Team Utah* is pleased to announce that Los Angeles-based entertainment firm MPLC (Motion Picture Licensing Corporation) has opened an office in the city of Sandy. The company anticipates adding 20 jobs there.

“We welcome MPLC to Utah,” said Dan Hemmert, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. “In Sandy, they’ve selected a city with a wealth of talented professionals, high quality of living, and business-friendly environment.”

MPLC supports the intellectual property rights of the creative community by granting the Umbrella License® to businesses, organizations, and governments that wish to show copyrighted movies, television, and other audiovisual content in public. According to the U.S. Copyright Act, copyrighted motion pictures and other audiovisual works (such as broadcast, cable, or satellite television; DVDs; downloads or streaming services) are intended for personal, private use and require a public performance license when shown in public.

“We’re thrilled to be in Sandy,” said Dave Davis, President of the Americas at MPLC. “This is one of the most dynamic business environments in America and working in the shadow of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains is a nice perk.”

Copyright is often misunderstood, Davis said. “That’s why we take an educational approach to granting Umbrella Licenses. We are thrilled with how well our first Utah-based hires are doing. They are passionate about their work in supporting the creative community.”

“We are very excited to have MPLC here in Sandy City.Sandy is known for the diversity of corporations based here, and we are grateful to add MPLC to that mix,” said Nick Duerksen, Sandy Economic Development Director.“The unique talents and skilled employees that MPLC will bring adds to the sophistication of Sandy’s business base and is in keeping with the City’s goal to add high-quality companies and employment.”

Utah ranks 8th nationally for percent of arts-related businesses, according to a recent Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) Arts industry profile. “The 2019 study we performed found that Utah’s creative industry has generated more than $10 billion in annual economic impact state-wide and created more than 50,000 total jobs,” said Theresa A. Foxley, President and CEO of EDCUtah. “MPLC is a welcome addition to our arts and entertainment industry.”

Erin Farr, senior business development manager, led this project for EDCUtah.

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For more information on this or other projects, contact Colby Cooley, vice president of business development, at 801-323-4250, ccooley@edcutah.org.

*Team Utah is a public-private partnership including the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, EDCUtah, and – in the case of Project Academy Awards – the city of Sandy.

Investors: If you were involved in this project and would like to add your organization to this announcement, please email connect@edcutah.org.