Key definitions
Key Definitions and Terms
These are the precise legal definitions of some of the commonly used words and phrases seen on this site.
You can also view a full list of definitions here
- Publication (information on computer files as publications here.)
- Film
- Objectionable (goes to legislation.govt.nz website)
- Advertising poster
- Authorised distributor
- Book
- Exhibit to the public (in relation to a film)
- Film poster
- Premises
- Prohibited grounds of discrimination (goes to knowledge-basket.co.nz)
- Public display
- Rating
- Supply to the public (in relation to a film)
- Video game
- Video recording
- Video slick
- Wholesale distributor
- Classification
- Description
"Advertising poster" means any poster, placard, photograph, or other printed pictorial matter that is intended for use in the advertising of any publication (other than a film) to the public; and includes a miniature representation of the whole or part of any such poster; and also includes any enlarged representation of the whole or any part of any such poster:
"Authorised distributor'', in relation to a publication, means---
(a) The person who appears to the Classification Office to be lawfully entitled to distribute the publication in New Zealand; or
(b) Where there is no such person, the owner of the publication:
"Book"---
(a) Means any book, magazine, or periodical, whether in manuscript or final form; but
(b) Does not include a newspaper published at intervals of less than one month:
"Exhibit to the public", in relation to a film,---
(a) Means to screen or arrange or organise the screening of, or to assist any other person to screen or arrange or organise the screening of, the film---
(i) To the public, or any section of the public; or
(ii) To any group or class of persons otherwise than in a private residence,-- whether or not a charge is made for admission to the premises in which the exhibition is held; but
(b) Does not include the broadcasting of the film;---
and "public exhibition" has a corresponding meaning:
"Film" means a cinematograph film, a video recording, and any other material record of visual moving images that is capable of being used for the subsequent display of those images; and includes any part of any film, and any copy or part of a copy of the whole or any part of a film:
"Film poster" means any poster, placard, video slick, photograph, or other printed pictorial matter that is intended for use in the advertising or exhibition of any film to the public; and
includes a miniature representation of the whole or part of any such poster; and also includes any enlarged representation of the whole or any part of any such poster:
"Premises'' means any building, enclosure, ground, or open-air space:
"Publication" means---
(a) Any film, book, sound recording, picture, newspaper, photograph, photographic negative, photographic plate, or photographic slide:
(b) Any print or writing:
(c) a paper or other thing that has printed or impressed upon it, or otherwise shown upon it, 1 or more (or a combination of 1 or more) images, representations, signs, statements, or words:
(d) a thing (including, but not limited to, a disc, or an electronic or computer file) on which is recorded or stored information that, by the use of a computer or other electronic device, is capable of being reproduced or shown as 1 or more (or a combination of 1 or more) images, representations, signs, statements, or words:
"Public display",---
(a) In relation to a publication, means the display of that publication in a public place in circumstances that may reasonably be taken to indicate that the publication is available for supply:
(b) In relation to an advertising poster or a film poster, means the display of the poster in a public place in circumstances that may reasonably be taken to indicate that the publication to which the poster relates is available for supply:
"Rating'' means the description of the audience for which a film is suitable (as determined in accordance with regulations made under this Act) assigned to a film under this Act:
"Supply to the public", in relation to a film,---
(a) Means supply by way of sale, hire, exchange, or loan, in the course of any business; and includes sale, hire, exchange, or loan by---
(i) Any public library; or
(ii) Any club or association, whether public or private, and whether incorporated or unincorporated, that, as part of its activities, makes films available to its members; but
(b) Does not include any supply of any film to any person who makes or distributes or supplies films, unless that person intends to supply that film to the public or, in the case of a club or association to which paragraph (a) (ii) of this definition applies, to its members;---
and "public supply" has a corresponding meaning:
"Video game" means any video recording that is designed for use wholly or principally as a game:
"Video recording" means any disc, magnetic tape, or solid state recording device containing information by the use of which one or more series of visual images may be produced electronically and shown as a moving picture:
"Video slick", in relation to a video recording, means any leaflet or notice (whether with or without illustrations or photographs) that contains information about the video recording and is intended to be affixed to, or inserted inside any sleeve of, any display case:
"Wholesale distributor" means any person who imports for sale in New Zealand otherwise than to the public any printed matter published outside New Zealand:
"Classification" means the classification given to a publication under section 23 or section 55 or section 56 of this Act:
"Description" means the description of the contents of a film assigned to it under this Act: