CLASSIFICATION AND RATING RULES

Effective as revised July 24, 2020

The Classification and Rating Administration ("CARA") and the Classification and Rating Appeals Board were established by the Motion Picture Association, Inc. ("MPA") and the National Association of Theatre Owners, Inc. ("NATO") as part of a voluntary system to provide information to parents to aid them in determining the suitability of individual motion pictures for viewing by their children. CARA is operated as an independent division of MPA. The CARA Rating Board issues ratings for motion pictures exhibited and distributed in the United States.

The Rating Board does not determine the content that may be included in motion pictures by filmmakers, nor does it evaluate the quality or social value of motion pictures. By issuing a rating, it seeks to inform parents of the level of certain content in a motion picture (violence, sex, drugs, language, thematic material, adult activities, etc.) that parents may deem inappropriate for viewing by their children. It is not CARA's purpose to prescribe socially-appropriate values or to suggest any evolution of the values held by American parents, but instead to reflect the current values of the majority of American parents, so that parents benefit from and feel fairly informed by the ratings system.

ARTICLE I ORGANIZATION OF CLASSIFICATION AND RATING ADMINISTRATION

A. As outlined in these Rules, CARA rates motion pictures intended to be exhibited and distributed commercially to the public in the United States to provide parents information concerning the content of those motion pictures to help them determine each motion picture's suitability for viewing by their children.

B. The Rating Board of CARA is comprised as follows: (1) A Chairperson, appointed by the Chairman of the MPA with the concurrence of the President of NATO, who is ultimately responsible for the rating of all motion pictures submitted to CARA and for the operation and administration of CARA.

(2) Appropriate staff members, one of whom is designated Administrative Director by the Chairperson.

(3) Senior Raters, selected by the Chairperson from among the Raters, who have demonstrated experience and judgment in the rating of motion pictures. Senior Raters lead the deliberations of the Raters that result in the rating of individual motion pictures, then communicate with the rating contact for ratings about those motion pictures and ensure continuity and consistency of the ratings system.

(4) Raters, who participate in the rating of individual motion pictures together with the Chairperson and the Senior Raters. Raters serve for up to seven years, at the discretion of the Chairperson.

C. Each member of the Rating Board must be a parent and may not have any other affiliation with the entertainment industry. The Chairperson and Senior Raters may have children of any age. Raters must have children between the ages of five and fifteen when they join the Rating Board and must leave the Rating Board when all of their children have reached the age of twenty-one.

D. The Chairperson of CARA will develop and maintain a curriculum of relevant materials for the initial training of Raters and for periodic review with them of the standards applied by the majority of American parents to determine the motion picture content suitable for viewing by their children.

E. The identities of the Chairperson of CARA and of the Senior Raters will be disclosed to the public and to producers and distributors who submit motion pictures for rating by CARA. The identity of the other Raters will not be disclosed, to protect them from being subject to pressure from members of the public and producers and distributors of motion pictures with respect to the rating of individual motion pictures.

ARTICLE II SUBMISSION OF MOTION PICTURES FOR RATING

Section 1. Motion Pictures That May be Submitted for Rating

A. For purposes of these Rules, "motion picture" includes feature motion pictures and shorts. A “feature motion picture” is a film with a running time of greater than 30 minutes. A “short” is a motion picture that has a running time of 30 minutes or less, including all credits, that does not constitute advertising in the judgment of CARA and the Advertising Administration.

B. For purposes of these Rules, a motion picture is "exhibited" if it has been made commercially available for screening for paid admission in a commercial motion picture theatre for a run of at least seven consecutive days and has been advertised during that run in a manner considered normal and customary to the industry.

C. For purposes of these Rules, a motion picture is "distributed" if it has been made commercially available for sale or license to members of the public for personal home use.

D. CARA will rate any motion picture at any time before or after it is exhibited or distributed in the United States.

E. For purposes of these Rules, an "MPA member" is any member of the MPA, and any parent or subsidiary of such a member or of such a parent or subsidiary.

F. All motion pictures intended for exhibition in the United States produced or theatrically distributed by a member of the MPA must be submitted to CARA for rating.

Section 2. Procedures for Submitting Motion Pictures for Rating

A. CARA will issue a rating only after the Rating Board has viewed the completed motion picture.

B. The producer or distributor submitting a motion picture for rating by the Rating Board must complete the Submittal Agreement and must pay the applicable fee in accordance with the then-current uniform schedule of fees.

C. The producer or distributor submitting a motion picture for rating must designate a representative (the "rating contact") who is authorized to communicate with CARA and to accept the rating and rating descriptor.

D. The Rating Board may view multiple versions of the motion picture submitted by the producer or distributor prior to certification of the rating.

E. Every motion picture assigned a rating of PG, PG-13, R or NC-17 by the Rating Board also is assigned a "rating descriptor."

Section 3. Rating Classifications

A. Ratings and rating descriptors issued by CARA are intended to be used by parents to assist them in determining whether the motion picture is appropriate for their children to see.

B. CARA assigns one of the following ratings, with the following meanings, to each picture: (1) G - General Audiences: All Ages Admitted. (2) PG - Parental Guidance Suggested: Some Material May Not Be Suitable For Children. (3) PG-13 - Parents Strongly Cautioned: Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13. (4) R - Restricted: Children Under 17 Require Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian. (5) NC-17 - No One 17 and Under Admitted.

Section 4. Submission of Rated Motion Pictures for New and Different Ratings

A. CARA will replace a rating and rating descriptor for a motion picture with a rating and rating descriptor for a different version of the rated motion picture (also known as "re-rating" the motion picture) only if the originally rated version has not been exhibited or distributed in the United States.

ARTICLE III PROPER USE OF THE RATINGS

Section 1. Use of the Ratings

A. The G, PG, PG-13, R and NC-17 rating symbols and legends are Certification marks registered by the MPA with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

B. Once the rating and rating descriptor of a motion picture have been certified by CARA, all copies of that version of the motion picture that are exhibited or distributed in the United States must be identical to the copy rated by CARA.

C. A rating is issued by CARA on the condition that all of the terms and conditions stated in these Rules, the Submittal Agreement, the certification letter and the Rating Certificate are binding on the producer or distributor who submits the motion picture.

Section 2. Violation of the Rules; Sanctions

A. Any violation of these Rules, the submittal agreement, certification letter may be grounds for the imposition of sanctions.

B. The following sanction may be issued for violation of the rules governing the rating system: (1) CARA may revoke the rating issued to the motion picture; (2) The rating process may be suspended or the motion picture may be removed from the rating process entirely.

ARTICLE IV CLASSIFICATION AND RATING APPEALS BOARD

Section 1. Organization

A. The Classification and Rating Appeals Board ("Appeals Board") is composed of a Chairperson, three representatives designated by each member company of the MPA, the President of NATO or his/her representative, and others.

Section 2. Responsibilities of the Appeals Board and Observers

A. The Appeals Board hears and determines appeals by motion picture producers or distributors of ratings certified by the CARA Rating Board.

Section 3. Procedures for Filing Appeals

A. The producer or distributor of a motion picture may appeal a rating certified by CARA. B. An appeal from a rating certified by CARA must be instituted within specified timelines.