Re: Now here's an easy one...

Michael Lean <m.lean[_at_]qut.edu.au> asked:
>
> Why is the copyright year displayed on a motion picture expressed
> in Roman numerals?

I can't vouch for the accuracy of this story, but I have heard, from two or three sources, that the motion picture industry adopted the use of Roman numerals so they would have the proper date on their films but most audience members wouldn't know (or wouldn't take the time to figure out) what that date was ... thus, when a movie was released a year or two late, or was re-released for a second run several years later, it could still be presented as a new film and no one would be the wiser.

It's a little bit akin to the practice of makers of Italian westerns of using American-sounding pseudonyms for the European cast and crew of their films, so that Italian audiences would think they were getting an American western instead of the homemade variety.

Bob Cumbow
<cumbr[_at_]perkinscoie.com> Received on Thu Jul 23 1998 - 15:56:53 GMT