[LM_NET] HIT: Copyright question regarding Video on Demand

[Linda Elliott <lelliott60@YAHOO.COM>]

Below is a hit of the responese I received about changing the format of videos we 
own in our library as well as my original post.  Thanks everyone for confirming  
what I had understood.
 
You are right. It is a violation of copyright law to change the format of a video 
to DVD or digital file, then it is a violation to place those digitally altered 
titles on a server. You need to contact the vendors you purchased the public 
performance rights from for all your videos to get permission. Or purchase the 
rights to stream the video content from Ambrose Video, Learn360, Safari Montage, 
Discovery Education or any of the other educational video production companies out 
there...see www.nmm.netfor a list of all the top video production companies. 
 
********************************************
 You might want to suggest using that video streaming service.  I think it's called 
United Streaming or something like that.  It does require a subscription but it is 
a legal use of on-line video access.  I think the only reason the format of a 
physical resource can be changed is for a special needs student and even then only 
one copy can be reformatted.



**********************************************************************************************************
 ORIGINAL POST:

Does anyone know for sure if converting a videotape to another format, such as a 
DVD or placing the content on a server constitutes copyright infrigement?  My 
understanding was that it does, based on the following: When libraries purchase a 
videocassette, they purchase the physical object as distinct from purchasing the 
copyright to the content. Copyright regulations, therefore, determine what 
libraries can and cannot do with the videotapes they own without infringing upon 
the copyright they do not own. 
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/library/libraryfactsheet/alalibraryfactsheet7.cfm

Our school would like to place the contents of our film library on a server for 
distribution to one classroom at a time (Video on Demand) and I'm questioning if 
that is accurate.  Thanks for helping me clarify this!

Linda

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