PolyGram Video/USA Home Entertainment (Warning Screens)

North American Warnings

1st Warning (1982-1990)

Warning: On a black background, we see a blue bar with "WARNING" (with a black drop shadow) in white and italics. There is white warning text below the bar.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on PolyGram Video releases of the era. On PolyGram Music Video releases, it appears at the end rather than the beginning.

2nd Warning (1990-1997)

Warning: On a black background, there is a red rectangle with the standard white FBI letters and logo. At the right of the screen is white text with a red "WARNING" at the top.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare. Mostly appeared on releases with the "VHS Assembly" logo. One release with this warning is NFL CrunchCourse. Also appeared on the first tapes with the 1993 logo. Canadian copies of PolyGram releases from this time have this too, and a good example is the 1992 VHS of Essential Opera. It still appeared on some tapes with the "Red Line of Doom" logo, mostly NFL releases and early Mighty Morphin Power Rangers releases, used in tandem with the next warning.

3rd Warning (Canada, 1992-2003)

Warning: On a blue background, we see the warning text scrolling up. The word "WARNING" is above a red line. It is then followed by its French translation with the word "ATTENTION" above a red line.

Variant: Most releases use only the English or French version of this warning, depending on the language. On some VHS tapes it uses both languages. From 1992 to 1993, the warning was spaced.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on all Canadian PolyGram Video releases from 1992-1999, such as Mr. Bean, and on English VHS releases by Malofilm from 1992-1997. Can also be found on some Périodica Vidéo releases, on a Koch International VHS of Backlash: Oblivion 2, and on certain Seville Pictures DVD and VHS releases from 1997-2003. It's also seen on the Canadian VHS of Air Bud and TVA International videos.

4th Warning (1993-2002)

Warning: On a black background, we see the words "FBI WARNING" in Futura. The "G" is slightly lowered compared to the rest of the phrase. Below is the white warning text in Helvetica. This is almost the same as the enhanced variant of Universal Pictures warning.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on all USA Home Entertainment releases, as well as PolyGram Video releases from 1993 to 1999. Also seen on several Sterling Home Entertainment releases and some WarnerVision/KidVision releases. It is unknown whether this was translated into Spanish for their Spanish-dubbed tape of The Borrowers. Tapes from their subsidiary Manga Entertainment, at least in the United States, had their own warning screens, detailed below, though this does appear on their initial DVD of Ghost in the Shell, which PolyGram released directly.

5th Warning (1994-1995)

Warning: On a black background, we see a red bar with the silver words "FBI WARNING". Below is the standard warning text.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on early Manga tapes in the United States, including Black Magic M-66 and the Patlabor movies.

6th Warning (1995-1997)

Warning: On a white background, we see a black rectangle with the standard FBI letters and logo. To its left is the word "WARNING" in red, and below that, the standard warning text.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on many PolyGram-era tapes from Manga Entertainment, including Macross II, Ghost in the Shell, and Dangaioh.

7th Warning (1997-2005)

Warning: Similar to the 5th warning, except it's all 2D ("FBI WARNING" in particular is now white with a black border, and the bar at the top is now a solid red without a border), the warning text is also in a different font and arranged differently, and "FBI WARNING" is also smaller.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on later PolyGram-era tapes from Manga Entertainment, including Psychic Wars, and also on all tapes distributed by Palm Pictures, including X, The Castle of Cagliostro, and Rayearth.

International Warnings

United Kingdom and Australia

1st Warning (1981-1986)

Warning: On a black background, this text is shown in white:

WARNING All rights of the
producer and of the owner
of the work reproduced
reserved. Unauthorised
copying, hiring, lending
public performance, radio
or TV broadcasting of this
video recording prohibited.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen at the end of the first PolyGram Video releases in the UK, such as Rankin/Bass' The Flight of Dragons and The Wind in the Willows. Also appears on many PolyGram rental releases of Spectrum Video material, including Endless Love, An American Werewolf in London, King of the Mountain, McVicar and Quadrophenia.

2nd Warning (1983-1992)

TBA.

3rd Warning (1984-1993)

Warning A: On a black background, we see the word "WARNING" in orange, and below is the following text in orange:

All rights of the producer
and of the owner of the
work reproduced reserved.
Unauthorised copying,
hiring, lending, public
performance, radio or TV
broadcasting of this
video recording prohibited.
Warning B: After the above text fades out, we see the following text fade in, in exactly the same font as the first warning:This video cassette was
duplicated by Rank
Video Duplication on behalf
of PolyGram Video
and with their approval.

Variant: Sometimes, the duplication notice is absent. This can be seen on British 4 Front Video and Channel 5 Video VHS releases.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on all British PolyGram Video releases from the 1980's to 1993. It can also be found on releases from UK companies PolyGram acquired, such as Vision Video and Channel 5 Video releases.

4th Warning (1990-1999)

Warning:: On a black background is the following text, all scrolling up, and in capitals:

WARNING
THIS VIDEOGRAM IS FOR PRIVATE
DOMESTIC USE ONLY.
ALL UNAUTHORISED USES INCLUDING
COPYING, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE,
BROADCAST OR TRANSMISSION BY
DIFFUSION SERVICE OF THE WHOLE
OR PART OF THIS VIDEOGRAM
ARE PROHIBITED.
UNAUTHORISED USE MAY INCUR
DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF
COPYRIGHT AND CRIMINAL
PENALTIES OF UP TO FIVE YEARS
IMPRISONMENT AND FINES OF UP
TO $50,000 PER OFFENCE FOR
INDIVIDUALS AND $250,000 PER
OFFENCE FOR CORPORATIONS.

Variant I:: On later years, different font, similar to Helvetica, was used.

Variant II:: On later releases with the certain tapes, the text is replaced by the following:

WARNING

The Copyright Proprietor Has Licensed
The Picture And Soundtrack Contained In
This Video Cassette For Private Home
Use Only.
It Is An Infringement Of Australian
Copyright Laws To Copy, Reproduce,
Show In Public Including Hotels And
Motels In Whole Or In Part.
Violators Are Subject To Criminal And Or
Civil Prosecution.

FX/SFX:: The text scrolling up.

Music/Sounds:: None.

Availability:: Seen on PolyGram releases in Australia, such as It's Fun to Learn with Spot Colors and Shapes, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Out of Africa (Universal) and Hard Target (Universal).

5th Warning (1993-1997)

Warning: On a black background, we see the word "WARNING" in the same font as the 1993 PolyGram logo in white, and below is the following text (also in white):

The copyright proprietors have licensed
the cinematograph film and sound
recording contained in this videogram
for private home use only.

All other rights reserved. Any
unauthorised use including copying,
editing, exhibiting, renting, lending,
diffusion, hiring, public performance,
radio or television broadcasting
or otherwise dealing with this
videogram or any part thereof is
strictly prohibited.

FX/SFX: The fading of the text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on British PolyGram Video releases from 1993-1997, as well as some American releases.

6th Warning (1997-1999)

Warning: On a black background, we see the word "WARNING" in white, and below is the white warning text from the previous warning.

FX/SFX: The fading of the text.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on British PolyGram Video releases from 1997-1999.