Legal Definitions - clearance

Definition: Clearance refers to:

1. Maritime law: The right of a ship to leave port or the certificate issued by the port collector that shows the ship's right to leave port.
2. Movie industry: The time that must pass between runs of the same movie within a particular area. It is a theater's exclusive right of exhibition over competing theaters.

Examples:

• A ship must obtain clearance from the port collector before leaving the port.
• A movie theater has clearance to show a particular movie exclusively for a certain period of time before other theaters can show it.

The first example illustrates the maritime law definition of clearance. It shows that a ship must have the right to leave port, which is granted by the port collector through a clearance certificate. The second example illustrates the movie industry definition of clearance. It shows that a theater has the exclusive right to show a movie for a certain period of time before other theaters can show it, which is known as clearance.