Cinema clearly takes precedence over DVD

 As long as a film is still showing in cinemas, it may not be available to rent or buy as a DVD. This was reiterated by the Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday with the confirmation of a ruling against a Geneva video club. The Swiss distributor of the two films "Million Dollar Baby" and "The Merchant of Venice" had filed a lawsuit against a Geneva video club in 2005. The store had offered 180 DVDs of the two films originating from North America for sale and rental. This took place while the films were still being shown in cinemas in Geneva. According to the Urbeil, copyright law prohibits the sale or rental of films that are still being shown in cinemas.
Now that the Federal Court has confirmed the decision of the Geneva Cantonal Court, the video club must pay CHF 16,000 in damages. As the Swiss Video Association and the industry association ProCinema state in a press release, all video clubs will be informed of the decision.