Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Warning Screens

USA AND CANADA WARNINGS

1st Warning
(1970s-Early 1980s)

Warning: On a dark screen, we see the yellow words:

NOTICE: "LICENSED ONLY FOR
NON-COMMERCIAL PRIVATE
EXHIBITION IN HOMES. ALL RIGHTS
UNDER COPYRIGHT RESERVED"

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Extremely rare, as it appears at the beginning of some Disney Super 8mm digests from the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Warning
(1980-1983)

Warning: On a blue background, we see a black box with the letters "FBI" and the FBI logo below that on the left side of the screen. Above and to the right is the word "WARNING" in yellow and below that is the white warning text (shown above).

The screen fades to a blue screen with the yellow text (in Times New Roman font):

Licensed for private home exhibition
only. Any public performance, copying
or other use is strictly prohibited.
All other rights reserved.

Variants:

• The order of the screens is reversed on some videos.
• Canadian tapes replace the FBI screen with a third screen similar to the second, except in a Helvetica font. This variation is put before the standard warning text:

Duplication in whole or in
part of this videocassette
is prohibited.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None, which all these FBI warnings are famous for.

Availability: Appears on releases from 1980-1983, such as The Black Hole, Pete's Dragon, Escape to Witch Mountain, Tex, The Devil and Max Devlin, Night Crossing, Goofy Over Sports, Johnny Tremain and Storybook Classics.

Scare Factor: None.

3rd Warning
(1983-1984)

Warning: It's almost the same as the 1981-2004 Warner Home Video warning screen, but "WARNING" is gray and the background is poppy red.

Then the screen fades to the same blue "Licensed" screen mentioned above.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as before.

Availability: Seen on releases from 1983-1984 (excluding Canadian issues to have the For Sale Only Rental Prohibited, and Canadian blue warnings) such as Animal Quiz #1, Big Red, The Boatniks, In Search of the Castaways, Kidnapped, Lucky Luke: Daisy Town, Lucky Luke: The Ballad of Daltons, Snowball Express, Condorman and later printings of Tron. Can also be spotted on early Muppet Home Video releases, including Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas.

Scare Factor: Same as above.

4th Warning
(1984-1991)

Warning: On a white background, we see a red-orange vertical bar at the left of the screen containing the white text "FBI" and a white FBI logo below that. At the right of the bar, in the Exotic Bold font, is the standard FBI Warning text seen in 1 and 2. Each screen lasts about eight seconds before fading out.

Variants:

• Some releases in 1990-1991 would have all of the text in a Goudy Old Style font.
• Walt Disney World videos had all of the text in a different sans serif font. The warning text beside the FBI logo is black instead of the usual red. Also, the phrase "ANY PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, COPYING OR OTHER USE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED." is included in both screens.
• On some releases, the first screen would slideshow to the next, rather than fading out.
• There is a variant in which the second screen fades in to a red background, and the text fading in after that. This version has text that looks chyroned in.
• On Canadian releases only, there is a variant in which the warning text fades to red, and then the Duplication notice fades in. This verson has chyroned text.
• There is a special "rainbow" variant on videos from Walt Disney Educational Productions in the 1980s. Despite its nickname, however, the background is actually a lavender/prawn gradient.
• The protoype 1984 version has modified "Title 17" text. It can be seen on 1984 VHS releases of Splash, The Incredible Journey, Mickey's Christmas Carol and Disney's Halloween Treat.
• On the 1991 VHS release of Fantasia (one of the last VHS tapes to use this warning screen), length of time each warning is on screen is cut in half, making it four seconds instead of the usual eight.
• Sometimes, the red area will be gold instead.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as before.

