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Brilliant. Thank you, Dennis. I really appreciate it.
=20
Sometimes the most diplomatic response isn't the most ready answer, for =
me...so I ask you'all for help.
=20
Thank you everyone.
=20
Gerie Ventura
Des Moines, WA
-----Original Message-----
From: MileFilms@aol.com [mailto:MileFilms@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2004 1:16 PM
To: videolib@library.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: [Videolib] RE: public performance rights
In a message dated 4/13/04 2:28:27 PM, GVENTURA@highline.edu writes:
A conscientious student group on campus (not all groups on campus have =
been so proactive in the past) actually asked if they needed public =
performance rights for a certain title (Inside Mecca) and I did my best =
to hunt down the information. (The answer was "no, not available for =
that title.")
Once I relayed that info back to the group they stared at me blankly =
like, "Ok, well, now what?"
Does anyone have any ideas on what to say in that situation? "You're on =
your own?" "Good luck, don't tell me if you break the law."
I'd appreciate some better ideas than just staring blankly back at the =
library patron.
Well! Certainly, "don't tell me if you break the law" is not the best =
answer!!!
"I'm sorry, but it happens" is a very good response (see below for even =
better). I don't know if it's the by-product of an affluent society or =
the proliferation of the internet culture, but the concept that =
EVERYTHING should be available under all circumstances is a lovely =
utopian concept. That's okay and it's something to strive for. As a =
closet socialist, I'm willing to have the Government support me so I can =
supply every one of our films for free. :-)=20
But the concept that if something is not available today, then it's okay =
to break the law, is a dangerous one.
Two reasons not to play it without PPR.=20
1) It's unethical (it's also illegal, but I like to think morality =
comes up for consideration first and foremost)
2) Who says the company didn't have its reasons? If a distributor =
who does not own the PPR sells a videotape to a college and it's used =
improperly, it can cause them problems with the producer. Trust me.
BETTER YET, you can give the name and phone number of the distributor to =
the student and let them talk to the person there. It might lead to a =
better understanding of the situation and perhaps a solution to the =
problem.
BEST YET, help the student find another film or video that can serve the =
student's needs instead of the film they can't have. It's the wonderful =
service that librarians do every day of the year. When a filmmaker calls =
me and says he can't get a film clip or piece of music he desperately =
wants and what should he do, I suggest he gets rid of his or her =
preconceived notion and think imaginatively. It almost ALWAYS works out =
better than the original plans.
Secondly,=20
Dennis Doros
Milestone Film & Video
PO Box 128
Harrington Park, NJ 07640
Phone: (800) 603-1104 or (201) 767-3117
Fax: (201) 767-3035
Email: milefilms@aol.com
Website: http://www.milestonefilms.com
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