Originally posted by: Gaffer Tape
I had no idea that 35 mm prints were illegal to own. Why is that? And, if so, where do all these private collectors with copies of Star Wars come from, and how is it they're not raided?

EDIT: Or do they simply have negatives, which may or may not be okay? I don't know.

I would think that someone who had a large collection of 35mm films would not advertise the fact. However, the FBI probably has better things to do nowadays that confiscate reels of illegally-owned 35mm movies, especially if somebody owns only one or two films.

Owning a 35mm negative would definitely not be OK, since there are so few of them, and there would be no other way to get them than to steal them, since only the owners of the film would have a legitimate reason to be in possession of a negative. I'd say that whoever owns the copyright to a particular film would consider that to be even a more serious offense than owning a 35mm print, since negatives are so precious and irreplaceable.

And yes, movie theaters rent movie prints, then are supposed to return them when they're finished with them.