Super Bowl Viewing Event Cancelled at Salem Public Library

Salem-News.com

SALEM - Salem Public Library has cancelled plans to show Super Bowl XLI in Loucks Auditorium on Sunday afternoon.

The library cancelled promptly after learning of National Football League rules that disallow "mass out-of-home viewing" of the Super Bowl if the image shown is to exceed 55 inches.

The NFL cites this as a violation of copyright laws.

The library had planned to project the game on the big screen in the auditorium.

Stories indicated that exceptions to the NFL ban are made for sports bars and other businesses that show televised sports as a part of theireveryday operations.

Library research prior to Friday afternoon had not identified any concerns with airing the Super Bowl as a free, community event.

While unfortunate I do believe that sports bars have to pay a licensing fee to show any sporting events on larger screens.

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