Copyright law provides for LEGAL copying - under certain conditio ns

Deg Farrelly (DEG.FARRELLY@asu.edu)
Thu, 29 Aug 2002 13:01:29 -0700 (PDT)

> The US Copyright law is quite specific in granting *libraries* right to
> duplicate materials under certain conditions.
>
> Conditions include that the library already own a copy of the item, that
> the copy is repacement is soley for replacement of a copy that is damaged,
> deteriorating, lost, stolen or in a format that has become obsolete; and
> that the library has determined after *reasonable* effort that an *unused*
> copy cannot be obtained at a *fair* price. (emphasis mine)
>
> Obsolescence of a format is defined as "the machine or device necessary to
> render perceptible a work stored in that format is no longer manufactured
> or is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace."
>
> While these provisions do not cover conversion from PAL, they could
> reasonably cover conversion of 3/4" and other earlier video formats.
>
>
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/108.html

deg farrelly, Associate Librarian
Media/Communications Studies/Women's Studies
Arizona State University West
P.O. Box 37100
Phoenix, Arizona 85069-7100
Phone: 602.543.8522
Email: deg@asu.edu

> -----Original Message-----
>
> YES. You can't convert a video to another format for your convenience
> anymore than you can translate a book, transfer film to video etc. Any
> transfer from one format to another on a copyrighted work requires the
> permission of a copyright holder. Since it is relatively easy to use
> a multi-system player you have this option for legitimate use a PAL copy
> but it is never legal to make any copies in any format without permission
> (
> which in reality you would not get anyway)
> --
> Jessica Rosner
> Kino International
> 333 W 39th St. 503
> NY NY 10018
> jrosner@kino.com
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> You can read copyright law relevant to at least parts of this issue
> at: http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92chap1.html#108. There you can
> clearly see that copying and reformatting is permitted under certain
> (albeit highly restricted) circumstances.
>
> Judy
>
> Judith Thomas
> Director, Robertson Media Center
> Clemons Library
> University of Virginia
> Charlottesville, VA 22904
> (434) 924-8814 | jthomas@virginia.edu
>