Availability: Seen on VHS releases from 1984-1991, including Winnie the Pooh and Friends, The Juggler of Notre Dame, Never Cry Wolf, A Disney Christmas Gift, Robin Hood, The Vanishing Prairie, and Jungle Cat, among others. It is also seen on 1984-1991 Touchstone Home Video releases and early Hollywood Pictures Home Video releases as well. The version with the Goudy Old Style font was seen only on a few WDHV releases (including Disney Sing-Along Songs: You Can Fly, Sebastian's Caribbean Jamboree, Dinosaurs, and What About Bob?). The one with the different font can be seen on 1980s Walt Disney World promotional videos. The one with the font that fades in after the background is extremely rare, and can be seen on the original release of The Brave Little Toaster, the 1991 Canadian VHS print of The Rescuers Down Under, and the Mini-Classics releases of Peter and the Wolf and Willie the Operatic Whale. The "slideshow" variant with its original font can be spotted on the 1988 American print of Alice in Wonderland as well the 1987 releases of Starring Silly Symphonies, Starring Chip N Dale, and Starring Pluto and Fifi, the 1987 print of The Sword in the Stone (early printings from June 1987), Walt Disney Cartoon Classics: Special Edition (1988), Outrageous Fortune, and Stakeout. The prototype variation is rare. However, it can be spotted on the original 1984 tapes of Splash, The Incredible Journey, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Disney's Halloween Treat, Animal Quiz Volumes (4-6), Stories and Fables Volumes 7-8 and The Twelve Tasks of Asterix. Also found on Neon Mickey tapes from 1984-1986. Scare Factor: None to low.

5th Warning
(May 1986-Early 1987, 1989, 1991)

Warning: On a dark red background, we see a rounded rectangle with FBI and its logo on the side and the standard-issue warning on the other. Then it slideshows to the next logo, whose words are in a bold Helvetica font.

Canadian Variants: On Canadian pressings, the warning screen would slideshow to the Duplication notice. On French Canadian releases, the warnings are translated to French, and like its English counterpart, it follows the same format. This warning was used up until 1991 on Disney videos released in Quebec.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as before.

Availability: Rare. However, it can be found on the original Classics print of Sleeping Beauty, as well as the 1986 Classics reprint of Pinocchio and an early 1987 print of The Three Caballeros. It can also be seen on most 1986 Disney tapes (your best bet are ones that also have the Video Dealer Announcement on them). This was also found on the American issue of Ruthless People, while the Canadian version use the previous 1984 red orange warning screen (with the Video Dealer Announcement intact on both versions). For some reason, this was surprisingly spotted on demo tapes of Big Business, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Mr. Destiny, White Fang, Robin Hood, Shipwrecked, Run, and The Rescuers Down Under. It also appears on the 1991 promotional tapes of Run and Shipwrecked, However that surprisingly the 1990 Canadian print of Turner and Hooch have the 1986 Warning screen. Video Dealer Announcement was omitted on the original VHS/Beta release of Disney Sing-Along Songs: Heigh-Ho (later pre-1990 printings omitted the warning screens entirely) and the first five Walt Disney Cartoon Classics volumes. The first tape that used this warning, however, is the 1986 release of Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore (which was also the debut of the 1986 WDHV logo).

Scare Factor: None.

6th Warning
(September 7, 1991-May 29, 2000)

September 7, 1991-December 23, 1997

November 11, 1997-May 29, 2000

BVWD FBI Warning Screen 5a2.jpg

BVWD FBI Warning Screen 5b3.jpg

Warning: Same as the previous warning screen, except the background is grass green and the words are bolder.

Variants:

• Beginning in late 1997, the fonts were revised and the second screen was rephrased, replacing "LICENSED FOR PRIVATE HOME EXHIBITION ONLY" with "THIS VIDEOCASSETTE (or DVD or LASERDISC) IS FOR PRIVATE HOME VIEWING ONLY. IT IS NOT LICENSED FOR ANY OTHER USE." The fade in on this variant is also faster and the warning screens are digitally videotaped instead of telecined.
• A Spanish translation is used on Spanish-language tapes.
• The word "VIDEOCASSETTE" or "DVD" may be replaced with "VHS OR DVD" in the late 1997 version, as seen on 2006-2008 NCircle Entertainment home video releases, Cookie Jar home video releases from NCircle Entertainment, DHX Media home video releases from NCircle Entertainment and The Incredible World of DiC Home Entertainment home video releases from NCircle Entertainment.
• There is also a rare digitally-videotaped DVD variant of the 1991 warning screens available, with the FBI seal a bit bolder, the text in a Helvetica font and the lining of the text in the second screen spaced out vertically and horizontally.
• On some 1998-2000 DVD releases, the 1997 warning screens slideshow.
• On Descriptive Video Service VHS's, a DVS narrator reads out the warning. For example, on the DVS VHS of Toy Story, a young female narrator (Kria Sakakeeny) reads out the FBI Warning screen (preceded by "A warning appears") in part and the second screen in full.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as before.

