Play Meter
Issue: 1985 October 01 - Vol 11 Num 18 - Page 8
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
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
Future scanning projects are planned by the International Arcade Museum Library (IAML).