[Videolib] PAL to VHS

Helen P. Mack (hpm0@lehigh.edu)
Wed, 15 Sep 2004 08:29:54 -0400

No, I would not allow a professor to translate a book and circulate that
translated copy. BUT, if a book is jointly published in the U.S. and
the U.K. (e.g. Macmillan in the U.K. and St. Martin's in the U.S) and we
if can't get the U.S. edition, we do go to the U.K. for it, because our
patron/requestor wants the content and doesn't really care where we go
to get it. I think my analogy is closer to the VHS/PAL scenario.
Librarians and media people are concerned about copyright, but in a
sense we serve two masters, the other one being the need to satisfy our
patrons. If a professor wants a certain video, that's what he wants,
not a substitute, and he doesn't wait until the rights are sold for a
particular format or a particular part of the world. Just my opinion.


Jessica Rosner wrote:

>It is not legal but you won't get caught. I find disheartening that a
>company would do this for you. For companies like Kino which specialize in
>films like this it is a bit disconcerting when this issue comes up. It may
>be inconvenient to have to watch something on a PAL player but it is not
>particularly difficult. Rights are sold for various territories and if
>institutions just imported PAL copies and dubbed them to VHS we would not
>have much incentive to negotiate contracts to release things like our
>German silent films or Tavernier films etc. Yes I know everyone SAYS they
>will gladly replace it with a "regular" copy but I just don't know if that
>happens and the margin on these things is small believe me.
>
>If your professor can't get a copy of the book he wants in English do you
>allow him to translate it and circulate this copy ?
>
>Jessica
>
>

-- 
Helen P. Mack, Acquisitions Librarian
Lehigh University Library
30 Library Drive
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3067  USA


Phone 610 758-3035 * Fax 610 758-5605
E-mail hpm0@lehigh.edu