The US direct sale retailer Amway denies media reports that it blocked the screening of the Welcome to Life documentary at the Warsaw Film Festival.

In the statement published on Amway’s web site, the company says that the film was pulled from the festival, not because of Amway directly threatened Poland’s public broadcaster TVP - which owned the screening rights to the film - but because of an ongoing legal process between Amway and TVP.

In 1998, what are described as “private individuals” shown in Welcome to Life - a documentary critical of the US-based direct retailer, alleging practices which are against Polish law - took TVP, and Contra Studio, the producer of the film, to court. In 2005 the court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and banned TVP from showing and distributing the documentary.

TVP has not appealed from the ruling and the sentence is valid.

Independently, Amway is suing Contra Studio for creating a false image of the company in the documentary. This process is still in progress. Amway claims it petitioned to close the case but the defendant asked to hear other witness. (mg)

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Amway documentary removed from Warsaw film fest, thenews.pl, Oct 13