On Tuesday I linked to a CNN story reporting that Emerson Elementary School in Berkeley, California held a screening of The Lion King, and received a $250 charge for “illegally screening the movie.” Today The New York Times reports that Disney chief Bob Iger apologized to the school and said he will donate money to its PTA:
Our company @WaltDisneyCo apologizes to the Emerson Elementary School PTA and I will personally donate to their fund raising initiative.
— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) February 6, 2020
The New York Times notes that it “was not immediately clear whether the company was still requiring the licensing fee after Mr. Iger’s tweet.” My guess is that Iger’s donation will exceed $250, but that the licensing fee will stand. If Disney dropped the fee, it would set a precedent that would give anyone a good excuse to screen Disney movies at fundraising events without having to buy a license.
Image by Thomas Wolter from Pixabay