[Videolib] Forcing PPR

Jessica Rosner (jrosner@kino.com)
Tue, 17 May 2005 10:49:42 -0400

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Next in thread: Jerry Notaro: "Re: [Videolib] Forcing PPR"

Jerry
With all due respect you are confusing copyright law with contract law
The exclusive owner and distributor of a film can put in any requirements
they choose as a condition of agreeing to sell you the film. I know
Wiseman's company does not allow any of their films to circulate in any way
and can only be used on premise. ABC appears to be requiring institutions to
repurchase or license a film after a certain period.
It should be noted that this works both ways. A company can agree either for
a fee or free or charge to let a film be shown publicaly, copied, broadcast
on campus cable system etc. Rights holders can BY CONTRACT restrict or widen
the rights on a film they own. However this must be done up front and at the
time of sale.
In many ways the PPR issue is a red herring. Companies that charge a lot of
money for very small films with a limited market basically include PPR as a
way of justifying the cost despite the fact that most institutions won't
need the rights Where everyone gets understandably upset is when these
companies claim that institutions MUST have PPR which as we all know is
untrue.

Bottom line if there is ANY way you can avoid buying unnecessary PPR rights
( by purchasing through a wholesaler or as individual) you should do do but
A rights holder can still "force" you to buy them if they don't sell to
individuals or through any other source.

jessica

> And I disagree. The copyright holder does not have to sell PPR, but they
> cannot insist on its purchase since copyright law does make an exception
> to the "home use only" restriction in cases of face to face teaching.
>
> Notwithstanding the provisions of section 106, the following is not
> an infringement of copyright: (1) performance or display of a work by
> instructors or pupils in the course of face-to-face teaching activities of a
> nonprofit educational institution, in a classroom or similar place devoted to
> instruction, unless, in the case of a motion picture or other audiovisual
> work,
> the performance, or the display of individual images, is given by means of a
> copy that was not lawfully made under this title, and that the person
> responsible
> for the performance knew or had reason to believe was not lawfully made; ...
> (Title 17, U.S.C., Copyrights, Section 110 (1), Limitations on exclusive
> rights:
> Exemption of certain performances and displays).
>
> Jerry
>
> Jessica Rosner said:
>> Having some kind of e mail problem responding directly to Jerry's post so
>> here goes
>>
>> They can ask for any amount of money to buy the item, but they can't
>>> insist that you purchase PPR for something you legally don't need.
>>>
>>> Jerry
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Well they "can' if they have 100% control over the sales. They can just
>> basically say we require all institutions to pay $200 for PPR even if they
>> don't need them. Let's face it lots of companies do this, the difference
>> is
>> That they don't sell copies to individuals as this site does. So in order
>> to
>> "enforce" this policy they would have to have some kind of agreement at
>> the
>> "check out" requiring a buyer to agree to certain conditions for purchase
>> i.e that the item would not be used in a class or given to a library or
>> played in the bathroom on Tuesdays. This is a matter of CONTRACT not
>> copyright law. It is messy, silly and other than those ABC contracts that
>> have come up on the list I don't know who does this but if they are
>> exclusive seller they can in theory put in whatever special requirements
>> they want
>>
>> Jessica
>>>
>>
>>
>> Proud Resident of a BLUE STATE
>>
>> Jessica Rosner
>> Kino International
>> 333 W 39th St. 503
>> NY NY 10018
>> jrosner@kino.com
>> 212-629-6880
>>
>>
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Proud Resident of a BLUE STATE

Jessica Rosner
Kino International
333 W 39th St. 503
NY NY 10018
jrosner@kino.com
212-629-6880

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Next in thread: Jerry Notaro: "Re: [Videolib] Forcing PPR"