Is it legal to use scenes from famous TV show FRIENDS to create pop up museum in New York city?

[Maksim Kondratenko]

Hello, dear attorneys.

Me and my wife fans of famous TV show Friends and we realized why we can not create Museum of Friends. We want to use for that following parts:

1. Full-scale set of Monica's apartment.
2. A full scale set of Joey and Chandler's apartment.
3. The Central Perk sofa and a bunch of original props.
4. “Smelly Cat” scene.
5. The iconic fountain with umbrellas.
6. “Couch pivot” scene.
7. “Monica has a turkey on her head” scene.

And our question is it legal or not or we have to request copyright permission?
Thank you in advance.

 

[cbg]

You need written authorization from whoever owns the copyright. Quincy will be by to give you more specifics, but no, you cannot legally do this without permission.

 

[FlyingRon]

Violation of copyright and trademark. Warner Brothers has the rights to a whole slew of Friends related marks including Central Perk.
Warner Brothers, by the way, is probably second only to Disney in aggressive defense of their property.

 

[Just Blue]

It's a cute idea though...

 

[quincy]

Where are you located, Maksim?

I don't have much to add to what you have already been told by others.

Warner Brothers holds rights in Friends and you would need to seek permission from Warner Brothers Studio to open a Friends museum. I think the odds of Warner Brothers granting permission are probably not great.

Warner Brothers does studio tours in Los Angeles, which includes a tour of the original set of "Central Perk."

Those who take the tour can stop for coffee at "Central Perk" and tour goers can also find cookies for sale of Monica's apartment.

Despite the number of years Friends has been off the air, Warner Brothers still makes a lot of money off the series and products related to it.

 

[FlyingRon]

The show isn't off the air, it's quite active in syndication. They just aren't making new ones. Oddly, Jennifer Aniston is complaining she's having a hard time since it's gone... I guess no one ever told her life was going to be this way (clap, clap, clap, clap).

 

[Just Blue]

The show isn't off the air, it's quite active in syndication. They just aren't making new ones. Oddly, Jennifer Aniston is complaining she's having a hard time since it's gone... I guess no one ever told her life was going to be this way (clap, clap, clap, clap).

It might be that poor ol' Jen isn't a very good actress. ...Although Meet the Millers is a funny movie.

 

[quincy]

The show isn't off the air, it's quite active in syndication. They just aren't making new ones. Oddly, Jennifer Aniston is complaining she's having a hard time since it's gone... I guess no one ever told her life was going to be this way (clap, clap, clap, clap).

I understand it's in syndication. Sorry. I meant to say that new episodes are not being created.

I think all of the Friends actors are making what most of us would consider good income from the show's syndication. Warner Brothers is estimated to make about a billion dollars a year from the series and each of the actors are said to make about $20 million a year off their former roles.

I don't think Warners Brothers is likely to grant to Maksim rights to create a Friends museum in New York - but Maksim can always ask.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Since this is sort of on topic. Millennials seem to think that "Friends" is transphobic, homophobic and sexist. And are upset at Netflix for airing it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/friends-netflix-sexist-racist-transphobic-problematic-millenials-watch-a8154626.html

 

[quincy]

There will always be some objections by some people to any show or show plot lines.

In my opinion, it is a bit silly. Those who object can turn off their TVs. If really upset, they can write to the studio and/or network and/or sponsors of the show.

 

[Just Blue]

Since this is sort of on topic. Millennials seem to think that "Friends" is transphobic, homophobic and sexist. And are upset at Netflix for airing it.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/friends-netflix-sexist-racist-transphobic-problematic-millenials-watch-a8154626.html

Oh Brother...

 

[Just Blue]

There will always be some objections by some people to any show or show plot lines.

In my opinion, it is a bit silly. Those who object can turn off their TVs. If really upset, they can write to the studio and/or network and/or sponsors of the show.

Remember the fuss over All in the Family? I think that is one of the best/most intelligent sitcoms ever.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

This does show why many Millennials are called snowflakes. I've watched every episode of Friends more than once and no reasonable person would find it any of those things especially in the context of the 1990's early 2Ks. It is like watch Roots and saying it is pro slavery because it shows slavery.

 

[quincy]

One has it in their power to not watch any TV program that offends them.

That said, there is a lot that was aired on TV years ago that does not age well. Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners comes to mind.

These shows, among other things in life, need to be placed in the context of their time.

A discussion can be held elsewhere, if people want to continue, so as to not hijack Maksim's thread.

 

[Taxing Matters]

This does show why many Millennials are called snowflakes. I've watched every episode of Friends more than once and no reasonable person would find it any of those things especially in the context of the 1990's early 2Ks. It is like watch Roots and saying it is pro slavery because it shows slavery.

But we live in ultra PC times, and its not just millennials (though they seem more prone to it than earlier generations). Jerry Seinfeld remarked not long ago that many episodes of his famous self-titled series could not be made today because they would offend the PC crowd, yet taken in context I do not find that series offensive. Indeed, some of the epsiodes that people seem to object to are wickedly funny. Other comedians, too, all of them from generations earlier than millennials, have said that the current PC attitudes are killing comedy. You can see a brief run down of seven famous comedians' views on that here: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/the-conversation/sd-mel-brooks-comedians-say-political-correctness-killing-comedy-20170922-htmlstory.html