Availability: On almost every Walt Disney Home Video release (standard, Classic, or Masterpiece) from the 90s. Can be spotted on any Buena Vista Home Video, Miramax, or Touchstone Pictures releases from the 90s, too. Also seen on NCircle/DiC DVD releases and DiC ToonTime Video tapes such as Sailor Moon. The DVD variant of the 1991 FBI screens can be found on the earliest Disney DVDs from 1997, such as Air Bud, George of The Jungle, Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, and a few others. It can also be seen on tapes from a few non-Disney/Buena Vista companies, like VCI videos from the late 90s (which only showed the first screen), and tapes from Everland/Word Entertainment. Strangely, it also appeared on DVD prints of Baby Einstein episodes from 2000 to 2002 (VHS prints had the 1988 IVE/LIVE/Artisan/Lionsgate warning instead) and appeared on Anchor Bay Entertainment releases of Disney films such as Big Red and The Cat from Outer Space. (VHS releases of these films Anchor Bay's standard warning). Don't expect to find this on Disney VHS releases of Baby Einstein, however; they either use no warning screen (instead sometimes opting for Baby Einstein's own special warning) or the 8th warning. Surprisingly, this appears as a box on a white background at the start of the 2015 documentary Strange Matters. Disney stopped using this warning on a regular basis in 2000, but some companies have adopted it for their own use: DiC Home Entertainment releases used the 1997 warnings, and so did Cookie Jar DVDs which have known to be released as late as 2010. The 1997 warnings were also used on VHS releases from AnimeVillage.com Home Entertainment (in which the first screen would slideshow to the next).

Scare Factor: None, unless the gold WDHV logo that sometimes follows this gives you chills.

7th Warning
(1991-Early 2000s)

Warning: An enhanced version of the 1984 warning. On a blue background, we see a red vertical bar at the left of the screen containing the white text "FBI" in bold and a colored FBI logo below that. At the right of the bar, in the Times New Roman font, is the standard FBI Warning text seen in 2 and 4.

FX/SFX: None.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Rare; seen on 1990s Walt Disney Educational Productions tapes, as well as Bill Nye the Science Guy DVDs from WDEP.

Scare Factor: Low to medium.

8th Warning
(May 30, 2000-October 25, 2005)

2003 FBI screen.jpg

BVWD FBI Warning Screen 6b3.jpg

Warning: Same as the 1999 First Look warning screen, but with the second screen using the 1997-2000 version now in lowercase except with the word "licensed" replaced by "authorized". On DVDs, the FBI Warning would cut right to the second screen instead of fading to black to the second screen, and the word "DVD" replaces "videocassette".

Variants:

• Beginning in mid-to-late 2003, the second screen was modified to include more info.
• A Spanish translation is used on Spanish-language North American tapes.
• On Canadian tapes (as well as DVD's), it skips to the 2nd screen.
• A French translation is used on Canadian French tapes.
• On DVDs and later VHS's, it slideshows.
• On the 2003 DVD of Unbreakable, after the 2nd warning, the first screen appears again only to break.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as warnings 2 to 6.

Availability: It first appeared on the 2000 VHS of Geppetto. It appears on all Disney/Buena Vista VHS/DVD releases from this era. It also appeared on the 2005 VHS of Herbie: Fully Loaded, released on October 25, 2005, despite the fact that the DVD uses the 11th warning. The 2000 warning screens also appeared on the 2005 DVD release of Pokemon: Destiny Deoxys.

Scare Factor: For earlier releases, same as the 6th warning. For later releases, none.

9th Warning
(2005-2012)

BVWD FBI Warning Screen 7a1.jpg

Warning: Same as the 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Anti-Piracy warning.

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Found on most Disney/Buena Vista releases from 2005-2012. However, Blu-ray releases had this warning until 2011. Strangely, Disney Movie Club Exclusive VHS releases from 2006-2007 (after Bambi II), such as the 2006 VHS releases of Valiant, the Platinum Edition of Lady and the Tramp, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Brother Bear 2, along with the extremely rare 2007 VHS of Cars, use no warning screen at all.

Scare Factor: None.

10th Warning
(2011-present)

Warning: For the first screen of the 9th warning, on a black background, we see the word "WARNING" at the top of the screen, in fire engine red, with Warning text in white. After the first one, it cuts to "ANTI-PIRACY WARNING", now in small fire engine red, with Warning text in white.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as warnings 2 to 6 and 8.

