Section 57-5-6 - Announcement of pictures to be produced; contents of announcement; filing with public regulation commission; sale to competitor at less price unlawful; sale or lease to be by contract - New Mexico Statutes

57-5-6. [Announcement of pictures to be produced; contents of announcement; filing with public regulation commission; sale to competitor at less price unlawful; sale or lease to be by contract; penalty for violation.]

Whenever a producer and/or distributor announces a group or series of pictures or annual product to exhibitors, either made or to be made, it shall be filed immediately with the corporation commission [public regulation commission] and announced directly and simultaneously to all exhibitors in competitive situations. All pictures or productions shall be announced by either name, title, star, star series, series or by number and shall be classified in groups as to the price and/or box office value. Each group so classified shall be identified by letters A, B, C, D, etc.; Group "A" being the highest priced or best box office pictures or productions; Group "B" being the next highest priced or next best box office pictures or productions, and so on, and the number of pictures in each group shall be specified. In the event of any change or changes in the product made, or to be made, making it different from that in the announcement filed with the corporation commission [public regulation commission], notice of the nature of such change or changes made or to be made shall be filed with the corporation commission [public regulation commission] within ten days after such change or changes are made. After one competitive exhibitor has purchased, rented or contracted for his proportionate part of a product, it shall be unlawful for the producer and/or distributor to sell or lease the remainder of said product to the other competitive exhibitor or exhibitors, on a different playing arrangement or for a less price, for a period of six months. And all pictures sold or leased by producers and/or distributors shall be by written contract, in which the price paid or to be paid, and playing arrangement for each picture sold or leased shall be stated. Any producer or exhibitor violating any of the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction thereof, be punished by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000) and not more than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).