The fever over Star Wars: The Force Awakens has faded now (we haven’t posted about it in over a month!), but there’s still plenty to dissect about it. One of the greatest criticisms of the movie was its tendency to retread themes, imagery, and structure from the original film – ignoring that the first movies […]
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The future of film copyright could rest in the Hands of Fate
Beloved by fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000 but unknown to the rest of the world, horror film Manos: The Hands of Fate is often considered the worst commercially released movie ever made. Nearly everything about the movie is a disaster, most famously the bizarre characterization and knee-heavy costuming of the evil henchman Torgo (pictured). […]
Continue readingAt last! Free legal services for independent filmmakers
One of the most worrying parts of working on a big independent film project is the potential legal woes. Large producers tend to have lawyers on retainer, but for someone working on their capstone or getting feet wet in the world of independent filmmaking, a cease-and-desist over copyright or trademark infringement can be disruptive. A […]
Continue readingLearn about fair use next Thursday
Our friends at the Music Library were quick to remind us about the upcoming Digital Futures Forum to be hosted by the library next Thursday. This time around, the topic is the fair use of copyrighted material. Fair use is often used as a blanket disclaimer for using copyrighted material, with some leeway provided for […]
Continue readingUCLA/AIME Streaming Video Lawsuit Dismissed
Librarians (particularly media librarians and copyright experts) who have been awaiting the outcome of the lawsuit filed by the Association for Information Media and Equipment (AIME) against UCLA in January 2010 can now stop waiting. The case has been dismissed, though on technical grounds that stop short of clarifying whether the practice UCLA engaged is […]
Continue readingHow to Use HandBrake
HandBrake is free software available for Mac and PC that can assist in the circumvention of professional copyright protection measures on published media. Before proceeding with this tutorial or any other act which proposes to circumvent any copyright protection measures it is a good idea to take a look at the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright […]
Continue readingGood News! New DMCA exemptions benefit university faculty and students
On Monday, the Copyright Office announced new rules on exemptions from prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Their words, not mine. Ever since the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) became law, faculty members and students alike have been legally hindered from using DVDs in the ways they had been […]
Continue readingNow if it was a Disney movie that was being ripped off…
You can bet a big dollar lawsuit would have been in the works, real quick. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4GR0DconsU&feature=player_embedded Kimba The White Lionvs. The Lion King
Continue readingA bad idea gets worse…
Disney to remove all extras from rental DVDs as well Following in Fox’s footsteps, Disney has announced that it will become the second studio to release two different “classes” of DVDs and Blu-ray Discs, a “premium” version, and a bare-bones rental version. Starting in June with the movies Morning Light, Confessions of a Shopaholic and […]
Continue readingCopyright Basics – The Video
From the folks at the Copyright Clearance Center link
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