Operating an audiovisual recording device in a motion picture theater
It is against the law to secretly record or transmit a movie that is playing in a theater without permission from the theater owner. A first offense is a misdemeanor. If a person has been caught doing this before, it becomes a felony. Government law enforcement workers can record in theaters if it is part of their official duties. Theater staff who hold someone they honestly believed was recording while waiting for police are not in legal trouble for doing so, unless the way they held that person was clearly unreasonable.
Classifications stated in the statute. Actual outcomes vary.
570.302. Operating an audiovisual ing device in a picture theater — definitions — . — 1. A person commits the of operating an audiovisual recording device in a motion picture theater if he or she, while a motion picture is being exhibited, operates an of a device in a motion picture theater without the of the owner or of the motion picture theater.
2. As used in this section, the term "audiovisual recording function" means the capability of a device to record or transmit a motion picture or any part thereof by means of any technology now known or later developed.
3. As used in this section, the term "motion picture theater" means a movie theater, screening room, or other that is being utilized primarily for the of a motion picture at the time of the offense, but excluding the lobby, entrance, or other areas of the building where a motion picture cannot be viewed.
4. The of this section shall not prevent any lawfully investigative, law protective, or employee or , of the state or federal government, from operating any audiovisual recording device in any facility where a motion picture is being exhibited, as part of lawfully authorized investigative, protective, law enforcement, or intelligence-gathering activities. The owner or lessee of a facility where a motion picture is being exhibited, or the authorized agent or employee of such owner or lessee, who alerts law enforcement authorities of an of this section shall not be in any arising out of measures taken by such owner, lessee, agent, or employee in the course of subsequently detaining a person that the owner, lessee, agent, or employee believed to have violated this section while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement authorities, unless the can show by that such measures were unreasonable or the period of was unreasonably long.
5. The offense of operating an audiovisual recording device in a motion picture theater is a , unless the person has previously been of violating the provisions of this section, in which case it is a .
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Source & history notes
(L. 2005 H.B. 353, A.L. 2014 S.B. 491) Transferred 2014; formerly 578.500; Effective 1-01-17
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