicago-based
game manufacturer said its third
quarter earnings retlected an
improvement in its amusement game
revenues.
Louis J. Nicastro. chairman ot the
board and president ol the company.
said that. while the coin-op amuse-
ment game industry continues to be
weak. amusement game operations
tor the company realized the modest
operating protit betore selling and
administrative expenses.
Williams reported revenues ot
S 18.5 71.000 tor the third quarter ot
tiscal 1985. up eight percent over third
quarter revenues ot S 17.142.000 tor the
corresponding period in the preceding
year.

Fred Sk or
Fred Skor acquires
World Wide Distributors
Fred Skor. president and chiel
executive ot1icer of World Wide Dis-
tributors. Inc .. purchased all assets ot
Memetron licenses new
game from Data East
Memetron. Elk Grove Village. Illi-
nois. recently completed a deal with
Data East tor licensing Shanghai Kid.
Said Memetron's Joe Kaminkow. " I
saw this game in Japan and abso-
PLAY METER. October 1. 1965
lutely flipped over it. I found out Data
East had licensed It to make a dedi-
cated game. However. their plans
changed and Memetron was able to
license It from Data East."
The game is a combination of
wrestling. kick boxing. street fighting.
and karate. The player begins in the
streets of New York and ends up in
Madison Square Garden.
According to Kaminkow. the game
will be shown at the AMOA show in
Chicago the end of Odober.

Robert Mahoney
Mark Capllanio
New England distributor
picks two Rowe employees
American Dispensing Systems
(ADS ) of Cranston. Rhode Island.
recently appointed two former Rowe
International employees to positions
in its company.
Robert Mahoney was appointed to
the position of sales and marketing
director for the tirm. Most recently. he
was sales manager for Rowe Distrib-
uting in Dedham. Massachusetts.
Prior to that Mahoney was director
of marketing for Bally Northeast of
Norwood. Massachusetts.
Mark Capitanio was appointed to
a part -time position overseeing all
repairs. service. and conversions.
including staff training. In addition to
his duties with ADS. Capitanio is still
employed at Magic Electronics where
he is responsible for that company's kit
games.
American Dispensing Systems pro-
vides kits and service support to oper-
ators in the six New England states. •
Nomac sponsors
four-state tourney
Nomac. Ltd .. manufacturers of Pub
Time Darts. has announced the
$20.000 Four-State Soft Tip Champion-
ships for players in Minnesota. Wiscon-
sin. Illinois. and Indiana. The tourna-
ment will take place November 1-3 in
Chicago.

PLAY MffiP.. October 1. 1985
The state associations in each of the
four states has tournament kits avail-
able for operators wanting to partici-
pate in the event. Qualifying kits can
also be obtained by contacting
Nomac at its toll-free number 1-800/
323-0449.
The qualifying kit contains every-
thing needed to run four weeks of
qualifying tournaments and location
championships.
The purchase price of the qualify-
ing kits is $50. For every kit purchased
through one of the four participating
state associations. Nomac will donate
S I 0 to the association.
There is no limit to the number of
kits an operator may purchase.
In the November tournament.
there will be three categories of com-
petition- men's doubles. men's singles.
and women's doubles.
The competition and prize money
will be divided into three skill levels in
the men's doubles competition and in
two skill levels in the other two cate-
gories.
Additionally. the tournament will
feature a mixed doubles category
which will be open to all players. All
players who participate in the four-
state tournament will automatically
quality for Pub Time 's $50.000 national
championships which are scheduled
for the spring. said a Nomac spokes-
man.
KIDDIE RIDE
OPERATORS
lf.lf.lf.
"Here 's Solid State Sound"

AAMA completes training
fUm for U.S. Customs
Glenn Braswell. executive director
of the American Amusement Machine
Association ( AAMA) in Alexandria.
Virginia. announced the completion
of a training tilm for U.S. Customs Ser-
vice field agents on the identification
of counterfeit coin-operated amuse-
ment machines.
Braswell said that this joint projed
was an outgrowth of the cooperative
relationship between the association
and Customs developed through on-
going AAMA Customs seminars on the
differences between legitimate and
counterfeit video games printed cir-
cuit boards (PCBs).
"The national distribution received
by this film allows us to reach every U.S.
port and will significantly atd the
industry's fight against the growing
tide of counterfeit video games from
the Orient." said Braswell.
The 20-minute film featuring Bras-
well. U.S. Customs Service national
advisory import specialist Thomas
Solid State Lighting
... Add attract lighting to your units
a n d Increase profits ...
KIDDIE RIDES
We carry
a complete line
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ALITY
ESI GN
NG INEERING
~c.
Call or Write:
P.O. Box 295 • Bus. 54 South
Eldon, Missouri 65026
1-314/392-7964
1-314/392-3374
9

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