Introduction
MPAA(MOTIONPICTUREASSOCIATIONOFAMERICA)MPAA'sfullnameis"TheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica"or"MotionPictureAssociationofAmerica",headquarteredinCalifornia(Encino,California).Thisorganizationwasestablishedin1922andfirstappearedasatradingorganizationinthefilmindustry.Todayitisinvolvedinnotonlymoviesshownintheaters,butalsohomevideoandothertransmissionsystemsthatmayappearinthefuture.
InMay2018,hewasselectedasthefirstmemberoftheFilmFestivalCommitteeoftheInternationalFilmProducersAssociation.
Rating
G-level
(GENERALAUDIENCESAllagesadmitted):Popularlevel,allagescanwatch,andthemoviecontentofthislevelcanbeacceptedbyparents,Thefilmhasnonudity,sexscenes,druguseandviolencescenesareveryfew.Dialogueisalsofrequentlyencounteredindailylife;
PGlevel
(PARENTALGUIDANCESUGGESTEDSomematerialmaynotbesuitableforchildren):generalcounselinglevel,somecontentmaynotbesuitableforchildrenSomescenesmaybeuncomfortablewhenviewedbychildren.Itisrecommendedtowatchthemwiththeirparents-therearebasicallynoscenesofsex,drugabuseandnudityinthislevelofmovies,evenifthereisashorttime,inaddition,thehorrorandviolencesceneswillnotexceedthemoderateScope;
PG-13level
(PARENTSSTRONGLYCAUTIONEDSomematerialmaybeinappropriateforchildrenunder13):specialcounselinglevel,notsuitableforchildrenunder13yearsold,childrenunder13yearsoldItisespeciallynecessarytobeaccompaniedbyparentstowatch.Somecontentisnotsuitableforchildren-moviesofthisleveldonothavecrudeandpersistentviolencescenes,generallytherearenonudescenes,andsometimestherearedrugscenesandswearwords;
Rgrade
(RESTRICTEDUnder17requiresaccompanyingparentoradultguardian):Restrictedlevel,under17yearsoldmustbeaccompaniedbyaparentorguardiantowatch-thisleveloffilmcontainsadultcontent,whichcontainsmoresexandviolence,Drugabuseandotherscenesandswearwords;
NC-17level
(NOONE17ANDUNDERADMITTED):17yearsoldoryoungercannotwatch:moviesofthislevelareclassifiedasadultmovies,Minorsarefirmlyprohibitedfromwatching.Thereareclearsexscenes,alotofdrugorviolentscenes,andswearwordsinthefilm.
Otherratings
HongKong
HongKongimplementsathree-tierfilmsystem:
LevelI:suitableViewedbypeopleofanyage
LevelII:subdividedintoLevelIIA(notsuitableforchildren)andLevelIIB(notsuitableforteenagersandchildren)
LevelIII:Onlypeopleaged18orabovecanwatchit
Taiwan
Generallevel,anyagecanwatchit.
Protectionlevel,notavailableunder6yearsold.
Tutoringlevel,notavailableunder12yearsold.
Restrictedlevel,notavailableunder18yearsold.
UK
"U"level:normallevel-suitableforallaudiences.Inthislevelofprograms,onlylightswearinglanguagesuchas"damn"(damn)and"hell"(damnit,bastard)canonlybeusedoccasionally,andothermildswearinglanguagesarerarelyused;
"PG"level:Parentalguidancelevel;
"12A"leveland"12"level:suitableforyoungpeopleover12yearsoldtowatch;
Class"15":Suitableformatureaudiencesover15yearsold;
Class"18":Suitableforviewingbyadultsover18yearsoldandadults.
MainlandChina
Noratingsystemfornow
Specialrating
NRORU:NRisanunratedmovie.AndUisratedformoviesbefore1968.
M,XORP:Themoviesatthislevelarebasicallynotsuitableforpublicityinthetheaters,andtheyallfallintotherestrictedcategory.
Itsmembers
ThemainmembersoftheAmericanMotionPictureAssociationarethechairmanandpresidentsofthebigsevenfilmandtelevisionindustrymediagiantsintheUnitedStates(sixexceptDreamWorksThemoviecompanyisalsoknownasBigSix),including:
1,TheWaltDisneyCompany
2,SonyPicturesEntertainment(formerlyColumbia,acquiredbySonyforUS$3.4billionin1989))
3,Paramount
4,UniversalMovies
5,WarnerBros.
