The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) controls film distribution, combats piracy, and administers film ratings. Founded in 1922, it created the Production Code and later the rating system. Criticisms include allowing more violence in PG-13 films and allegations of monopolistic behavior. However, affiliation with the MPAA can make distribution easier and benefit film producers through copyright protection.
MPAA is an acronym for Motion Picture Association of America, originally titled the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association of America. It is an organization to which many of the major film production studios belong, including Buena Vista, Sony, Paramount, Fox, Warner Brothers and Universal. The main work of the organization is to control the distribution of films, combat illegal copying of films and administer film ratings.
The MPAA was founded in 1922, and the non-profit trade association’s first president was former Postmaster General, Will H. Hays. Under his guidance, Hays created the Production Code, a set of standards that had to be met in order for a film to be considered appropriate material for a general audience. Some films before the advent of the code were downright audacious and inspired the ire of many organizations across the country, including numerous religious groups. The code was dropped in 1967 and replaced with the MPAA rating system, which has undergone numerous changes since it was first adopted.
The longest serving president of the trade association was Jack Valenti, who held the position from 1966 to 2004. Valenti is credited with most of the association’s changes over time. He developed the rating system and then revamped it in its current incarnation. He also saw the potential loss of profit that could happen to movie studios if files were shared over the Internet and successfully lobbied for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, which outlaws various forms of copyright infringement by digital means. .
There have been numerous criticisms leveled against the MPAA on virtually every aspect in which the association operates. Significant criticisms are leveled at the current film rating system, which has been shown to allow more and more violence in films rated at the PG-13 level. Others suggest that any rating is a form of censorship and should be banned, although this is not a popular line of argument, particularly among parents.
Since most of the major studios belong to the MPAA, the organization has been claimed to be a monopoly and allegations have been made against it deliberately trying to control or obstruct the distribution of films made by independent studios and may rate them more harshly than they would with member studio films. While the association can be vehement in protecting copyright laws that violate the products of its member studios, it has sometimes violated these laws to promote itself.
Notably, in 2007, several allegations of copyright infringement by the MPAA angered those already willing to criticize the organization. Because the association has sought to enforce anti-piracy laws with such force, critics feel they must act to the same standard of behavior they impose on others. Charged with monopoly and free play with copyright laws (at least in some incidents), there are some who believe the organization should be dissolved and that it inhibits the freedom of independent studios and filmmakers and the free sharing of information .
There is a flip side. Virtually every well-known American producer is affiliated with the MPAA, and most high-profile filmmakers work for studios with this affiliation. The partnership can make distribution much easier for member studios, and even if the rating system is flawed, many argue that it’s better than no rating system. Current ratings offer some guidelines as to what you might expect to see in a film of a certain rating. The MPAA also benefits film producers and companies through its ongoing battle to end copyright infringement, thereby maximizing profits.
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