{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/59.1-256.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/59.1-256.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/59.1-256.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/59.1-256.html"}],"law_id":372851,"edition_id":2,"section_id":372851,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-256","catch_line":"Purpose of chapter","history":"1978, c. 764.","full_text":"The purpose of this chapter is to establish fair and open procedures for the bidding and negotiation for the right to exhibit motion pictures within the Commonwealth in order to prevent unfair and deceptive acts or practices and unreasonable restraints of trade in the business of motion picture distribution within the Commonwealth, to promote fair and effective competition in that business, and to ensure that exhibitors have the opportunity to view a motion picture and know its contents before committing themselves to exhibiting it in their communities.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1390516,"text":"The purpose of this chapter is to establish fair and open procedures for the bidding and negotiation for the right to exhibit motion pictures within the Commonwealth in order to prevent unfair and deceptive acts or practices and unreasonable restraints of trade in the business of motion picture distribution within the Commonwealth, to promote fair and effective competition in that business, and to ensure that exhibitors have the opportunity to view a motion picture and know its contents before committing themselves to exhibiting it in their communities.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":53045,"edition_id":2,"name":"Virginia Motion Picture Fair Competition Act","identifier":"20","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":39,"parent_id":53010,"metadata":{"child_laws":7,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:10:16","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:28","permalink":{"id":1487251,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53045,"identifier":"20","token":"59.1\/20","url":"\/59.1\/20\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53010,"edition_id":2,"name":"Trade and Commerce","identifier":"59.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":127,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":861,"child_structures":141},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:09:52","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:19","permalink":{"id":1486523,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53010,"identifier":"59.1","token":"59.1","url":"\/59.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":372850,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-255","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/59.1-255\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-255","metadata":false},{"id":372851,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-256","catch_line":"Purpose of chapter","url":"\/59.1-256\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-256","metadata":false},{"id":372852,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-257","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/59.1-257\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-257","metadata":false},{"id":372853,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-258","catch_line":"\"Blind bidding\" prohibited","url":"\/59.1-258\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-258","metadata":false},{"id":372854,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-259","catch_line":"Bidding procedures","url":"\/59.1-259\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-259","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":372855,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-260","catch_line":"Civil enforcement; injunction","url":"\/59.1-260\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-260","metadata":{"court_decisions":""}},{"id":372856,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-261","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/59.1-261\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-261","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":372850,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-255","catch_line":"Short title","url":"\/59.1-255\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-255","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":372852,"structure_id":53045,"section_number":"59.1-257","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/59.1-257\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-257","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/59.1-256\/","history_text":"<p>This law was first created in 1978. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 764 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1978 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1487257,"object_type":"law","relational_id":372851,"identifier":"59.1-256","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-256","url":"\/59.1-256\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/59.1-256\/","token":"59.1\/20\/59.1-256","dublin_core":{"Title":"Purpose of chapter","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 59.1-256","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The purpose of this chapter is to establish fair and open procedures for the bidding and negotiation for the right to <span class=\"dictionary\">exhibit<\/span> <span class=\"dictionary\">motion<\/span> pictures within the Commonwealth in <span class=\"dictionary\">order<\/span> to prevent unfair and deceptive acts or practices and unreasonable restraints of trade in the business of <span class=\"dictionary\">motion<\/span> picture distribution within the Commonwealth, to promote fair and effective competition in that business, and to ensure that <span class=\"dictionary\">exhibitors<\/span> have the opportunity to view a <span class=\"dictionary\">motion<\/span> picture and know its contents before committing themselves to exhibiting it in their communities.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPURPOSE OF CHAPTER (\u00a7 59.1-256)\n\nThe purpose of this chapter is to establish fair and open procedures for the\nbidding and negotiation for the right to exhibit motion pictures within the\nCommonwealth in order to prevent unfair and deceptive acts or practices and\nunreasonable restraints of trade in the business of motion picture distribution\nwithin the Commonwealth, to promote fair and effective competition in that\nbusiness, and to ensure that exhibitors have the opportunity to view a motion\npicture and know its contents before committing themselves to exhibiting it in\ntheir communities.\n\nHISTORY: 1978, c. 764.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}