Availability: On most Disney/Buena Vista Blu-ray and DVD releases from this era.

Scare Factor: None.

11th Warning
(2013-present (Alternate)

Lionsgate Home Entertainment (Warning 2) (Part 1).jpg

Lionsgate Home Entertainment (Warning 2) (Part 2).jpg

Warning: On a black background, we see the "FBI ANTI-PIRACY WARNING" logo at the top from before, this time aligned to the left. To the right of the logo is the Department of Homeland Security badge. Below is the warning text.

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Same as before.

Scare Factor: None.

INTERNATIONAL WARNINGS

LATIN AMERICAN WARNINGS

1st Warning
(1986?-1991?)

Warning: On a white background, we see a warning that extremely resembles the 1986 English warning screen, except this time the rounded rectangle and warning text are dark red, while the FBI letters and seal inside the rectangle are white. It then fades to the second screen, which has the very small warning text on a dark red background.

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. It has been spotted on a 1986 Latin American Spanish VHS of Mary Poppins.

Scare Factor: None. It's actually, a very interesting take on the Disney warnings from the time.

2nd Warning
(1994-2000?)

TBA

3rd Warning
(2000-2005)

TBA

CANADIAN-FRENCH WARNINGS

==== 1st Warning
(1980s-1986)

====

Warning: Same as the 2nd English warning, though the only difference is the font.

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Very hard to come by, since this only appears on French Canadian releases from the early 80's. Your best bet is to visit any store in Quebec that sells used videotapes. Spotted on the 1984 French Canadian VHS of Robin des Bois.

Scare Factor: None.

==== 2nd Warning
(1986-1991)

====

TBA

==== 3rd Warning
(1991-2000(?)

====

TBA ==== 4th Warning
(2000-2005)

====

TBA

EUROPEAN WARNINGS

1st Warning
(1982-1984)

Warning: On a blue screen, we see something along the lines of

Licensed for private home viewing only. The proprietor of this videocassette is (NAME OF LOCAL DISNEY DIVISION) All rights reserved to Walt Disney Productions. Transmissions, reproductions, and duplications violate the copyright and are punished according to law. The warning is always in the language of the tape's home country (the Italian version is shown above).

FX/SFX: None.

Availability: Extremely rare. Seen on European tapes of the period, including the original UK VHS release of Blackbeard's Ghost.

Scare Factor: None.

2nd Warning
(1983-1990)

Warning: We fade in to see a white warning text in Souvenir font on a dark blue background. It reads:

"THIS MOTION PICTURE, INCLUDING ITS
SOUND TRACK, IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT
AND ANY BROADCAST, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE,
DIFFUSION, COPYING AND EDITING ARE
PROHIBITED UNLESS EXPRESSLY AUTHORISED.

THIS CASSETTE IS FOR HOME USE ONLY."

and we fade out after a few seconds.

Variant: From 1983-87, the text was in a smaller Helvetica font. The lining of the text is also different and more compressed than the standard version. In addition, it was filmed.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Like the HBO Video warnings, it says "editing."

Availability: This warning screen is seen on UK Disney VHS tapes from 1983 to 1990. The original version of this warning screen is seen on UK VHS tapes from 1983 to 1997 including the UK VHS release of Dragonslayer. The standard version is seen on numerous UK VHS tapes from the 1987 to 1990 including the 1988 home video release of Pinocchio, Outrageous Forture, Shoot to Kill, D.O.A., Good Morning, Vietnam, Benji the Hunted and Mary Poppins, and the 1989 home video releases of Sleeping Beauty, Cocktail, Beaches, New York Stories, Three Fugitives, Turner & Hooch and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?.

3rd Warning
(1984-1986)

Warning: On a medium blue background, we have a white message reading:

"THIS MOTION PICTURE,INCLUDING ITS SOUND TRACK,
IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT AND ANY BROADCAST,
PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, DIFFUSION, COPYING AND EDITING
ARE PROHIBITED UNLESS EXPRESSLY AUTHORIZED.
THIS CASSETTE IS FOR HOME USE ONLY."

Variant: Filmed and videotaped versions exist, and the latter fades in and out faster.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factors:

• The filmed version suffers from scratches occasionally due to poor storage; also, there is no space between the commas.
• Like above, it says "editing."

