HBO (Warning/Copyright Screens)

Credits

Background

In 1981, HBO briefly displayed a copyright warning screen at the end of their broadcast day. This practice ended on December 25, 1981, when HBO completed its transition to 24-hour broadcasting to compete with rival network Showtime. From there on, the copyright warnings were placed typically before broadcasts.

1st Screen (June 17-December 31, 1981)

• 

Screen: On a medium dark shade blue background, the following copyright warning appears in a small white Helvetica font with a black shadow:

THE HOME BOX OFFICE PAY TELEVISION SERVICE IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. © 1981 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of the service may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of Home Box Office, Inc.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.

Availability: It was seen at the end of HBO's broadcast day until December 25, 1981, when HBO begun broadcasting 24 hours a day.

2nd Screen (January 1, 1982-October 31, 1997)

Screen: Same as before, but the background is black, the text has no shadow, and the copyright now changes every year.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.

3rd Screen (February 1, 2002-March 2, 2006)

Screen: On a letterboxed black background with colorful designs, we see this yellow copyright text:

THE HOME BOX OFFICE(R) PAY TELEVISION SERVICE
IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE A DIVISION OF
AOL TIME WARNER ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, L.P.
©[YEAR] HOME BOX OFFICE A DIVISION OF
AOL TIME ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY, L.P.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN
PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE.

Variants:

• Until 2004, the background's designs would change every year.
• Starting in 2003, the text reads:

THE HOME BOX OFFICE(R)
PAY TELEVISION SERVICE IS A
PRODUCTION OF
HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
©[YEAR] HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE
REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN
ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN
PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE

• Starting in 2004, the text is white and a entirely new background is used. The text here reads:

THE HOME BOX OFFICE(R) PAY TELEVISION SERVICE
IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
©[YEAR] HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FROM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN
PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.

4th Screen (March 3-December 31, 2006)

Screen: On a maroon-red filmstrip background with a colorful room, we see this black copyright text:

THE HBO(R) PAY TELEVISION SERVICE
IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
©2006 HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.

The URL "HBO.COM" is below the copyright.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.

5th Screen (January 1, 2007-April 1, 2011)

Screen: On a green, gray, off-white, blue and black patterned background, we see this black copyright text:

THE HOME BOX OFFICE(R) IS A PAY TELEVISION SERVICE
IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
©[YEAR] HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE
WRITTEN PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.

The URL "HBO.COM" is shown below the copyright.

Variants:

• In 2009, the text was updated. It now begins with "THE HBO(R) IS A PAY TELEVISION SERVICE IS A PRODUCTION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC."
• In 2010, the text was rearranged and given a new font. It now reads:

HBO(R) IS A PAY TELEVISION SERVICE
OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.
(R) & ©[YEAR] HOME BOX OFFICE, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
NO PART OF THE SERVICE MAY BE REPRODUCED OR
TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM WITHOUT THE WRITTEN
PERMISSION OF HOME BOX OFFICE, INC.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.

6th Screen (April 2, 2011-July 4, 2014)

Screen: On the same background as the 2006 rating bumpers, we see this black copyright text:

©[YEAR] Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
HBO(R) and related channels and service marks
are the property of Home Box Office, Inc.

Technique: None.

Audio: None.