by the Board of Trade, or unless he proves to the A.D. 1927. satisfaction of the court that the reasons for noncompliance were beyond his control.

(3) A maker of films, who is also a renter of films, 5 may, if he thinks that the length of British films made by him in any year will exceed his quota for that year, and if the Board of Trade consent, transfer to another renter the right to count for the purposes of the provisions of this section as to quota the whole or any 10 part of such excess, without transferring to such other renter the right of renting the film for exhibition to the public in Great Britain or any other right therein, and in such case the length of film with respect to which such right is so transferred shall for the purposes of this 15 section be treated as part of the total length of registered British film acquired by the transferee and not as part of that acquired by the transferor :

Provided that the giving of such consent by the Board of Trade shall not prejudice the right to take proceed20 ings under this Part of this Act against the transferor in respect of insufficiency of quota.

(4) In this section, "registered British film" means a British film which either at the time of its acquisition by the renter is, or later within the same calendar year 25 becomes, a registered British film; and "registered film ” means a film which either at the date of its acquisition by the renter is, or later within the same calendar year becomes, a registered film.

(5) If a film is not registered at the time of its 30 acquisition by a renter, and a valid application for the registration thereof is not made until after the expiration of the calendar year in which it is so acquired, the film shall, for the purposes of this Part of this Act, be treated as if it had been acquired by the renter in the calendar 35 year in which a valid application for registration is made.

14. (1) Any number of renters, none of whom, or Power of of whom not more than one, during any calendar year small acquires for the purpose of renting to exhibitors more renters to than six registered films, may, if the Board of Trade combine. 40 consent, combine for the purposes of the provisions of

this Part of this Act relating to the renters' quota the total length of registered British films so acquired by

A.D. 1927. them in that year and the total length of all registered films so acquired by them in that year, and in such case if the total length of such registered British films bears the proper proportion to the total length of registered films, each renter shall as respects that year 5 be deemed to have satisfied the provisions of this Part of this Act as to the renters' quota.

Provisions applicable where same

film rented by different

persons for

different

areas.

Prohibition

of counting film more than once for quota purposes.

Prohibition against carrying on business of

(2) This section shall apply only so long as the renters' quota is twenty per cent. or less.

15. Any renter who rents registered films for 10 exhibition exclusively in a limited geographical area within Great Britain may for the purposes of his renters' quota count any registered British film for the renting of which in that area he has acquired the exclusive right and which has not been previously exhibited to the public 15 in that area, notwithstanding that the film has been already counted for the purposes of the renters' quota by some other renter, being a renter who has acquired the exclusive right to rent it for exhibition in some other limited area, or in Great Britain exclusive of the first- 20 mentioned area.

16. No British film shall be counted more than once or in respect of more than one copy thereof for the purof the provisions of this Part of this Act with respect poses to the renters' quota, nor, save as herein before expressly 25 provided, shall any British film be counted for the purposes aforesaid by more than one renter.

17.-(1) On and after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-eight, no person shall carry on the business of renting registered films for 30 renter unless exhibition to the public unless he holds a licence for the purpose from the Board of Trade:

licensed.

Provided that where an application for such a licence has been made, it shall be lawful for the applicant to carry on such business as aforesaid pending the deter- 35 mination of the application.

(2) If any person carries on such business as aforesaid in contravention of this section, he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds for each day during which he 40 so carries on the business.

records.

18. (1) Every licensed renter shall furnish to the A.D. 1927. Board of Trade before the first day of February in each year or such later date as in any particular case the Board Returns and of Trade may allow, commencing in the year nineteen 5 hundred and twenty-nine, a return giving such particulars as may be prescribed with respect to the registered films acquired by him during the preceding calendar year and containing such information as the Board may require in order to enable them to ascertain whether the require10 ments of this Part of this Act with respect to the renters' quota have been satisfied by him during the year to which the return relates.

(2) Every licensed renter shall, before the first day of February in the year following the year in which the 15 return was made, furnish to the Board of Trade a supplementary return relative to the year to which the original return related, giving such particulars as could not have been given in the original return owing to bookings for exhibitions not having been completed.