Availability: Very rare. This was used only rarely, but the videotaped version has been located on Return to Oz and the filmed version was seen on Dragonslayer and Hunters Landing. The British releases of Touchstone Pictures' first four movies (Splash, Country, Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend and My Science Project) should all have this.

Scare Factor: Low for the filmed variant; the scratches may get to you. None for the videotaped variant.

4th Warning
(1986-1987)

TBA

Scare Factor: None.

5th Warning
(1990-2006)

1990 Version

1992 Version

1995 Version

1997 Version

1999 Version

Warning: On a dark blue background is a white message in a Helvetica Light font reading:

THIS MOTION PICTURE, INCLUDING
ITS SOUNDTRACK, IS PROTECTED
BY COPYRIGHT AND ANY
BROADCAST, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE,
DIFFUSION, COPYING AND EDITING
ARE PROHIBITED UNLESS EXPRESSLY
AUTHORISED.

THIS CASSETTE IS FOR
HOME USE ONLY.

Variants: As the years progresses, the font of the warning screen changes.

• Beginning in late 1993, the font was changed to a bolder version of Helvetica. The font of the warning text was changed to an even bolder version of Helvetica in late 1995 and again to Helvetica Condensed in early 1997.
• Starting in late 1998, the warning text is modified as the word "AND" is replaced by "OR" and the word "ARE" is replaced with "IS" in the warning text. The font of the warning text is also changed to an even bolder version of Helvetica Condensed in this variant.
• On timecoded and demo tapes, the text below is replaced by:

"THIS PREVIEW CASSETTE REMAINS
THE PROPERTY OF BVHE. NOT FOR
SALE OR RENTAL".

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: Same as the previous two warnings.

Availability: This bumper is seen on numerous UK VHS tapes released by Buena Vista Home Video/Buena Vista Home Entertainment and Walt Disney Home Video/Disney Videos/Walt Disney Home Entertainment from 1990 to 2006.

Scare Factor: None.

6th Warning
(1999-present)

Warning: On a black background, white warning text with WARNING above in red.

Variants:

• On later DVDs, the font and the text may change.
• The text will be in different languages depending on which language you pick.
• On releases outside the UK, the "Original packaging of this product" notice is removed.

FX/SFX: None.

Cheesy Factor: The original variant still says "editing."

Music/Sounds: None, but on the English Audio Descriptive version a female voiceover reads the text.

Availability: Seen on UK and international Buena Vista/Disney DVDs.

Scare Factor: None.

Australian Warning Screens

1982-1994

See Roadshow Home Video/Entertainment Warning Screen for details.

1994-2004

Warning: On a black-blue gradient background, we see the warning screen scrolling up. The word WARNING fades in above.

FX/SFX: The scrolling of the warning.

Music/Sounds: None.

Availability: Seen on Australia VHS tapes like Pokemon 4Ever, Dumbo, and Toy Story.

Scare Factor: None.

Italian Warning Screens

(1988-1990s)

Warning: On a light blue background, a blue Mickey Mouse head scrolls down from the top left to the middle left and scrolls to the middle right, wiping in the first set of blue warning text, which later turns yellow. The head comes back and wipes in more text, which also turns yellow after being formed. When the warning text is complete, it scrolls up. This is repeated seven times, each with a different set of warning text.

FX/SFX: The wiping and scrolling.

Music/Sounds: A jackhammer sound when the head wipes the text in. Other than that, no music or sounds.

Availability: Seen on Italian Disney tapes of the era.

Scare Factor: It can range from none to high, maybe bordering on nightmare. The jackhammer sounds can be very unnerving to some people as well as the fact it sounds like someone is shooting a gun. The scare factor may be raised even further if one who expects a silent warning screen winds up hearing the jackhammer instead. Those who don't find it scary will just find it very ear-grating.

Venezuelan Warning Screens

(1984-1987)

Warning: On a sky blue screen, the word "ADVERTENCIA" in green wipes downward, followed by yellow-colored warning text on two screens. The second half of the text scrolls up.

FX/SFX: The wiping and scrolling.

Availability: Seen on Venezuelan Disney tapes of the era, including El abismo negro.

Scare Factor: None.

Australian Warning Screens

Note: Australian Disney tapes prior to 1993 use the 1988-1993 Roadshow Entertainment Warning screen.

(1993-2005?)

TBA