Man Wins Case Against PVR Over Long Movie Ad Delays

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Bengaluru consumer court ruled PVR and INOX must list actual movie start times on tickets, not ad start times.
• PVR and INOX were found guilty of unfair trade practices for airing long commercials before movie screenings.
• Cinemas ordered to stop airing ads beyond the scheduled movie start time, compensating the complainant Rs. 28,000.
• The court emphasized that advertisements should not exceed government-mandated PSA durations of 10 minutes.
• The ruling rejected PVR's claim that delays were to accommodate latecomers, calling it unfair to punctual viewers.

A Bengaluru consumer court has ordered PVR Cinemas and INOX to list the actual movie start time on tickets, instead of the time advertisements begin. This decision followed a complaint against PVR, INOX, and BookMyShow over long ad durations before screenings. The ruling was made by a bench led by president M Shobha, with members K Anita Shivakumar and Suma Anil Kumar, as reported by Bar and Bench.

The complainant, Abhishek MR, claimed that PVR Cinemas wasted approximately 25 minutes of his time by airing long commercial ads before the screening of Sam Bahadur in 2023. He argued that the delay threw off his schedule, making it challenging for him to return to work as intended.

The court ruled that BookMyShow was not at fault, as it had no control over screening times or pre-movie ads. However, it found PVR and INOX guilty of unfair trade practices, stating that moviegoers should not have their time wasted with long commercials during a time intended for the film.

The Bengaluru consumer court criticized cinemas for forcing audiences to watch lengthy advertisements before movies, labeling it an unfair practice that wastes viewers' time.

“In the new era, time is considered as money, each one's time is very precious, no one has the right to gain benefit out of others time and money. 25-30 (minutes) is not less to sit idle in the theatre and watch whatever the theatre telecasts. It is very hard for busy people with tight schedules watching unnecessary advertisements. However, they make their own arrangements to get some relaxation with their family. (This does) not mean that people have no other work to do," the forum stated.

The Bengaluru consumer court directed PVR Cinemas and INOX to display the actual movie start time on tickets. It also ordered the multiplex chains to cease airing advertisements beyond the scheduled showtime printed on tickets, deeming it an unfair trade practice.

In its ruling, the forum directed PVR and INOX to compensate the complainant with Rs. 20,000 for mental distress and inconvenience, along with Rs. 8,000 for legal expenses. Additionally, PVR and INOX were ordered to pay Rs. 1 lakh in punitive damages for unfair trade practices, with the amount to be deposited into the consumer welfare fund within 30 days, as per the February 15 order.

PVR Cinemas and INOX argued that screening public service announcements (PSAs) before movies is a legal obligation mandated by the government to promote awareness of social issues.

The consumer forum acknowledged this but noted that government guidelines cap PSA duration at 10 minutes. It ruled that these announcements should be displayed before the movie's scheduled start time, as indicated on the tickets.

"PVR and INOX can telecast only PSAs 10 minutes prior to the movie as per the guidelines," the commission stated.

The consumer forum observed that 95% of the ads shown before the complainant’s movie screening were commercial advertisements, rather than government-mandated PSAs.

The forum also rejected PVR Cinemas' claim that the complainant violated anti-piracy laws by filming the ads. It clarified that he only recorded the ads, not the movie, and did so in the public interest, which cannot be deemed illegal.

Additionally, PVR and INOX argued that longer ad breaks accommodate latecomers delayed by security checks. The commission dismissed this argument, stating that it is unfair to make punctual viewers sit through lengthy ads.