20

25

(3) Any such return as aforesaid may be used for the purpose of ascertaining whether the films entered in the return as having been acquired by the renter making the return were in fact acquired by him for the purpose of renting them to exhibitors for exhibition to the public.

(4) the event of the right to count for quota purposes any length of film having been transferred in manner herein before provided, the the returns returns of the transferor shall include particulars with respect to the length of film so transferred.

30 (5) Every licensed renter shall also keep a book and shall as soon as practicable record therein the title, registered number, and registered length of every film acquired by him (distinguishing between British and foreign films', the theatres at which each film will be 35 exhibited and the dates of exhibition, and shall when so required produce the book for inspection by any person authorised in that behalf by the Board of Trade.

Exhibitors' Quota.

19. (1) Every exhibitor of registered films shall Provisions 40 exhibit at each theatre owned or leased by him during as to exhisuch period in the year nineteen hundred and twenty- bitors' nine and each subsequent calendar year as the theatre quota.

A.D. 1927. is so owned or leased at least such proportion of registered British films as is mentioned with respect to the year in question in Part II. of the Schedule to this Act, and such proportion is hereinafter referred to as the exhibitors' quota.

Prohibition against

carrying on business of exhibitor

unless

licensed.

(2) The proportion of British registered films exhibited during such period as aforesaid at any theatre shall be ascertained by comparing-

5

(a) the aggregate arrived at by adding together the products of the total number of feet of each 10 registered British film which has been exhibited during the normal hours in the ordinary programme multiplied by the number of times the film has been so exhibited during the said period; and

(b) the aggregate arrived at by adding together the products of the total number of feet of each registered film which has been so exhibited multiplied by the number of times the film has been so exhibited during the said period.

15

20

(3) If in any year an exhibitor fails to comply with the requirements of this Part of this Act in respect of any theatre he shall be guilty of an offence, unless such a certificate as is hereinafter mentioned has been issued by the Board of Trade, or unless he proves to the 25 satisfaction of the court that the reasons for noncompliance were beyond his control.

20.-(1) On and after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and twenty-nine, no person shall carry on the business of exhibiting registered films to the 30 public in any theatre unless he holds a licence for the purpose in respect of that theatre from the Board of Trade:

Provided that where an application for such a licence has been made, it shall be lawful for the applicant 35 to carry on the business in any theatre to which the application relates pending the determination of the application.

(2) A licence under this section shall be in addition to any licence the exhibitor may be required to obtain 40 under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1909.

(3) If any person carries on such business as aforesaid A.D. 1927. in contravention of this section, he shall be guilty of an offence, and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds for each day on 5 which he so carries on the business.

21. (1) Every licensed exhibitor shall furnish to Returns and the Board of Trade before the first day of February in records. each year, or such later date as in any particular case the Board of Trade may allow, commencing in the year nine10 teen hundred and thirty, a return giving such particulars as may be prescribed with respect to the registered films exhibited by him in each theatre during the preceding calendar year, the dates and number of times on which they were exhibited, and containing such other informa15 tion as the Board may require in order to enable them to ascertain whether the requirements of this Part of this Act with respect to the exhibitors' quota have been satisfied by him in respect of the theatre during the year to which the return relates.

20

(2) Every licensed exhibitor shall also keep at each theatre at which he exhibits films a book, and shall as soon as practicable record therein the title, registered number and registered length of film exhibited by him at the theatre to the public (distinguishing between British 25 and foreign registered films), the dates of all exhibitions of each film and the hours and number of times of exhibition of each film each day, and every such book shall be open to inspection by any person authorised in that behalf by the Board of Trade.

22. (1) The Board of Trade shall examine every Examinareturn furnished to them under this Part of this Act, and tion of for the purpose of such examination may call on the returns. renter or exhibitor making the return for such informa35 tion and explanations as they may think necessary, and may, in any case where they think fit, authorise any person appointed by them for the purpose to examine the record books kept by the renter or exhibitor.

(2) Where as the result of such examination it 40 appears to the Board of Trade that though the requirements of this Part of this Act with respect to the renters' quota or the exhibitors' quota, as the case may be, have