US: Regal Ordered to stop blocking one movie theater’s access

iPic, a pioneering industry leader of award-winning night-out entertainment destinations that include luxury movie theaters and restaurants, today announced that it has secured an injunction from a Texascourt that prevents Regal Entertainment from continuing to engage in anticompetitive “clearances” as part of Regal’s efforts to prevent the licensing of first-run movies to iPic’s theater in Houston, Texas.

In a lawsuit filed in November 2015 in the 234th District Court in Harris County, Texas, iPic sought a temporary injunction order to halt unfair and anticompetitive business practices by Regal, the largest theater circuit in the nation. Regal has been using its dominant market position to prevent the licensing of first-run films to iPic® in Houston that would be played in the same market at the same time, an effort calculated to cripple the Houston iPic theater from competing.

In the two months since the new iPic Houston theater has been open, Regal has illegally and repeatedly coerced studios to exclude iPic’s theater from being able to show popular first-run films including “The Hateful 8,” “Ride Along 2,” and “The Revenant.” In addition the lawsuit recounts specific other examples around the country where Regal threatened boycotts of specific movie studios, and the first-run films they produce, if smaller boutique theaters were given licensing rights to such releases.

“iPic is extremely pleased that the Court ordered Regal to immediately stop its anticompetitive campaign,” Hamid Hashemi, President & CEO of iPic Entertainment said. “We’re thrilled to be able to play all pictures at our iPic theater in the River Oaks District. This is good for our guests, for the industry, and for iPic.”

Full content: The Hollywood Reporter

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