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OREM, Utah (AP) -- Proponents of "cleaner" Hollywood films are circulating a petition that asks movie producers to let the public buy edited versions of their work already shown on commercial airlines.
Daniel Thompson, owner of CleanFlicks, an Orem film-editing business ordered by the federal courts to shut down, wrote the petition.
CleanFlicks was one of several companies caught in a three-year legal battle with 16 Hollywood directors, after the companies deleted objectionable language, sex and violence from some films and then sold or rented them to customers.
A federal judge last month said such sanitizing of movies on DVD or VHS tape violated copyright laws and ordered the companies to stop.
Thompson said he'll close his business Sept 1., but believes there's a market for edited films. He said he had more than 2,000 customers.
Thompson's petition pushes for the Hollywood directors involved with the lawsuit to release edited versions of their films. Currently many producers and directors distributed edited versions of their films on airplanes, where R-rated movies are not allowed.
"This effort is like wrestling an 800-pound gorilla, but hopefully Hollywood will take note in a positive way and realize that releasing the airline versions of movies to the general public will benefit both those who support the petition and clean films as well as directors who would sell more movies," petition supporter Dana Robinson said.
Lynette Padilla was among the first to sign the petition during a party at Thompson's store Saturday. She said performers and directors should want as much exposure as possible.
"As it is, if moviemakers don't allow edited films to be used by the general public, their work won't get seen by some people at all," Padilla said.
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Information from: Deseret Morning News, http://www.deseretnews.com
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
