Parents at a California elementary school are voicing their frustration with Disney after a school fundraising event resulted in a hefty fine.
The PTA at Emerson Elementary School in Berkeley, Calif., showed the 2019 remake of 'The Lion King' during an event last year, CNN reported.
Five months later, the organization received a message from Swank Movie Licensing USA, which manages Disney’s copyright claims. The group told parents they owed $250 for screening the film "without the proper license".
The Emerson PTA said it was not aware it needed a Public Performance license required by U.S. copyright law in order to show the movie.
Parents were particularly frustrated that they now have to return almost one-third of the $800 they raised that night.
Lori Droste, a Berkeley City Council member, finds it "appalling" that Disney is having a copyright enforcer "chase after" the PTA.
"What I thought about what just the irony of having a multi-billion dollar company essentially ask a school to pay up.".
The PTA at Emerson isn’t putting up a fight though.
David Rose, the group’s president, told KPIX-TV that he plans to pay the fine, a cost the organization hopes to get back through online donations.
"The event made $800, so if we have to fork over a third of it to Disney, so be it.
You know, lesson learned"