(MGM,2005SonywithdrewfromMPAAafterthefailedacquisition)
6,NetflixNetflix
(20thCenturyFoxwasofficiallyacquiredbyDisneyonMarch20,2019for$71.3billion,thepatternofHollywoodFromthe“originalsix”tothe“newsix”)
Commercialactivities
TheMotionPictureAssociationofAmericahopestorevisetheU.S.copyrightlawandcriminallawthroughpoliticallobbyingtoprotectthebusinessinterestsofitsmembersthegoalof.Italsostronglysupportstheimprovementofdigitalrightsmanagementtechnology:somepeoplethinkthatthesetechnologiesonthecontraryinfringetherightsofusers,butothersthinkthatthebalancebetweenconsumerdemandandartistrightscanbewellmaintained.
TheMotionPictureAssociationofAmericahasmadegreateffortstobanmoviefilesharingwebsites.InAprilandMay2005,twolargewebsitesthatprovideBTservers,lokitorrentsandelitetorrents,announcedthattheywereforcedtobanthembecausetheyallowedtheillegaldisseminationofcopyrightedimagefiles.
OnOctober28,2013,theVoiceofAmericaradiowebsitereportedthattheMotionPictureAssociationofAmericasubmittedtotheUnitedStatesTradeRepresentativeaworldwideillegaldistributionoffilmsandTVprogramsinaccordancewiththenoticeoftheOfficeoftheUnitedStatesTradeRepresentativeonSeptember30Listofnotoriousmarkets.ThenoticefromtheOfficeoftheUnitedStatesTradeRepresentativerequirestheU.S.industrytoputforwardalistofinfringersfornon-periodicreviewsofthespecial301notoriousmarket.
FormerSenatorChristopherDodd,ChairmanandCEOoftheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica,saidthattheUSfilmandtelevisionindustryisanimportantemployerintheUnitedStates,providing2millionjobsandhundredsofbillionsofdollarsinThetotalwagesandthebadbehaviorsintheseoverseasmarketsonthelistsubmittedbytheAssociationnotonly“causeharmtothosewhoworkhardtoproducemoviesandTVprogramsthataudienceslove,butalsoendangertheirmulti-billiondollarcontributiontotheUSeconomy.”
InalettersenttoStanMcCoy,AssistantTradeRepresentativeforIntellectualPropertyandInnovationAffairs,MichaelO'Leary,ExecutiveVicePresidentoftheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica,saidthatin2011,AmericanfilmandtelevisionserviceswereexportedtotheworldTheproductrevenueof14.3billionU.S.dollars,anincreaseof5overthepreviousyear,isoneofthefewindustriesintheUnitedStatesthathasatradesurplus.Theassociation’smoviesandTVshowsaredistributedinmorethan140countriesaroundtheworld.
ThelistsubmittedbytheMotionPictureAssociationofAmericaonOctober25includesinfringersontheInternetandphysicalmarkets.TheInternetnotorietymarketincludespeer-to-peertwo-waytransmission,filesharinganddownloadsites,sitesthatfocusondownloadingandonlineplayback,andsitesthatclassifyinfringingprogramsandprovidesystematiclinks.TheChinesewebsitesincludedinthenotoriousmarketlistincludeKuaibo,Xunlei,andRenrenTV.OthersarescatteredinEasternEuropeancountriessuchasUkraine,Estonia,CzechRepublic,Romania,etc.,aswellasCanada,Russia,Sweden,Germany,theNetherlands,BrazilandArgentina.
Relatednews
OnAugust21,2017,amembercompanyoftheAmericanMotionPictureAssociationsuedShenzhenXunleiNetworkTechnologyCo.,Ltd.forcopyrightinfringementanddeclaredvictory.ShenzhenNanshanDistrictPeople’sCourtruledShenzhenXunleiNetworkTechnologyCo.,Ltd.compensatedthemembercompaniesoftheAmericanFilmAssociationforvariouslossestotaling1.4millionyuan.