 26 Mar 2007 @ 19:25, by Unknown
The Profit is a feature film written and directed by Peter N. Alexander in 2001. Little seen, it is notable primarily because worldwide distribution of the film is prohibited by an American court order, the result of a lawsuit by the Church of Scientology.
The producers of the film have a court hearing today to ask that the injunction on the film's distribution be lifted.
The story so far:
"The Church of Scientology, had obtained an injunction against the showing of the independent film The Profit. Scientology is currently facing a lawsuit for the abuse and wrongful death of one of its members, Lisa McPherson, who died while being held against her will at the cult's headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. The supposed purpose of the injunction is to prevent influencing the jury pool in that upcoming trial.
However, Senior Circuit Judge Robert E. Beach did not stop there. He crossed out the proposed language limiting the scope of the injunction to the geographical jurisdiction of his court. The injunction he issued in April 2002 applied worldwide, and continues to this day! It has completely prevented release of the film."
This type of denial of First Amendment rights is unprecedented in the history of US cinema.
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